David Berger (professor)
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David Berger is a rabbi and head of the Jewish Studies department at Yeshiva College at Yeshiva University, as well as a professor of Jewish History at Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School. He is most famous for his critique of Chabad messianism. In 2006, Berger accepted his appointment as a full time faculty member at Yeshiva University. He will teach primarily Medieval Jewish history at the graduate level. It is anticipated that he will occasionally teach courses on messianism and Jewish-Christian relations in modern times as well.
He is the author of "The Rebbe the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference" and "The Jewish Christian Debate in the High Middle Ages- A Critical Edition of the Nizzahon Vetus".
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[edit] Education
Berger received a Bachelor's degree from Yeshiva College in 1964; he majored in Classics. He then went on to Columbia University where he completed a Master of Arts degree in 1965 and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1970. He received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America, the official organization representing Modern Orthodox rabbis.
[edit] Activities
Before Berger prominently criticized Chabad, he was most famous as an expert on interfaith dialogue and medieval Jewish-Christian debate. He has written commentaries on Dominus Iesus, Nostra Aetate,and Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik's "Confrontation". The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU) asked him to write a response to Dabru Emet and that response was subsequently adopted as the OU's official position. He has also contributed an essay about Jacob Katz's views on medieval Jewish-Christian debate in the book, Pride of Jacob.
[edit] Works
- Berger, David. The Rebbe the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference, Littman Library of Jewish Civilization, 2001 (ISBN 978-1-874774-88-4)
- Chaim Rapoport "The Messiah Problem: Berger, the Angel and the Scandal of Reckless Indiscrimination"
- Berger, David. " The Jewish Christian Debate in the High Middle Ages" , Jason Aronson INC. , 1996 ( ISBN 1-56821-919-9 )
