Study the Torah with Academic Scholarship

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Racism

The Slave Bible: For Slavery or Salvation?

What really motivated the editors of Select Parts of the Holy Bible: For the Use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands (1807), better known as “The Slave Bible”?

Dr.

Brandon Hurlbert

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Noah’s Curse: On the Eve of the Civil War, a Rabbi Declares Black Slavery Biblical

In 1861, Rabbi Morris Raphall of New York attempted to save the Union by declaring from his pulpit that slavery was the will of God, as per the Torah’s story of the curse of Ham. Some rabbis and Jewish scholars approved of the message, but others, such as Michael Heilprin and David Einhorn, pushed back with biting criticism.

Prof.

Howard B. Rock

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Why Do Miriam and Aaron Criticize Moses for Marrying a Kushite Woman?

Were they racists?

Prof.

David Goldenberg

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I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Biblical Prophetic Speech

Using biblical quotes, imagery, and rhetorical devices, Martin Luther King Jr. envisions the hopeful future of African American people in the United States in the voice of a biblical prophet.

Prof.

Marc Zvi Brettler

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Moses’ Black-Skinned Wife: What Does the Torah Think of Her?

Miriam and Aaron speak negatively about Moses for marrying a Kushite woman. Does their issue have to do with her skin color? Miriam’s punishment may hold the key.

Prof.

Sidnie White Crawford

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Black People in Jewish Tradition: Eliminating Racism Requires Honesty

Like many traditions with a long historical pedigree, Judaism has inherited its share of texts with racial bias. Failure to acknowledge this is one reason for prevalent conscious and subconscious racist views that can be found in the American Orthodox Jewish community—the community of which I am a part—which sometimes reveal themselves in overt statements and actions.

Prof.

Meylekh (PV) Viswanath

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