Shalom Rav

Latest on my lists of blogs you must add to your roll is “Leadership for a Multifaith World,” edited by Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, Director of the Religious Studies Department at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. This important new blog was created through a Luce Foundation Grant to help the RRC develop effective new models for training rabbinical students to engage with people of other faiths. As Nancy correctly observes:

For most of Jewish history, it was not considered important or even desirable for rabbis to study religions other than Judaism. Today, it is indispensible. Despite the time consuming demands upon RRC students to master the languages and literature of the Jewish people, there has been an institutional commitment and matching student interest in exploring interfaith education.

I proudly wear my bias when I say that my alma mater, RRC, is on the forefront of training rabbis for the brave new multifaith 21st century world - and Nancy has been one of my/our important teachers in this regard. ”Leadership” promises to be valuable resource for future rabbis, but the blog’s mission also makes it clear that it seeks to promote multifaith ideas that will be of serious interest to the religious world at large.

(And while you are persusing “Leadership,” I also recommend Nancy’s wonderful books as well her personal blog, Midlife Musar, which is devoted her interfaith work, but also includes occasional ”travel, recipes, movie reviews or other quirky indulgences.”)