The Eternal Dissident: Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman and the Radical Imperative to Think and Act

293 Pages·2018·9.551 MB·English

by  David N. Myers (ed.)

M
THE ETERNAL
Y
E
R
S

| DISSIDENT
T
H
E

E
T
E
R RABBI LEONARD I. BEERMAN
N
A
L and the Radical Imperative to Think and Act

D
I
S
S
I
D
E
N
T
DAVID N. MYERS
Edited by

The publisher and the University of California Press Foundation
gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the S. Mark Taper
Foundation Imprint in Jewish Studies.
Luminos is the Open Access monograph publishing program
from UC Press. Luminos provides a framework for preserving and
reinvigorating monograph publishing for the future and increases
the reach and visibility of important scholarly work. Titles
published in the UC Press Luminos model are published with the
same high standards for selection, peer review, production, and
marketing as those in our traditional program. www.luminosoa.org

The Eternal Dissident

The Eternal Dissident
Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman and
the Radical Imperative to Think and Act
Edited by
David N. Myers
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university
presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing
scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its
activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic
contributions from individuals and institutions. For more information,
visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2018 by David N. Myers
Suggested citation: Myers, D. N. (ed.) The Eternal Dissident: Rabbi Leonard I.
Beerman and the Radical Imperative to Think and Act. Oakland: University
of California Press, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.50
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND license.
To view a copy of the license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Beerman, Leonard I., 1921–2014, author. | Myers, David N., editor.
Title: The eternal dissident : Rabbi Leonard I. Beerman and the radical
imperative to think and act / edited by David N. Myers.
Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2018] |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018000546 (print) | LCCN 2018005632 (ebook) | ISBN
9780520969797 () | ISBN 9780520297456 (pbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Beerman, Leonard I., 1921–2014. | Reform Judaism—United
States—History—20th century. | Jewish leadership—United
States—History—20th century. | Social action.
Classification: LCC BM755.B382 (ebook) | LCC BM755.B382 A25 2018 (print) |
DDC 296.8/3410973—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018000546
Manufactured in the United States of America
25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
David N. Myers
Part I. First Sermon
1. Chapel Sermon, October 30, 1948 35
Commentary by Rabbi Samuel Karff
Part II. Inspirations
2. Sigmund Freud, May 11, 1956 43
Commentary by Professor Peter Loewenberg
3. Bertrand Russell’s Autobiography: Three Passions in Life 47
Commentary by Dr. Joan Beerman
4. Looking at Kafka, January 8, 1982 49
Commentary by Professor Saul Friedlander
5. The Legacy of MLK, January 15, 1982 54
Commentary by the Reverend James M. Lawson Jr.
6. First Encounter with George (Regas), April 13, 2005 60
v