Jeremy Rosen
From Nature to Nurture: How the Festival of Sukkot Evolved
Summary
Jeremy Rosen discusses the evolution of the Jewish festival of Sukkot over thousands of years, from its origins as a pagan harvest festival to its transformation into a religious and cultural celebration. He mentions the influence of Kabbalah and mystical traditions, how different Jewish sects, such as the Karaites and Samaritans, developed distinct practices leading to fragmentation within the Jewish community over time, and the ongoing tension between innovation and conservatism within Judaism.
Jeremy Rosen
Manchester-born Jeremy Rosen was educated at Cambridge University England and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He has practiced as an orthodox rabbi, as principal of Carmel College in the UK, and as professor at the Faculty for Comparative Religion in Antwerp, Belgium. He has written and lectured extensively in the UK and the US, where he now resides and was the rabbi of the Persian-Jewish community in Manhattan.