Gerald Blidstein facts for kids
Gerald Blidstein (born June 11, 1938 – died September 10, 2020) was a very respected professor. He taught Jewish Philosophy at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. He won the important Israel Prize in 2006 for his work in Jewish philosophy. He was also a member of the Israel Academy of Sciences since 2007.
Quick facts for kids
Gerald Blidstein
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Gerald Blidstein
June 11, 1938 New York, NY, U.S.
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| Died | September 10, 2020 (aged 82) Israel
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| Nationality | Israel, U.S. |
| Education | Yeshiva College, Columbia University (MA) Yeshiva University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Professor of Jewish Philosophy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Ben Gurion University |
| Known for | Studies on talmudic and medieval Jewish thought, especially in the works of Maimonides; many articles on contemporary Jewish thought. |
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About Gerald Blidstein
Gerald Yaakov Blidstein was born in New York. He went to Yeshiva University for his first degree (B.A.). He earned a master's degree (M.A.) in 1961 from Columbia University. This degree was in English and Comparative Literature. Later, in 1968, he received his PhD from Yeshiva University. His PhD focused on Rabbinics, which is the study of Jewish law and tradition.
One of his teachers, Professor Louis Feldman, was always proud that Gerald was his student. Gerald also received special rabbinic training from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. There, he studied with a famous rabbi named Joseph B. Soloveitchik. His main advisor for his PhD was the Talmud scholar Abraham Weiss.
His Academic Journey
Before moving to Israel in 1972, Gerald Blidstein taught at several universities. He was a lecturer at Stern College for Women. Then, he became an Assistant Professor at Temple University. After that, he was an Associate Professor at McGill University.
In 1976, he became an Associate Professor at Ben-Gurion University. By 1985, he was a Full Professor there. He led the Jewish Philosophy Department at Ben-Gurion University. He also chaired the Goldstein-Goren Department of Jewish Thought. He was a senior lecturer at Tel Aviv University too.
Gerald Blidstein also spent time as a visiting professor. He was at Gratz College in Philadelphia. He was also a Senior Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He was appointed as a Fellow at the Israel Institute for Advanced Studies at Hebrew University. He also became a Fellow at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Major Contributions to Jewish Thought
Gerald Blidstein won the Israel Prize for his important work. He studied Jewish political thought, especially the ideas of Maimonides. Maimonides was a very important Jewish thinker from the Middle Ages.
The Ministry of Education said that Blidstein made a "radical breakthrough" in understanding Maimonides' ideas. They noted how he showed the deep philosophical reasons behind Maimonides' Jewish laws (called Halakha).
Blidstein wrote books about four main topics from Maimonides' famous work, Mishneh Torah. These topics were about Kings, Prayer, Heretics, and the Laws of Torah Study. His first major book on Maimonides was Political Concepts in Maimonidean Halakha. It was first published in 1983 and then updated in 2003.
In his books, Blidstein looked at where political power comes from in Jewish law. He also explored how the culture of Maimonides' time affected his decisions. Gerald Blidstein was the first professor from Ben-Gurion University to win the Israel Prize. He was also the first from the university to join the Israel Academy of Sciences.
He was a strong supporter of Israel (a Zionist). He once wrote, "The Jew who loves his people wishes to experience its fullness, and the adventure, the challenge, of Jewish fullness today is in Israel." He believed that being in Israel was key to being part of Jewish history.
Awards and Recognition
- David Yellin Jerusalem Prize for education and Jewish Studies, 1985.
- Honorary Doctorate from Yeshiva University, 1997.
- Israel Prize in Jewish Thought, 2006.
- Fellow of the National Academy of Israeli Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 2007.
Published Works
- Honor Thy Father and Mother: Filial Responsibility in Jewish Law and Ethics, (New York:Ktav Pub. House, 1975,1976).
- Ekronot Mediniyim Be-Mishnat Ha-Rambam. Trans. "Political Concepts in Maimonidean Halakha." (Jer.:Bar Ilan, 1983). Awarded Jerusalem Prize in Jewish Studies, 1985. 2nd ed.,revised, 319pp. 2001.
- Prayer in Maimonidean Halakha (Hebrew) Beersheba and Jerusalem: BGU Press and Mossad Bialik, 1994.
- In the Rabbi's Garden: Adam and Eve in the Midrash, (N.J.:Aronson, 1997).
- Authority and Dissent in Maimonidean Law, in Hebrew. (Tel Aviv, 2002).
- The Death of Moses: Readings in Midrash, (Alon Shvut:Herzog Academic College, 2008).
- Society and Self : On the Writings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, (N.Y.:OU Press, 2012).
- "Upon them we shall meditate": Studies on Maimonides’ “Laws of the Study of Torah,” [in Hebrew] (Be'er Sheva: Ben Gurion Univ., 2017).
See also
- List of Israel Prize recipients
