Abraham Joshua Heschel’s name evokes images of deep spirituality, poetic theology, and courageous activism. Many remember him marching arm-in-arm with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, declaring he was “praying with his feet.” Rabbis across denominations cite him as one of the most important Jewish thinkers of the 20th century. Laypeople, too, admire his moral clarity and eloquence.

Yet for all his fame, Heschel the theologian—Heschel the rigorous critic of Jewish life—remains less well known. His rabbinic theology, the foundation of his thought, was largely inaccessible until recently. Now, for the first time, a Newton-based class will open a door into that deeper Heschel.

A Rare Learning Opportunity

From September 10 through November 19, Walnut Street Minyan in Newton will host a weekly Wednesday evening series on Heschel’s “Torah from Heaven” (Torah Min HaShamayim). Each week begins with an optional beit midrash/house of study session (7–7:50 p.m.), followed by a formal lecture (8–9:15 p.m.). The program will conclude with a celebratory siyum.

The class is taught by professor Dror Bondi, the Corcoran Visiting Professor at Boston College, in cooperation with Walnut Street Minyan and 36 Learning Matters. Bondi, a scholar from Jerusalem who has produced a critical edition of Heschel’s Hebrew text, brings unparalleled expertise to this course.

For those who can read Hebrew, this is a chance to engage directly with Heschel’s unabridged words. For those who cannot, whenever possible an English translation will be provided. Together, these resources make Heschel’s theology accessible to a wider audience than ever before.

Heschel’s Voice: Loving and Challenging

Heschel is often celebrated as a spiritual hero, but his writings reveal a thinker unafraid of sharp critique. He challenged American Jews for their complacency, their shallow observance, and their willingness to assimilate into American comfort at the expense of Torah and tradition.

This duality—beloved yet confrontational, revered yet demanding—makes him especially relevant today. Heschel asked questions that remain urgent: What does God require of us? How can Torah be more than a text we admire from a distance? How do we pass on a Judaism that is vibrant and spiritually alive?

To study Heschel is not merely to admire his prose but to grapple with his insistence on depth, commitment, and spiritual seriousness.

If Not Now, When?

Several recent developments make this the perfect moment for such a class.

A critical Hebrew edition of “Torah from Heaven” has been published for the first time, including material unknown until now.

A reliable English translation by Rabbi Gordon Tucker offers access for those less comfortable with Hebrew.

Most importantly, Bondi’s presence in Boston this year provides a rare chance to learn directly from one of the foremost scholars of Heschel’s theology.

This convergence of text, translation, and teacher is unlikely to repeat anytime soon.

Local Connections

For Newton’s Jewish community, Heschel’s legacy is more than abstract. Many of his students, including noted scholars like Arthur Green and Edward Kaplan, have shaped Jewish life in the Boston area. The upcoming series thus connects directly to a living intellectual and spiritual lineage.

By hosting the course, Walnut Street Minyan affirms its role as a hub for serious Jewish study—critical, committed, and open to the complexity of tradition.

An Invitation to Encounter Heschel Anew

For some, this class will be a chance to encounter Heschel’s theology for the first time. For others, it will be an opportunity to revisit his writings with fresh eyes and new tools. In either case, the course offers more than intellectual enrichment. It is a chance to wrestle with the questions that animated Heschel’s life: the demands of God, the call of Torah, and the responsibility of Jews in a world still scarred by injustice.

His theology resists simplification, insisting that we live with complexity, depth, and awe.

This fall, the Walnut Street Minyan invites the community to do just that: to meet Heschel anew, in all his brilliance, difficulty, and enduring power.

Register here.

This post has been contributed by a third party. The opinions, facts and any media content are presented solely by the author, and JewishBoston assumes no responsibility for them. Want to add your voice to the conversation? Publish your own post here. MORE