The Adass Jisroel community of Berlin is heir to a proud history. It was the great leaders of this community that were at the forefront of showing how one can live as a Torah Jew in the modern world. While times are obviously very different today than in the ninetenth century and the years before World War II, the principles that Adass Jisroel stood for remain the same: Firm commitment to Torah while engaging with the best of modern civilization, culture, and academia. This message of hope was taught in an era, much like today, when much of the wider world, including cultural and academic circles, were not friendly to Jews. Yet the message remains true, that as Jews we have a responsibility to not simply be bystanders. We will always strive to do what we can not only to strengthen the Jewish community, but to bring Jewish wisdom and ethics to the wider world.
Marc B. Shapiro
Rabbi Dr. Marc B. Shapiro holds the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton