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In this first one-volume English-language full biography of Abraham Joshua Heschel, Edward K. Kaplan tells the engrossing, behind-the-scenes story of the life, philosophy, struggles, yearnings, writings, and activism of one of the twentieth century’s most outstanding Jewish thinkers.

Kaplan takes readers on a soulful journey through the rollercoaster challenges and successes of Heschel’s emotional life. As a child he was enveloped in a Hasidic community of Warsaw, then he went on to explore secular Jewish Vilna and cosmopolitan Berlin. He improvised solutions to procure his doctorate in Nazi-dominated Berlin, escaped the Nazis, and secured a rare visa to the United States. He articulated strikingly original interpretations of Jewish ideas. His relationships spanned not only the Jewish denominational spectrum but also Catholic and Protestant faith communities. A militant voice for nonviolent social action, he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. (who became a close friend), expressed strong opposition to the Vietnam War (while the FBI compiled a file on him), and helped reverse long-standing antisemitic Catholic Church doctrine on Jews (participating in a secret meeting with Pope Paul VI during Vatican II).

From such prodigiously documented stories Heschel himself emerges—mind, heart, and soul. Kaplan elucidates how Heschel remained forever torn between faith and anguish; between love of God and abhorrence of human apathy, moral weakness, and deliberate evil; between the compassion of the Baal Shem Tov of Medzibozh and the Kotzker rebbe’s cruel demands for truth. “My heart,” Heschel acknowledged, is “in Medzibozh, my mind in Kotzk.”

About the Author

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Edward K. Kaplan is Kevy and Hortense Kaiserman Professor in the Humanities Emeritus at Brandeis University. He is the author of numerous books, including Spiritual Radical: Abraham Joshua Heschel in America, 1940–1972; winner of the National Jewish Book Award; and coauthor, with Samuel H. Dresner, of Abraham Joshua Heschel: Prophetic Witness.
 

Praise For…

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"[An] admiring and detailed biography."—Adam Kirsch, Wall Street Journal

"The principal author of the definitive Heschel biography has distilled its two large volumes into one for a general readership. . . . Kaplan embeds Heschel's activism in his prolific writing career, affording a blazingly impressive portrait of what it means to be a public intellectual."—Ray Olson, Booklist, starred review

"In Abraham Joshua Heschel: Mind, Heart, Soul, Edward Kaplan gives us a beautiful and lucid guide to the most creative Jewish philosopher of religion of the twentieth century. . . . Kaplan eloquently captures Heschel’s life, personality, and the major themes in his writings. He presents the core of Heschel’s teaching by examining nearly all of his works. . . . Kaplan’s love for Heschel shines through. . . . I wholeheartedly recommend Kaplan’s book to anyone interested in [the] life and works of Abrahama Joshua Heschel."—Harold Kasimow, Times of Israel

"Kaplan takes the two-volume definitive Heschel biography and distills it to one very readable volume filled with Heschel’s activism and intellectualism."—Reviews by Amos Lassen

"Kaplan’s in-depth and multifaceted biography of Abraham Joshua Heschel does justice to this exemplary human being, thinker, activist and Jewish spiritual leader."—Claudia Moscvici, Literaturesalon’s Blog

"In Abraham Joshua Heschel: Mind, Heart, Soul, author Edward K. Kaplan not only tells the life story of this great scholar, but also captures the essence of the recurring themes in Heschel's greatest works."—Jennifer MacNeil, America Magazine

“Edward K. Kaplan’s magisterial biography of the greatest Jewish prophetic figure of the barbaric twentieth century is a masterpiece! It is also incredibly timely. We need the wisdom, courage, and compassion of the inimitable Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. The very future of our world depends, in part, on the legacy of Heschel’s prophetic witness.”—Cornel West, Professor of the Practice of Public Philosophy, Harvard University
 

“I loved this book. Kaplan’s engaging, incisive biography brings alive Heschel’s extraordinary personality, theology, prophetic voice, and monumental contributions to Jewish thought, interfaith understanding, and the moral soul of America. Abraham Joshua Heschel: Mind, Heart, Soul evokes a much richer and deeper understanding of this spiritual giant as it simultaneously rekindles the reader’s passion for the work of Jewish social justice.”—Rabbi David Saperstein, director emeritus, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism
 

“In this wonderful distillation of many years of painstaking research, Ed Kaplan presents us with Heschel the man. Kaplan’s love for his subject is so clear, I anticipate readers will find the love contagious.”—Rabbi Shai Held, author of The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion
 

“Edward Kaplan’s lucid biography of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel illuminates the profound contributions of one of the most outstanding religious figures of the twentieth century. . . . Heschel’s commitment to civil rights, opposition to the Vietnam War, and interreligious relations show us what inspired religious leadership looks like—leadership our world today desperately needs.”—Mary C. Boys, Dean Skinner and McAlpin Professor of Practical Theology, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York