Be a part of a thought-provoking evening at the JCCMW with Professor Arnold Eisen, chancellor emeritus of The Jewish Theological Seminary and one of the world’s foremost authorities on American Judaism. The JCCMW is hosting the national launch of his newest book, Seeking the Hiding God, with a conversation between Professor Eisen and Rabbi Annie Tucker, senior rabbi of Temple Israel of White Plains.
Professor Eisen will be signing books after the discussion; copies will be available for sale.
The JCCMW is committed to making programs accessible to all.
Admission is free.
About the Book
Seeking the Hiding God is an honest, insightful, and moving personal theological essay. Professor Eisen acknowledges that there is little we can know about God’s nature; his focus is on the search for the “hiding God,” the meaning of fleeting encounters with the Creator, and the acts of justice and compassion that human beings are called to perform as partners of God. The book invites readers to join the author in asking, perhaps for the first time, what they actually believe about ultimate matters of faith and doubt—and rewards fellow searchers for ultimate meaning with reassurance that the search itself can be a source of personal fulfillment, vibrant community, and great joy.
About the Panelists
Professor Arnold Eisen is the author of a widely read volume of personal reflection, Taking Hold of Torah: Jewish Commitment and Community in America. His scholarly publications include many dozens of articles on the contemporary Jewish situation as well as “The Chosen People in America: A Study in Jewish Religious Ideology”; “Galut: Modern Jewish Reflection on Homelessness and Homecoming”; “Rethinking Modern Judaism: Ritual, Commandment, Community”; and (with sociologist Steven M. Cohen) “The Jew Within: Self, Family and Community in America.” Eisen’s op-eds and blog posts have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, Time, and the Times of Israel, among other publications. His blog series, On My Mind, has reached many thousands of readers. Seeking the Hiding God is his first published work of theology.
Rabbi Annie Tucker brings her love of teaching, writing, and community building to Temple Israel Center where she serves as spiritual leader, overseeing the religious and educational arms of the synagogue. Other areas of focus include pastoral and bereavement support, member engagement and outreach, inclusion efforts, and organizational change. She enjoys working with individuals across the age span and is always free for a cup of coffee or a brisk walk!
Rabbi Tucker graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Psychology and Jewish Studies. A Wexner Graduate Fellow, she earned a master’s degree in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2001 and continued on in the Seminary’s rabbinical program where she was ordained in 2006 with a concentration in Pastoral Counseling. Most recently Tucker was Senior Rabbi at Beth Hillel Bnai Emunah in Wilmette, IL where she introduced new opportunities for adult learning, developed initiatives to engage children and families, and deepened the community’s commitment to Disability, Keruv (Interfaith), and LGBTQ inclusion as well as social justice efforts. Rabbi Tucker serves on the Executive Council and Joint Placement Commission of the Rabbinical Assembly and on the JTS Alumni Advisory Board.
