Harold Kushner

Kushner was born to Conservative Jewish parents Julius and Sarah (Hartman) Kushner in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, New York. His family moved to the Crown Heights section when he started elementary school. While his mother was a homemaker, his father owned Playmore Publishing, a shop at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street that specialized in selling children's books and toys, primarily Bible stories. Julius had hoped that his son would take over the business someday, but Harold did not believe he possessed the same level of business acumen as his father.[1]

After graduating from Erasmus Hall High School, he attended Columbia University, where he initially intended to major in psychology but later switched to literature after being taught by Professor Mark Van Doren, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet.[1] Kushner held various extracurricular positions while studying at Columbia. He worked for Jester of Columbia and WKCR and eventually became the director of sports broadcasting. Additionally, he served as the president of the student Zionist organization.[2]

Despite having a strong religious upbringing, Kushner had no plans to become a rabbi until he enrolled in an evening program at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He became certain about his calling to be a rabbi during his junior year at Columbia. He completed his bachelor's degree in 1955, and after completing his master's degree in 1960, he enrolled full-time at the seminary, where he was ordained in 1960.[3] He received his doctoral degree in 1972.[4] He also completed a year of graduate work at at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, taught at Clark University and the Rabbinical School of the JTS, and received six honorary doctorates.[5]

Kushner was a disciple of Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism.[5]

Following his ordination, Kushner went to court to request the waiver of his military exemption. He served for two years as a first lieutenant in the Army's Chaplain Corps at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.[1]

After his discharge from the Army's Chaplain Corps, Kushner returned to New York and served as an assistant rabbi at Temple Israel in Great Neck from 1962 to 1966.[1][5]

Kushner served as the congregational rabbi of Temple Israel of Natick, in Natick, Massachusetts, for 24 years and belonged to the Rabbinical Assembly.[1] He was the synagogue's full-time rabbi until 1983, when he began to serve the synagogue part-time in order to focus on writing. In 1990, he started to write and lecture full time. The synagogue deemed Kushner, who was 55 years old at the time, too young to be appointed as rabbi emeritus, so he was bestowed the title of rabbi laureate in 1983,[5] a distinction held by only a few American rabbis.[2]

Kushner was a eulogist at the State Funeral of Ronald Reagan in the Washington National Cathedral on June 11, 2004. He offered a reading from The Bible.[6][7]

Kushner led the New England Region of the Rabbinical Assembly from 1972 to 1974.[5]

In 1971, with the backing of Rabbi Ira Eisenstein, the founder of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Kushner published his first book titled When Children Ask About God: A Guide for Parents Who Don't Always Have All the Answers. Rather than reinforcing the notion of God as an all-knowing and all-powerful creator, Kushner aimed to foster a healthy skepticism and encourage questioning as a means of developing a meaningful religious faith. The book primarily targeted parents and aimed to address the concerns of people who were seeking a new Jewish belief system more in line with their broader worldview.[8]

Kushner is best known for his international best-selling book on the problem of evil, When Bad Things Happen to Good People, published in 1981. Written following the death of his son, Aaron, from the premature aging disease progeria, the book deals with questions about human suffering, God, omnipotence, and theodicy.[9][10] Kushner aimed to assist individuals in maintaining their belief in God's benevolence despite experiencing personal tragedies. His book offers a fresh interpretation of the book of Job, suggesting that while God may not have the power to prevent suffering, God provides solace to those who are afflicted. The book resonated with readers across religions and was translated into at least 12 languages. Its success propelled it to the top of the New York Times best-seller list, and established Kushner as a well-known author and commentator.[11] It was recognized by the Book of the Month Club in 1991 as one of the top ten books that have had the most significant impact on people's lives. It was tied for the ninth spot with the Bible, which claimed the top position. The book's popularity was partly attributed to Protestant clergy members promoting it in their sermons and distributing copies to their congregations.[12] Four million copies had been sold by the book's 20th anniversary.[13]

In 1986, Kushner published When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters, a book addressing matters of existentialism, particularly the meaning of life and the individual pursuit of happiness. Kushner expained that he aimed to explore why individuals who achieve success may not feel fulfilled with their lives.[11] The book won a Christopher Award in 1987.[8]

Who Needs God?, published in 1989, argued for the ongoing relevance of God in a world characterized by unprecedented human achievements. As with Kushner's previous works, Reconstructionist views were apparent in his attempt to make room for religious life and the notion of God without the belief in an all-powerful creator. He aimed to bridge the gap between religious fundamentalism and atheism, highlighting that organized religion's greatest offering is not theology but rather the comfort and support of a spiritual community. Kushner also asserted that the existence of God endows individuals with the ability to perceive holiness in the world and attain a greater sense of purpose.[8]

Kushner wrote a number of other popular theological books, such as How Good Do We Have to Be?[14] and To Life!.[15] Works such as When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough, Who Needs God? and How Good Do We Have to Be? reached a wide readership of millions.[16] Carolyn Hessel, director of the Jewish Book Council, attributed Kushner's success to his ability to appeal to everyone regardless of their background.[9]

In the fall of 2001, Living a Life That Matters became Kushner's sixth best-seller. The book figured The Old Testament's Jacob as its central character.[16][13]

Kushner's response to Simon Wiesenthal's question of forgiveness was included in a revised 1997 edition of the book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness, alongside those of 45 other leading intellectuals and commentators.[17][18] Kushner's aphorism "forgiveness benefits us more than the person we forgive" was one of many adopted by religious leaders of various faiths.[11]

Kushner was an editor of the journal Conservative Judaism from 1980 to 1984.[19] In 2001, he co-authored Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary, the new official Torah commentary of the Conservative movement, in collaboration with Chaim Potok.[20][8]

Kushner frequently used examples from TV shows and movies in his teachings and writings to connect with his audience, as he believed many people are more familiar with these cultural references than with the Bible, although he expressed concern over the semi-literacy of the Bible and found it surprising when people were not familiar with biblical stories.[16]

Kushner was a member of the Conservative school of Judaism and advocated progressive ideas within the movement.[8] Reconstructionist philsoophy is evident in his works.[8][21] In a 1980 speech to the Rabbinical Assembly, he maintained that the objective of Conservative rabbis was to showcase that leading a religious life in the modern era could be enriching, rather than imposing strict observance on less practicing Jews.[8] Paraphrasing Jewish theologian Martin Buber, he also once stated that "people want less theology and more religion."[12]

Kushner identified two fundamental forces at work in life: the randomness of nature and the purposeful actions of God. He disagreed with the notion that God causes people to suffer as a form of punishment or lesson. Instead, he believed that God experiences human pain and suffering alongside people, as evidenced by God's name "I am with you" in the Book of Exodus.[22] He argued that God was omnipotent as a "wellspring of empathy and love" and once recalled being concerned that during Yom Kippur, his synagogue's congregants concentrated too much on guilt and did not give themselves the chance to experience God's forgiveness.[12]

Kushner's writing and ideas were popular among Christians, but traditional Jews held mixed opinions. He believed that Judaism is at its best when it considers the needs of people, and took liberties with Jewish theology to make people feel better. This resulted in some Orthodox Jews feeling defensive of traditional Jewish teachings and accusing him of promoting un-Jewish ideas. In When Bad Things Happen to Good People, Kushner reconciled the Jewish beliefs in God's omnipotence and benevolence with human suffering by limiting God's ability to control random hazards in life. This view contradicts traditional Jewish teaching and led to criticism from Orthodox Jews, although Kushner himself acknowledged that he may have been wrong about God.[23][22] Literary critic and journalist Ron Rosenbaum was not convinced by Rabbi Kushner's argument in the book, describing Kushner's position as "diminishing God to something less than an Omnipotent Being — to something more like an eager cheerleader for good, but one decidedly on the sidelines in the struggle against evil."[11]

Kushner sometimes expressed doubt about the reliability of people who believe that God spoke to them. He used Genesis, Chapter 22 as an example of a troubling story that violates basic religious principles. The story tells of Abraham going to sacrifice his son, Isaac, on the altar to God after being told to do so. Although Kushner believed that Abraham heard the message, he was skeptical that God actually said it.[16]

In September 2005, Kushner expressed his disappointment and anguish towards the positions taken by some liberal Protestant churches, including the UCC, advocating for divestment from Israel. He felt that these positions were not balanced, even if they condemned both sides. Kushner compared it to passing a law that prohibits federal funds from being spent on sending weapons to both the police and criminals to reduce urban homicide.[24]

In 1995, Christian inspirational group The Christophers included Kushner in their list of '50 individuals who have made a positive impact on the world over the past 50 years."[25]

In 2007 Rabbi Kushner was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Jewish Book Council.[1]

Kushner was named clergyman of the year by the national organization Religion in American Life in 1999.[1]

In 1960, Kushner married Suzette Estrada and moved to Massachusetts. Estrada died in 2022. The couple had a daughter, Ariel, and two grandchildren. Kushner's brother Paul was a rabbi in Bellmore and Merrick on Long Island, and died in 2019.[1]

Kushner was a congregant of Temple Israel of Natick until he moved into a senior living residence in Canton, Massachusetts in 2017.[1]

Kushner was an avid fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers in his early years,[1] and he was a fan of the Boston Red Sox,[26] which his daughter Ariel recalled during an interview with NPR.[27]

• When Children Ask About God, 1971, ISBN 978-0805208795
• When Bad Things Happen to Good People, 1981, ISBN 978-1400034727
• When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters, 1986, ISBN 978-0446670029
• Who Needs God, 1989, ISBN 978-0743234771
• To Life: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking, 1993, ISBN 978-0446670029
• When Children Ask About God: A Guide for Parents Who Don't Always Have All the Answers, 1995, ISBN 978-0805210330
• How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness, 1997, ISBN 978-0316507417
• Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success, 1996, ISBN 978-1447206392
• The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the 23rd Psalm, 2003, ISBN 978-1400033355
• Overcoming Life's Disappointments, 2006, ISBN 978-0739326503
• Practice Random Acts of Kindness: Bring More Peace, Love, And Compassion, contributor, 2007, ISBN 978-1573242721
• Faith & Family: Favorite Sermons of Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, October 2007, ISBN 978-0979884306
• Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World, 2009, ISBN 978-0307385895
• The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person, October 2012, ISBN 978-0805243079
• Nine Essential Things I've Learned about Life, 2015, ISBN 978-0804173452
• Echoes of Sinai, 2018, ISBN 978-1944377298

• Rabbi Kushner's bio at Temple Israel
• Rabbi Harold Kushner talks and gives stories in relation to his latest book Overcoming Life's Disappointments (video)
• "Rabbi Kushner on Life Pains". YouTube. JBS. October 18, 2011.
• "Harold Kushner with Phil Miller: Book of Psalms". YouTube. The 92nd Street Y, New. June 21, 2013.
• "Harold Kushner on "Nine Essential Things I've Learned About Life" at the 2015 Miami Book Fair". YouTube. PBS Books. November 23, 2015.