Bar-Ilan University has announced that it will establish an institute honoring and perpetuating the legacy of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt”l, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth.
The Jonathan Sacks Institute of Bar-Ilan University will have two core objectives: to ensure that Rabbi Lord Sacks’ ideas receive the attention and recognition they deserve within academia through programs and research, especially as they relate to contemporary moral, social and political challenges. In addition, the institute will develop a diverse network of alumni with leadership potential who can make a practical impact on the future of Israeli, Jewish and world society, inspired and guided by Rabbi Sacks’ vision.
Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban said, “Bar-Ilan University has a unique connection with Rabbi Sacks. He was a member of our Board and a recipient of an honorary doctorate from the university; and at Bar-Ilan we strive to fully reflect his messages and values on our campus. We are committed to protecting and nurturing the universal values of political liberty, social responsibility and reasoned debate, while simultaneously preserving and appreciating the particularism of Jewish identity. Thus, we are proud to establish The Jonathan Sacks Institute, which will be housed in our political studies department, in order to ensure the multifaceted nature of Rabbi Sacks’ legacy, not only as a Jewish leader but also as a philosopher who speaks to the most vital social, political and moral issues of our time.”
Prof. Jonathan Rynhold, who heads Bar-Ilan’s department of political studies, will serve as the academic director of the Jonathan Sacks Institute. “Rabbi Sacks developed a body of thought grounded in the Jewish religious tradition that speaks to the most important contemporary social, political and moral issues for Jews and non-Jews alike,” said Rynhold. “Rabbi Sacks was deeply concerned with the threat to a free democratic society posed by rampant individualism on the one hand and religious extremism on the other. He argued that our ability to overcome these challenges depends on a civic culture that engages in debate with mutual respect and a moral ecology that provides hope, and builds connections and trust between different communities.
“This message is both timely and timeless, and, as such, serves to underline the importance of ensuring his legacy in the canon of great Jewish and Western thinkers,” added Rynhold.
“I am deeply moved that Bar-Ilan University is establishing an institute that will bear my husband’s name,” said Lady Elaine Sacks. “He was passionate about bridging the gap between traditional Jewish thought and contemporary societal issues, and this institute will continue that legacy. I am grateful to Bar-Ilan University for providing a platform for Rabbi Sacks’ teachings in Israel, which will continue to inspire future generations.”
The establishment of the Jonathan Sacks Institute of Bar-Ilan University was announced ahead of the opening of a three-day international parley held this week devoted to investigating and furthering the intellectual legacy of the late international religious leader, philosopher, award-winning author, and respected moral voice. This is the first such parley dedicated to Rabbi Sacks’ ideas, Jewish political and philosophical thought and influence, and will serve as an academic platform for expanding the reach of Rabbi Sacks’ voice into the most important contemporary discussions in Israel, among the Jewish people, and in the world-at-large. The opening session was followed by a festive dinner hosted by the British Friends of Bar-Ilan University.
Bar-Ilan University’s departments of Jewish philosophy and political studies organized the event, in partnership with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy. The Jewish News sponsored the event.
The conference featured nearly 40 lectures on themes of religious extremism, Bible and commentary, Jewish philosophy, interreligious theology, political thought, ethics, sustainability and more by scholars from around the world.
