The title of this presentation is, “The Blessing of Doubt.” You might be saying, “Now, what kind of title is that for a speech by a rabbi? Doesn’t religion teach faith, the opposite of doubt? Isn’t the rabbi a teacher of religion and a man of faith? What’s going on here?”
Well, I’m about to argue that doubt is not a dirty word; that it is not a vice but a virtue; that a little doubt can go a long way…in helping our faith.
I’m going to argue, further, for the merits of being an agnostic.
And I’m going to argue even further, that Reform Judaism is basically agnostic…and that is ok.
Agnostic- a misunderstood term that should not be a mark of shame. Some of my best friends are agnostic. Some of your best friends are agnostic. I am too (part of the time), and I bet you are too (at least some of the time).
In these troubled times, we search for faith. But we also lose faith. Instead of despairing about our doubt, we need to acknowledge and even affirm our doubt.
Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Adas Emuno- a 155-year-old Reform congregation in Leonia, NJ. Rabbi Schwartz is director and editor-in-chief emeritus of The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), the preeminent publisher of the Jewish Bible (Tanakh) and Jewish classics since 1888, which he led for fourteen years.
Rabbi Schwartz received his BA, magna cum laude, from Duke University, and his MA and rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College. He previously served as senior rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ. He began his career as the rabbi of the Leo Baeck Center in Haifa, where he also served in the Israeli army.
Rabbi Schwartz is a prolific writer- the author of books for adults, teens and children, a prize-winning short story, a play, a prayer book, and scholarly articles that have appeared in the Journal of Reform Judaism, American Jewish History, and the Hebrew Union College Annual.
An avid world traveler, he has visited some 70 countries, and enjoys hiking, cycling, and competitive table tennis. And, of course, reading and writing! Rabbi Schwartz is married to Deborah A. Schwartz; they are the proud parents of three adult children, and two adorable grandchildren.
His textbook, Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values (1996), has been used in over 300 religious schools nationwide for the past 25 years. Another textbook, Judaism’s Great Debates, was published in 2012 in both adult and student editions.
Path of the Prophets- The Ethics-Driven Life (2018) examines the legacy of ancient Israel’s pioneers of social justice.
His children’s works include Honi the Circlemaker (1993), Adams’ Animals (2017), a selection of the PJ Library, The New Queen of Sheba (2020) and Jonah’s Tale of a Whale (2021).
His latest book is a comprehensive survey of the full spectrum of modern Jewish thought today, entitled Open Judaism: A Guide for Believers, Atheists and Agnostics (2023).