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{{Short description|Swiss-born Canadian rabbi and writer}}
{{Weasel|date=June 2009}}
'''Jacob Immanuel Schochet ''' (August 27, 1935 – July 27, 2013) was a Swiss-born Canadian ] who wrote on ]. He was a member of the ] movement.
{{Chabad (Rebbes and Chasidim)|Rebbes of Chabad}}


==Biography==
'''Jacob Immanuel Schochet''' is a rabbi, academic and scholar who has written and lectured on the history and philosophy of ] and topical themes of Jewish thought and ethics. He received his early education in his native Switzerland and in Holland. After moving to North America, he attended the Central Yeshivah Tomchei Tmimim in New York from which he graduated in 1958. He received his secular education in Canada, attending the University of Toronto, University of Windsor, McMaster University, and University of Waterloo, holding the degrees of BA (Phil), MA (Religious Studies), MPhil (Phil) and PhD (Phil). His specialties in philosophy are Logic, Epistemology, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion.
Schochet's parents were Dov Yehuda and Sarah Schochet. Shortly after emigrating from the Netherlands to Toronto, Canada, in 1951, they and most of their children joined the ] movement.{{fact|date=February 2021}}


Schochet was born in Switzerland. After moving to North America, he attended the Chabad ] ] in New York from which he graduated in 1958. He studied in Canada, attending the ] (BA, Phil), ] (MA, Religious Studies), ] (his MPhil thesis was titled: ''The Treatment of Anthropomorphism in Targum Onkelos'' (1966)<ref name=mcmaster>{{cite web|last=Schochet|first=Jacob Immanuel|title=The Treatment of Anthropomorphism in the Targum Onkelos|url=http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/5713/|publisher=McMaster|access-date=2013-03-18|archive-date=2014-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182600/http://digitalcommons.mcmaster.ca/opendissertations/5713/|url-status=dead}}</ref>), and ] (his PhD, Phil thesis was titled: ''The Psychological System of Maimonides'' (1974)<ref>{{cite book|title=The Psychological System of Maimonides|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zoTOSgAACAAJ|last1 = Schochet|first1 = Jacob Immanuel|year = 1973}}</ref>). He was the rabbi of ] in Toronto, and after 1996 of ].{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}
Schochet is an authority on Jewish Philosophy, ] and Hassidism, the branch of Judaism to which he subscribes. He has written 30 books, mostly on the history and philosophy of Chassidism (including biographies of the Baal Shem Tov and his successor the Maggid of Mezhirech, ''Mystical Concepts in Chassidism'', ''The Mystical Dimension'' (3 volumes), and annotated translations of the classical Chassidic texts ''Tanya'', ''Tzava'at Harivash'', and ''Likkutei Sichot''), as well as ''The Treatment of Anthropomorphism in Targum Onkelos'', and ''The Psychological System of Maimonides''. He has also penned numerous articles in academic and popular publications dealing with philosophy, Jewish Mysticism and socio-ethical issues. He lectured at the universities of Yale, UCLA, Berkeley, McGill, Oxford, London, Cape Town, Melbourne, and has spoken for communities throughout the USA, Canada and Europe, Australia, South Africa, the Far East and Israel. He is the editor of critical editions of the principal Chassidic texts ''Keter Shem Tov'', ''Tzava'at Harivash'', ''Maggid Devarav Leyaakov'' and ''Or Torah'', which are accepted as the authoritative editions.


==Critical views==
For 30 years he was the rabbi of Kielcer Congregation in Toronto, Canada, and since 1996 he served as rabbi of Cong. Beth Joseph. He is professor-emeritus of Philosophy, and Comparative Religion, at ], in ], ], ], and served as adjunct-professor on Jewish Bioethics at ], and professor of Jewish Law and Philosophy, and dean of degree studies at Maimonides College, in Toronto, Canada.


===Criticism of Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jews===
Schochet is a son of Rabbi Dov Yehuda and Sarah Schochet. The elder Schochet was born in ] (Telshe, Telz) Lithuania, and was an alumnus of the ] and a Talmud scholar. He served as rabbi in ], ] from 1930 until 1947, and from 1947 to 1951 he served as chief-rabbi of The Hague and the adjacent regional towns, in Holland. Shortly after emigrating to Toronto in 1951, Rabbi and Mrs. Schochet and most of their ten children joined the ] movement. Numerous reasons are cited to explain this 'conversion', the most likely being friendship by the ], R. ]. There is also a supposed ] that the Lubavitcher Rebbe performed in saving the life of the youngest daughter after she had suffered severe burns. Essentially, though, the reorientation of the family was mainly due to their direct contact with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. ].{{fact|date=November 2009}} Schochet Sr. admired the Rebbe's scholarship in various areas of Judaism. Rabbi Immanuel Schochet had a relationship with Rebbe from the time he was a young student in the Yeshivah, and thereafter the Rebbe urged and encouraged his academic pursuits and literary efforts.
In his book ''Who is a Jew'' Schochet, an ], asserted: "There can be peaceful co-existence on the communal level, and even cooperation in matters of common concerns; but there is no common ground on the religious-doctrinal level. ']' and ']' can live with 'orthodox' standards and recognize the titular status of 'orthodox' rabbis. After all, 'orthodox' rabbis are ordained on the basis of their proficiency in knowledge and adjudication of Jewish law ('']''). This will not work in reverse, however, because the requirements for conservative and reform ordination are altogether different."


Regarding Jews who practice Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, ], and other streams of Judaism, Schochet stated: "To be sure, we must condemn wrong and misleading ideologies and practices. But simultaneously we must be of the disciples of Aaron the High Priest: 'Loving peace and pursuing peace, loving our fellow-creatures and bringing them near to the Torah'!".
Schochet is active with writing and lecturing and communal affairs in Toronto. He is a member of the executive committee of the ''Rabbinical Alliance of America'', and on the boards of many educational and social institutions. Biographical data of his are listed in a number of "who is Who"s, such as ''Directory of American Scholars'', ''Encyclopedia of Hassidism'', and ''Who is Who in Canadian Jewry''.


===Criticism of non-Orthodox Jewish conversions===
==Controversy==
==''Who is a Jew?''==
{{Main|Who is a Jew?}} {{Main|Who is a Jew?}}
With the heated controversy on the issue of 'Who is a Jew' arose in the 1970s, Rabbi Schochet was a leading proponent for amending the Israeli Law of Return to recognize only halachic (orthodox) conversions, as opposed to conversions performed by the reform, conservative and reconstructionist movements. He published numerous articles in the general and Jewish press, in addition to speaking at many public forums, to explain that position. His book ''Who Is A Jew?'' has gone through several editions and translated into many languages. Regarding the issue of 'Who is a Jew' that arose in ] in the 1970s, Schochet was a proponent for amending the Israeli ] to recognize only Orthodox ], as opposed to conversions performed by non-Orthodox Jewish rabbis. He published a book entitled ''Who Is A Jew?'' on the subject, wherein he rejected the notion that Jews are a part of one race or that Jews are a nationality. Instead he stated that Jews are united by their Judaism. Schochet adhered to a definition of a Jew as "those who partook in the original covenant of the Jewish faith, which established the eternal bond between God, Torah and Israel, and those who decided to join this covenant at later stages, they and their descendants are Jews."


==''Kabbalah Center''== ===Criticism of the Kabbalah Centre===
Schochet was an opponent of the non-profit ], accusing it of distorting the teachings of the '']''. He characterized their actions as cultish practices. In 1993, the Kabbalah Centre filed a $4.5 million (U.S.) ] and ] lawsuit in a Canadian court against him, which was still pending in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.jta.org/2004/09/26/lifestyle/kabbalah-craze-goes-british|title=Kabbalah craze goes British|date=September 26, 2004}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/mcwisdom-or-the-real-deal/article975954/|title=McWisdom or the real deal?|work=The Globe and Mail|date=19 February 2005 |last1=Posner |first1=Michael }}</ref> In 2003 he claimed: "What they teach is heresy".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/13/us/religion-journal-jewish-mysticism-surges-on-a-tide-of-red-strings.html|title=Religion Journal; Jewish Mysticism Surges On a Tide of Red Strings (Published 2003)|first=Debra Nussbaum|last=Cohen|work=The New York Times |date=December 13, 2003|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref> In 2004 he called it a "dangerous cult."<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3r2B3C9xQ3AC&q=%22schochet%22+%22kabbalah+centre%22&pg=PA132|title=Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water|first=Peter H.|last=Gleick|date= 2010|publisher=Island Press|isbn=9781597268103|via=Google Books}}</ref> In 2007, Schochet called the teachings of the Kabbalah Centre "rubbish"; stating, "it's phony; it's manipulative; it has no spirituality whatsoever. It's not related to the authentic Kabbalah." In 2008 he claimed: "I believe they work using mind manipulation."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/british-schools-are-being-infiltrated-by-kabbalah-movement-6804984.html|title=British schools 'are being infiltrated by Kabbalah movement'|date=April 12, 2012|website=Standard}}</ref>
Schochet is an opponent of the ] accusing it of distorting the teachings of the ''Kabbalah'', that its philosophy is antithetical to traditional Judaism, and that it is guilty of cultish practices. In 1993 the ] opened a slander lawsuit in Canadian Court against him, but eventually withdrew it in the face of Rabbi Schochet's vigorous defense of his position.


===Criticism of critics of Chabad===
==Jews for Jesus==
Schochet responded to criticisms of Chabad-Lubavitch by ] Rabbi ] (]ic scholar and ] (dean) of the ] in Chicago) that appeared in the '']'', and in the book of Rabbi Dr. (and Professor) ] (Dean of ]'s ], and Chair of the Jewish Studies department at ] of Yeshiva University), '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://collive.com/tonight-berger-to-slander/|title=Tonight: Berger to Slander|date=March 3, 2009|website=COLlive}}</ref> Schochet attempted to demonstrate that criticisms were unfounded or distorted.
⚫ Schochet has outspoken opinions about, and vehement opposition to, ] and Christian missionaries that target ]. Inn the 1970s and 1980s he was the pioneer in anti-cult and anti-missionaries activities, addressing communities throughout the world on this problem, and working with Jewish youths to bring them back to their Jewish roots. "For a Jew, however, any form of ] is tantamount to idolatry in the fullest sense of the word. There is then no way that a Jew can ever accept Jesus as a deity, mediator or savior (messiah), or even as a prophet, without betraying Judaism. To call oneself, therefore, a 'Hebrew-Christian,' a 'Jew for Jesus,' or in the latest version a 'messianic Jew,' is an oxymoron. Just as one cannot be a 'Christian Buddhist,' or a 'Christian for Krishna,' one cannot be a 'Jew for Jesus.'" Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet said.<ref>http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/99/july29-99/feature/feature2.htm</ref>
There are dozens of audio- and video-tapes of his powerful polemics against these missionaries, as well as a transcript circulating in manuscript-form.


===Criticism of 'Jews for Jesus' and Christian missionaries===
==Chabad Messianism and Modern Orthodoxy==
⚫ In the 1970s and 1980s, Schochet was involved in anti-missionaries activities, and working with Jewish youths to bring them back to their Jewish roots. "For a Jew, however, any form of '']'' is tantamount to idolatry in the fullest sense of the word. There is then no way that a Jew can ever accept ] as a deity, mediator or savior (]), or even as a prophet, without betraying Judaism. To call oneself, therefore, a '],' a '],' or in the latest version a '],' is an oxymoron. Just as one cannot be a 'Christian Buddhist,' or a 'Christian for Krishna,' one cannot be a 'Jew for Jesus,'" Schochet said.<ref> {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124170718/http://www.cjnews.com/pastissues/99/july29-99/feature/feature2.htm|work=The Canadian Jewish News |date=November 24, 2005 }}</ref> Schochet debated missionaries, including ].<ref>{{YouTube|xG26JPXZVx0|Is Jesus the Jewish Messiah?}} Dr Michael Brown vs. Rabbi Immanuel Schochet. Arizona State University March 30, 1995</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/factual-corrections-to-th_b_1223253.html|title=Factual Corrections to the Post by Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet on My Book Kosher Jesus|date=January 23, 2012|work=The Huffington Post|access-date =January 15, 2014}}</ref>
Schochet is known as opposing the ''messianic branch'' within ]. He has called certain ideas prevalent in some ] groups specifically those relating to Bible criticism as non-normative.


===Criticism of ''Kosher Jesus''===
Schochet has been critical of attacks on Chabad-Lubavitch, including specific accusations levelled against its messianic group which he himself opposes. He responded sharply to a critical article by Rabbi Chaim D. Keller of the Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago that appeared in the ''Jewish Observer'', and more so to Prof. David Berger's book ''The Rebbe, The Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference''. In his responses Rabbi Schochet demonstrates on the one hand how many of the criticised practices of Chabad are well-founded in normative orthodoxy of Jewish tradition, and on the other hand how other criticisms are unfounded or based on crude distortions. He is especially critical of the mostly anonymous anecdotes and attributions in Berger's book, his reliance on the innuendos and unsubstantiated accusations and excoriations by individuals known for their persistent historical opposition to Hassidism in general or ''Chabad'' in particular beyond the context of contemporary controversial issues in Lubavitch, noting that material like that is dishonest and devoid of academic value and validity.
In January 2012, Schochet sent a letter to the '']'', expressing what he described as his "authoritative view" rejecting ]'s book '']'', opining that it was "heretical".<ref name=no>{{cite web|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/01/18/no-book-does-more-to-enhance-the-evangelical-missionary-message/ |title='No Book Does More to Enhance the Evangelical Missionary Message' |work=Algemeiner |date=2012-01-18 |access-date=2014-07-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/01/11/continued-incitement-over-my-kosher-jesus-book/ |title=Continued Incitement Over My Kosher Jesus Book |work=Algemeiner |date=January 11, 2012 |access-date=July 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/01/10/responding-to-attacks-on-kosher-jesus/ |title=Responding to Attacks on 'Kosher Jesus' |work=Algemeiner |date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=July 10, 2014}}</ref> He wrote "I have never read a book, let alone one authored by a purported frum Jew, that does more to enhance the evangelical missionary message and agenda than the aforementioned book. The grossly distorted message of the book violates basic premises of original and authentic Jewish tradition, thus unavoidably must be rejected for being heretical. It is my sincerest hope that the author recognizes the error of his ways and looks to make amends by retracting the book".<ref name=no/>


On the other hand, Australian Orthodox ] Rabbi ], while agreeing with some of what Boteach said and disagreeing with other points, wrote: "The suggestion that is a heretic is simply ludicrous".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/103922/|author=Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick|title=Kosher Shmuley?|date=May 9, 2012|website=Jewish Journal}}</ref> Rabbi Michael Samuel of Temple Beth Sholom in ], California, opined: "Lubavitchers do not want to know anything about Jesus."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2012/01/13/boteachs-kosher-jesus-stirs-lubavitcher-wrath/|title=Boteach's 'Kosher Jesus' stirs Lubavitcher wrath|author=Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel|work=San Diego Jewish World|date=January 13, 2012}}</ref>
He wrote ''Mashiach: The Principle of Mashiach and the Messianic Era in Jewish Law and Tradition'', which has appeared in editions and translated into eight languages. Its first edition appeared before Chabad-messianism became a controversial issue, and even the later expanded and revised editions do not deal with the controversy at all.


Boteach, for his part, said: "We are the People of the Book. We aren’t the people who ban books."<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://litreactor.com/news/orthodox-rabbi-denounced-as-heretic-over-latest-book|title=Orthodox Rabbi Denounced as Heretic Over Latest Book|website=The Los Angeles Times|author=John Jarzemsky|date=February 7, 2012 }}</ref> Boteach further responded to Schochet, stating that his "ban" of the book was "arrogant and un-Jewish," as well as "medieval."<ref>, ''Times of Israel''.</ref>
==Revolutionary Debating Method==
Over the years it has not been uncommon to have had Jewish-Christian debates. Typically,the Jewish representative was challenged to answer questions attacking his belief. Schochet had a new approach. He usually began his debates with questions that suggest contradictory statements between the ] and the ]. His opponents rarely had time to present their challenges, and instead were forced to defend one attack after another.

Rabbi Schochet's debates have included the following. Many of these are well known arguments that predate him:
* The virgin birth
::The Hebrew word used to describe the alleged scripture is 'almah'. Shochet argues that this word simply means 'a young woman,' not a 'virgin' the Hebrew word for which would be 'betulah'.
On the other hand, Shochet added a new angle to this: (a)he would concede the possibility that 'almah' may refer to a virgin, yet this crucial Christian argument of Isaiah 7:14 could not refer to the Christian allegation. After all, it states "behold, the Lord shall give you a sign: the almah shall conceive and bear a son and you shall call his name Immanuel." He maintains the "sign" cannot refer to a "virgin pregnancy", for after all no one would or could know that she is a virgin! (b) Moreover, nowhere do we find that Jesus was ever called 'Immanuel', thus whatever the verse relates to it cannot refer to Jesus! The retort that 'Immanuel' means 'God is with us', and that this would be the message, he rejects by stating:every Jewish name has a meaning, yet nowhere in the Bible do we find that a name is to be applied where this would relate to the meaning of the name as opposed to the actual name.

Likewise, with the Isaiah 53 argument (suffering servant passage), Shochet claims that indeed many Jewish sources read this as a messianic prophecy. However: it cannot possibly refer to Jesus because (a) that passage states that the 'sufering servant' "like the lamb which is led to slaughter... he opened not his mouth;" yet the crucified Jesus protested loudly "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!" (b) The sufferings servant is said to "see seed, live many days..." yet Jesus had no children nor did he live many days.
* Prince of peace
:He would bring many accounts from the ] that portray a not-so-peaceful Christ, then sit back as the opponent tries to clarify the story, and then proceeding to demonstrate that in the same vain only the Jews can interpret their Torah.
: More people have been killed in Jesus' name than anyone else in history
* Supposed contradictions in passages
* Quotes credited to Jesus that have source in earlier Rabbinical texts
Shochet's "trump-card" in responding to missionaries is to simply ask them why they reject Mohammad and the Quran, or Krishna or Buddha, etc., and to meet any response offered with: "Whatever you have to say about Mohammad, Buddha etc., and the Quran or Bhagavad Gitta etc., is exactly what we say about Jesus and the New Testament.{{fact|date=November 2009}}


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist}} {{Reflist|2}}


==External links== ==External links==
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Latest revision as of 15:37, 8 March 2024

Swiss-born Canadian rabbi and writer

Jacob Immanuel Schochet (August 27, 1935 – July 27, 2013) was a Swiss-born Canadian rabbi who wrote on Hasidic Judaism. He was a member of the Chabad movement.

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Controversies

Biography

Schochet's parents were Dov Yehuda and Sarah Schochet. Shortly after emigrating from the Netherlands to Toronto, Canada, in 1951, they and most of their children joined the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Schochet was born in Switzerland. After moving to North America, he attended the Chabad yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in New York from which he graduated in 1958. He studied in Canada, attending the University of Toronto (BA, Phil), University of Windsor (MA, Religious Studies), McMaster University (his MPhil thesis was titled: The Treatment of Anthropomorphism in Targum Onkelos (1966)), and University of Waterloo (his PhD, Phil thesis was titled: The Psychological System of Maimonides (1974)). He was the rabbi of Kielcer Congregation in Toronto, and after 1996 of Congregation Beth Joseph.

Critical views

Criticism of Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Jews

In his book Who is a Jew Schochet, an Orthodox Jew, asserted: "There can be peaceful co-existence on the communal level, and even cooperation in matters of common concerns; but there is no common ground on the religious-doctrinal level. 'Reform' and 'Conservative' can live with 'orthodox' standards and recognize the titular status of 'orthodox' rabbis. After all, 'orthodox' rabbis are ordained on the basis of their proficiency in knowledge and adjudication of Jewish law (Shulchan Aruch). This will not work in reverse, however, because the requirements for conservative and reform ordination are altogether different."

Regarding Jews who practice Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, and other streams of Judaism, Schochet stated: "To be sure, we must condemn wrong and misleading ideologies and practices. But simultaneously we must be of the disciples of Aaron the High Priest: 'Loving peace and pursuing peace, loving our fellow-creatures and bringing them near to the Torah'!".

Criticism of non-Orthodox Jewish conversions

Main article: Who is a Jew?

Regarding the issue of 'Who is a Jew' that arose in Israeli politics in the 1970s, Schochet was a proponent for amending the Israeli Law of Return to recognize only Orthodox conversions to Judaism, as opposed to conversions performed by non-Orthodox Jewish rabbis. He published a book entitled Who Is A Jew? on the subject, wherein he rejected the notion that Jews are a part of one race or that Jews are a nationality. Instead he stated that Jews are united by their Judaism. Schochet adhered to a definition of a Jew as "those who partook in the original covenant of the Jewish faith, which established the eternal bond between God, Torah and Israel, and those who decided to join this covenant at later stages, they and their descendants are Jews."

Criticism of the Kabbalah Centre

Schochet was an opponent of the non-profit Kabbalah Centre, accusing it of distorting the teachings of the Kabbalah. He characterized their actions as cultish practices. In 1993, the Kabbalah Centre filed a $4.5 million (U.S.) slander and defamation lawsuit in a Canadian court against him, which was still pending in 2004. In 2003 he claimed: "What they teach is heresy". In 2004 he called it a "dangerous cult." In 2007, Schochet called the teachings of the Kabbalah Centre "rubbish"; stating, "it's phony; it's manipulative; it has no spirituality whatsoever. It's not related to the authentic Kabbalah." In 2008 he claimed: "I believe they work using mind manipulation."

Criticism of critics of Chabad

Schochet responded to criticisms of Chabad-Lubavitch by Haredi Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller (Talmudic scholar and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago) that appeared in the Jewish Observer, and in the book of Rabbi Dr. (and Professor) David Berger (Dean of Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, and Chair of the Jewish Studies department at Yeshiva College of Yeshiva University), The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference. Schochet attempted to demonstrate that criticisms were unfounded or distorted.

Criticism of 'Jews for Jesus' and Christian missionaries

In the 1970s and 1980s, Schochet was involved in anti-missionaries activities, and working with Jewish youths to bring them back to their Jewish roots. "For a Jew, however, any form of shituf is tantamount to idolatry in the fullest sense of the word. There is then no way that a Jew can ever accept Jesus as a deity, mediator or savior (messiah), or even as a prophet, without betraying Judaism. To call oneself, therefore, a 'Hebrew-Christian,' a 'Jew for Jesus,' or in the latest version a 'messianic Jew,' is an oxymoron. Just as one cannot be a 'Christian Buddhist,' or a 'Christian for Krishna,' one cannot be a 'Jew for Jesus,'" Schochet said. Schochet debated missionaries, including Michael L. Brown.

Criticism of Kosher Jesus

In January 2012, Schochet sent a letter to the Algemeiner Journal, expressing what he described as his "authoritative view" rejecting Shmuley Boteach's book Kosher Jesus, opining that it was "heretical". He wrote "I have never read a book, let alone one authored by a purported frum Jew, that does more to enhance the evangelical missionary message and agenda than the aforementioned book. The grossly distorted message of the book violates basic premises of original and authentic Jewish tradition, thus unavoidably must be rejected for being heretical. It is my sincerest hope that the author recognizes the error of his ways and looks to make amends by retracting the book".

On the other hand, Australian Orthodox Chabad Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, while agreeing with some of what Boteach said and disagreeing with other points, wrote: "The suggestion that is a heretic is simply ludicrous". Rabbi Michael Samuel of Temple Beth Sholom in Chula Vista, California, opined: "Lubavitchers do not want to know anything about Jesus."

Boteach, for his part, said: "We are the People of the Book. We aren’t the people who ban books." Boteach further responded to Schochet, stating that his "ban" of the book was "arrogant and un-Jewish," as well as "medieval."

References

  1. Schochet, Jacob Immanuel. "The Treatment of Anthropomorphism in the Targum Onkelos". McMaster. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  2. Schochet, Jacob Immanuel (1973). The Psychological System of Maimonides.
  3. "Kabbalah craze goes British". September 26, 2004.
  4. Posner, Michael (19 February 2005). "McWisdom or the real deal?". The Globe and Mail.
  5. Cohen, Debra Nussbaum (December 13, 2003). "Religion Journal; Jewish Mysticism Surges On a Tide of Red Strings (Published 2003)". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  6. Gleick, Peter H. (2010). Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Island Press. ISBN 9781597268103 – via Google Books.
  7. "British schools 'are being infiltrated by Kabbalah movement'". Standard. April 12, 2012.
  8. "Tonight: Berger to Slander". COLlive. March 3, 2009.
  9. Archived November 24, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  10. Is Jesus the Jewish Messiah? on YouTube Dr Michael Brown vs. Rabbi Immanuel Schochet. Arizona State University March 30, 1995
  11. "Factual Corrections to the Post by Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet on My Book Kosher Jesus". The Huffington Post. January 23, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  12. ^ "'No Book Does More to Enhance the Evangelical Missionary Message'". Algemeiner. 2012-01-18. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
  13. "Continued Incitement Over My Kosher Jesus Book". Algemeiner. January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  14. "Responding to Attacks on 'Kosher Jesus'". Algemeiner. January 10, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  15. Rabbi Moshe D Gutnick (May 9, 2012). "Kosher Shmuley?". Jewish Journal.
  16. Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel (January 13, 2012). "Boteach's 'Kosher Jesus' stirs Lubavitcher wrath". San Diego Jewish World.
  17. John Jarzemsky (February 7, 2012). "Orthodox Rabbi Denounced as Heretic Over Latest Book". The Los Angeles Times.
  18. "Rabbi Shmuley walks on forbidden waters", Times of Israel.

External links

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