RABBINICAL APPROBATIONS

Rabbi Chaim Eisen is a rare gem. He learned Torah in classic yeshivoth [religious seminaries] for years, and he then served as an educator in post-secondary yeshivoth for twenty years, besides his ongoing engagement in adult religious education, for almost forty years and counting. His knowledge of the masterpieces of rabbinical thought is comprehensive, but he does not view them as mere grist for academia. His presentations are deep but clear and, most important, relevant.

Rabbi Eisen is making the “roots” of Judaism available to non-Jews of different faiths who see the Hebrew Bible as an authentic revelation of God’s will to humanity. While not seeking to embrace Judaism, they see in the Hebrew Bible and the traditions of Israel concerning it crucial means for everyone to connect to God. As such, they crave access to those teachings we have always seen as relevant to all people. This extraordinary, blessed opportunity imposes upon us Torah-believing Jews an awesome responsibility.

Such teaching is fraught. It can be entrusted only to a small number of people who understand Torah thought deeply and intellectually, while also understanding the background and needs of non-Jews. Rabbi Eisen’s rare combination of talents positions him to be one of the few people in our generation to whom such a task should be entrusted. He will be an able and capable ambassador of our Torah, bringing to light the beauty of God’s word while faithfully conveying its message.

 

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein
Director, Interfaith Affairs, The Simon Wiesenthal Center; Contributing Editor, Jewish Action: The Magazine of the Orthodox Union; Sydney M Irmas Adjunct Chair, Jewish Law and Ethics, Loyola Law School

I have known of Rabbi Chaim Eisen’s scholarly contributions to Jewish thought for decades. I have had the opportunity and the privilege to know Rabbi Eisen personally and to hear his lectures in my synagogue and community over the past few years. His breadth of knowledge and depth of thought have impressed my congregants, who had the opportunity to hear and learn his Torah teachings, and me.

His passion for teaching the Bible has not been limited to the Jewish community but has radiated to Christians throughout the world as well. I highly recommend Rabbi Eisen as a communicator of classic traditional knowledge rooted in Biblical and post-Biblical sources. His mastery of the Bible and his profundity of thought will inspire both the scholar and the student of text and prophecy of our ancient sources.

 

Rabbi Aryeh Scheinberg
Senior Rabbi, Congregation Rodfei Sholom, San Antonio, Texas

Rabbi Chaim Eisen is one of the few scholars who can give a serious analysis and address the gamut of contemporary issues confronting believers today. And these are issues that every thinking human being must grapple with. One of our greatest challenges today is reaching out to our young people — of all ages — who, assessing the confrontation between religion and contemporary agnosticism, conclude that agnosticism prevails. All too often, agnosticism seems to project greater intellectual substance. This is why so many of us are extremely excited and anxious to learn from Rabbi Eisen.

At the same time, growing numbers of non-Jews have come to the realization that their connection to God as non-Jews entails returning to the Jewish roots of their faith. They long for Jewish teachings about the Bible and God’s revelations to humanity. This is an extraordinary new and blessed phenomenon, and we as believing Jews need to formulate an appropriate response to it. Rabbi Eisen does a tremendous service to Jews and non-Jews alike by reaching out to non-Jews as well and addressing this crucially important issue.

Despite the agnosticism and godlessness around us, more and more people are gradually but progressively recognizing that they will never quench their thirst for meaning by anything less than truly returning to God. They crave an approach to life and faith that is sincere and unapologetic. But they demand a level of authenticity and intellectual rigor that all too often is hard to find. Articulating the Bible’s authentic messages, through the lens of our tradition, is of inestimable value to these people. In this domain, too, the establishment of Zion Bible Studies is potentially a milestone of historic significance.

Torah Judaism, faithful to God’s word and His mission, has a crucially important message to communicate, at the forefront of the global marketplace of ideas today. At its root, this is the Bible’s message, as understood in Jewish tradition, to all of humanity. Today in particular, as shrill voices of godlessness often beckon unchallenged, the world is critically in need of hearing this message. I believe Zion Bible Studies, through Rabbi Eisen’s teachings, has a unique and vital role to play in addressing this need.

 

Rabbi Steven Weil
Managing Director, Orthodox Union

I write this as a statement of endorsement of Zion Bible Studies and its programs. This online religious educational institution is under the direction of my dear friend and colleague Rabbi Chaim Eisen, whose erudition and commitment to the highest principles of our tradition are a matter of record.

Rabbi Eisen has an outstanding history of success in bringing sophisticated and authentic Torah teachings to very diverse audiences. He has found that there is an international audience of Gentiles who are eager to learn about the true nature of Jewish beliefs and spiritual traditions. This is undoubtedly a blessed and providential phenomenon, and it demands of us a cogent response.

Rabbi Eisen has been a pioneer, in the education of non-Jews in the basics of the Bible from a Jewish perspective, achieving not just understanding, but admiration and respect for our traditions and sacred texts, besides a high degree of appreciation for the Jewish people. His goal is to expose non-Jews to those of our teachings that can guide all humanity, through these traditions, to enhance its connection to its Creator. Rabbi Eisen is very conscious of the issues involved in teaching this material to non-Jews.

Rabbi Eisen’s teaching style is particularly well suited to the programs he is disseminating. He is able to combine thorough scholarship with clarity of presentation and a knowledge of text, which is matched by his knowledge of pedagogical technique. Zion Bible Studies is to be commended for reaching out to thirsty audiences of diverse backgrounds with authentic and sophisticated teachings.

I urge the readers of this endorsement to support Zion Bible Studies in every possible way and to avail themselves of the opportunity to sample these programs and see for themselves the “light of Torah,” which they contain.

 

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
Executive Vice President, Emeritus, Orthodox Union