The thought of the late Rabbi Yonatan Sachs has earned her a place of honor on the Israeli bookshelf in recent years. 13 books from the work of the chief rabbi of England and a member of the British House of Lords have been translated into Hebrew, and his thought forms a platform for a universal Jewish discourse. Starting tomorrow (Tuesday), it will be held at the University In Bar-Ilan, a three-day international conference will be dedicated to the thinking of the rabbi, who died three years ago. Ten sessions will deal with Jewish political thought, interfaith dialogue and Sachs' vision for the State of Israel.
"Rabbi Zaks was a well-known voice in the international discourse," says Prof. Hanoch Ben Pazi, one of the organizers of the conference.
"He is one of the prominent Jewish voices who speak on behalf of Judaism before the whole world. He is considered a significant moral, social and political voice."
In Ben Pazi's view, the purpose of the conference is to decipher the philosophical underpinnings of the rabbi's Mishnah.
"Rabbi Zaks' writing is the writing of a public intellectual - a man of the spirit who appeals to the general public. Although it is clear to readers that his knowledge is deep, he makes sure to articulate it in a way that is accessible. This is what makes his great popularity possible.
"The goal of the conference is far-reaching - to build a philosophical infrastructure for Rabbi Zaks' mishna. Precisely because he wrote in accessible language, if you want his mishna to find its place in the world, you need to build the deep philosophical infrastructure beneath what is on the surface."
The thought of Rabbi Zaks gave a solution to many during times of global crises - the twin disaster, the economic crisis in the USA and the relations between religions around the world.
Over the years, Rabbi Zaks met with many religious and political leaders around the world, and voiced his view of Judaism as he understood it.
Ben Pazi points out that the various aspects of his thought allow different publics to connect with his thought: "In the ultra-Orthodox world, they prefer to read the rabbi's words about this week's parsha, while in the secular world they look at him as someone who speaks 'our' language, and in the religious world they seek to hear his voice as someone who transforms
Judaism for contemporary".
The opening event of the conference will take place tomorrow, 17:30, at Bar-Ilan University.
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