| Natan Slifkin |
Article Index for Natan |
Information AboutNatan Slifkin |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT NATAN SLIFKIN | |
| 1975 births | |
| slifkin, natan | |
| censorship | |
| living people | |
| orthodox rabbis | |
|
BACKGROUND Born and raised in Manchester, England he attended the local Yeshiva . He left in 1995 to continue his studies in the Medrash Shmuel Yeshiva and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem Israel . He was Ordained at the Ohr Somayach Yeshiva , and currently lives with his family in Beit Shemesh Israel. WRITING Slifkin explores traditional Rabbinic Perspectives in his books, and discusses how they may relate to issues of interest to modern Science . His writings elicited little controversy until 2005 . In Slifkin's opinion, traditional Judaism mandates neither a Literalistic approach to Biblical Cosmology , nor a belief that the Talmud is always correct about scientific matters. For those who may have had any interest in the subjects of Slifkin's books, views similar to these were accepted by some as within the realm of Orthodox Judaism and elicited little controversy until 2005, when a major public debate began about Slifkin's books about the question of how literally Orthodox Judaism interprets the Torah and how much weight should be given to the teachings of Rabbinic Sages . CONTROVERSY In 2005 about twenty prominent Haredi rabbis in Israel and the United States , including the influential Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv , banned Slifkin's books, which in effect meant that Haredi Jews should not purchase or read Slifkin's writings because the theories and postulates in his books were deemed to be not in conformity with mainstream Haredi Judaism . The ban caused a widespread debate, mostly via the Internet , in which rabbis and scholars from around the world participated, and which generated intense debate and opposition to the ban. Slifkin's publisher, Feldheim Publications discontinued distributing his books as a result of this ban. Materials written by him were removed from the Website s of influential Orthodox '' Kiruv '' (Jewish outreach) organizations, such as Aish HaTorah . In defiance of the ban, Rabbi Gil Student has taken over distribution of Slifkin's books via his ''Yashar Books'' imprint. BIBLIOGRAPHY
EXTERNAL LINKS
Publishers
Press coverage
|
|
|