Today we are honored to cast a spotlight on two community members who are featured in the upcoming Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning on Sunday, March 12 from 10 am-3 pm at the JCC in Getzville.
The first is Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, Director of the Jewish Discovery Center and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Jewish Studies. Rabbi Greenberg has authored over one hundred books on Bible, Talmud, Maimonides, Jewish law, Kabbalah, Chassidic philosophy, Jewish Holidays and more. He has also written over fifty scholarly papers in rabbinic journals. He is a sought-after speaker who has lectured extensively across the USA, Canada, Australia and South Africa. The Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning will culminate with the first Rabbi Heschel Greenberg Lecture, to be given yearly by a distinguished speaker to honor Rabbi Greenberg’s contribution to Jewish Buffalo. The inaugural lecture will be given by Rabbi Greenberg himself to celebrate his fifty years in Buffalo. He will be speaking on the topic “The Rational Mystery of Mashiach.”
We shine the second spotlight on Dr. Gerhard Falk, a former professor at Buffalo State University until his retirement in late 2016. The author of 30 books and 42 journal articles, Dr. Falk taught criminology, sociology of religion, juvenile delinquency, and the treatment of offenders. He has been awarded the New York State Research Foundation’s Award for Scholarship; the Buffalo State College President’s Award for Creativity; and The New York State University Chancellor’s Award for Excellence. He is the author of over fifty scholarly works, including the following titles: Murder: An Analysis of its Forms, Conditions and Causes (1990), American Judaism in Transition: The Secularization of a Religious Community (1994), Hippocrates Assailed: The American Health Delivery System (1999), Stigma: How We Treat Outsiders (2001), and Man’s Ascent to Reason (2002). Dr. Falk’s book The Jew in Christian Theology (1992) traces the origins and history of Christian teachings about Jews and includes the only English translation of Martin Luther’s notoriously antisemitic booklet, Vom Schem Hamphoras (Of the Hidden Name). During the Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning, Dr. Falk will be recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary contributions to scholarship, learning and the Jewish community.
For more information and to register for the Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning, visit https://buffalojewishfederation.org/day-of-jewish-learning-2023. For questions, contact Professor Alex Green agreen6@buffalo.edu
