25 December 2008

Reflections on the Life of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf

So, perhaps, this entry ought to be called my interactions with Rabbi Wolf, z"l. I met him when I was in high school through my involvement in NFTY-CAR. He had a gruff personality, but a good heart. He told me he would not call my by my (then) nickname, but rather by my given name, because he thought that my nickname was diminutive, and he wanted to show respect for me.

I remember vividly the first session I went that he did. It was about prayer, and I firmly stated that I did not see the purpose of saying the g'vurot because I do not believe that God has the power to heal the sick, lift the fallen, or free the captive. He argued that that may be the case, but God created people, who have the power to do so.

At another session, he proclaimed it impossible to be "spiritual, not religious." At a third he said it is more important to keep kosher outside the home than inside it.

When Jewish-Muslim Dialogue at the University of Chicago visited KAM Isaiah Israel, Rabbi Wolf appeared out of nowhere to ask us what is necessary for a Jewish community. The answer? A minyan.

Rabbi Wolf was always an advocate for social justice and civil rights. In response to Hillels of Illinois holding an event in the Congress Hotel, he told me to cross the picket line in order to get the people inside to join the strike.

He was a man who was never afraid to say what he thought. He was steeped in tradition and immersed in the modern world.

Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf (1924-2008) zichrono livracha