Rabbi Joshua Hammerman – Mensch-Marks

Aired Wednesday, 1 May 2019, 8:00 PM ET

We are all human begins. We live in a time when our humanity seems to be tested on an almost daily basis. Recent violent attacks on people of faith from many religions in many lands anger us, sadden us, befuddle us and leave us asking the eternal question, “Why”? What can each of us individually and collectively do to turn this around, find our common humanity, bring light where there is darkness and love where there is hate? How may we express in our daily lives the ideal that is found in the basic tenets of virtually every faith, to love our neighbors as ourselves?

My guest this week on Destination Unlimited, Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, refers us to the ancient Jewish oral law called the Talmud which says, “In a world that lacks humanity, be human.” Rabbi Hammerman is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut. He is a regular contributor to The New York Jewish Week, The Times of Israel, The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Religion News Service. His personal essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine and The Washington Post. He is the winner of the 2018 Religion News Association Award for Excellence in Commentary. He has served as the president of the Interfaith Council of Southwestern Connecticut, The Stamford Board of Rabbis and as Chaplain for the Stamford Police Department. He is a rabbi, journalist, father, husband, Red Sox fan and an aspiring mensch.

He joins me this week to discuss his story and his just released book, Mensch-Marks—Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi.