Rabbi Haskel Lookstein Pt. 1

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein is the former principal of Ramaz, Rabbi Emeritus of KJ, and one of the most influential American Jewish activists of the last century, to the point where Newsweek called him the most influential orthodox rabbi in America. As there was so much to discuss, this episode was split into two parts.

Part 1: Rabbi Lookstein sits down to discuss his close relationships with massive Jewish figures, such as Rav Soloveichik and Rabbi Lamm, how he came to be in the rabbinate, and the experience of becoming the rabbi of the synagogue he grew up attending. Rabbi Lookstein expounds on his outlook on education, explains his commonly-used phrase “don’t let school interfere with your education,” and discusses what zionism means for him on a personal level.

Part 2: Rabbi Lookstein speaks about his activism, with a focus on Soviet Jewry (he visited multiple times, had a close relationship with Natan Sharansky before he was even imprisoned, and led countless rallies that had serious impacts). Rabbi Lookstein discusses what it was like to write his Ph.D. with the help of Eli Weisel on “The Public Response of American Jews to the Holocaust, 1938-44.” He then describes the relationship between orthodoxy and open mindedness, his roles in the public eye (participated in Obama’s prayer services and converted Ivanka Trump), and how music and prayer has played a massive role in his life. Rabbi Lookstein concludes by defining what it means to lead.