Heschel, Abraham Joshua (1907-1972), was an influential Jewish philosopher and scholar. Heschel became known for his theological writings, written in a poetic style and reflecting the influences of Jewish mysticism.
The best-known of Heschel’s many books is God in Search of Man (1955). In the work, Heschel criticizes the Jewish life of his time for its lack of emotion and conviction. The author writes that Jews should rediscover God’s presence through a reawakening of awe and reverence, through studying the Torah (the first five books of the Bible), and through a life of good works. Heschel’s other theological works include Man Is Not Alone (1951) and Man’s Quest for God (1954). Heschel also wrote Maimonides (1935), about a famous medieval Jewish philosopher; The Earth Is the Lord’s (1950), a survey of Jewish life in Poland and other countries of Eastern Europe; and the Biblical study The Prophets (1962).
Heschel was born in Warsaw, Poland. He studied in Berlin and taught in Berlin and Frankfurt before the Nazi government expelled him in 1938. He settled in the United States in 1940 and became a U.S. citizen in 1945. He taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America from 1945 to 1972.
