S1 E11 Sjimon Den Hollanmder and the model for Interfaith Dialogue

This week on Good Shabbos Nebraska - America's favorite Shabbos morning talk show - we have special guest Sjimon Den Hollander. 

Sjimon has a unique background.  He studied many religions on a sophisticated level, in that he learned for extended periods of time from scholarly practitioners of different religions, studying religious texts in their original languages with traditional as well as modern scholarly commentary. 

I had the privilege to study Torah with Sjimon and his breadth of knowledge and real life experiences opened up new vistas of understanding that even great scholars of Judaism sought to learn from him. 

In America in the 21st century even the most cloistered traditional Jewish sects are engaged with people of other faiths.  Agudat Yisrael, the umbrella organization that represents the Hareidi world, regularly partners with other faith groups to discuss and advocate for their beliefs, values, and practices. 

Simply talking to people of another religion does not necessary make for meaningful interfaith dialogue.

A number of years ago a Jewish man in Omaha wanted to meet with me.  He was not a member of my shul, and we had never really had a conversation before (we subsequently became very close friends).  When we met he told me that his daughter on the East Coast was dating a Catholic boy.  They were selected to be on a reality television show that was showing how couples of different faiths deal with their differences.  The television show was flying them around and doing interviews with friends and family.  When they visited the son's religious Catholic parents they had a lot to say about their Catholic faith.  This Jewish man was an active member of the Jewish community, but did not know much about Judaism and he wanted to have something interesting to share with the show. 

So he searched his house and he found a pair of tefilin that belonged to his father.  He brought them with him and asked me what I could tell him about them.  I told him what they were, we learned the verses in the Torah that talk about them and I told him that if he came to minyan the next day I would show him how to put them on and how to daven with them.  He came and he had a spiritual and educational experience that gave him something uniquely Jewish to share with the show.  This man understood that if he was going to have a meaningful discussion then he had to know more Torah.

Interfaith dialogue is only meaningful if both sides are educated about their respective religions.  If both sides are uneducated then people have superficial discussions about how all people are the same and how we all value loving our neighbors.  We sing Hava Nagilah and you sing Amazing Grace - but we are all really the same in the end. 

Sjimon is involved in what should be the model for interfaith dialogue.  He is a knowledgeable person who has studied different faiths. He engages with Muslims and Christians who are equally knowledgeable.  The more knowledgeable the two sides of an interfaith discussion are, the more meaningful the dialogue will be. 

Tomorrow on Good Shabbos Nebraska Sjimon is going to tell us some of the benefits to engaging with people of other faiths, but also some of the pitfalls that people must look out for. 

This is a very relevant topic for Omaha's Jewish community as Temple Israel, the Reform Synagogue across the street, is currently involved in a tri faith initiative where they are seeking to have dialogue with Christians and Muslims.  I hope that tomorrow we see a good turn out for what will be a very important episode of GSN. 

So don't miss Good Shabbos Nebraska, this and every Shabbos, 10 am ONLY at Beth Israel Synagogue where every Shabbos is a Shabbaton.

S1 E11 - Sjimon Den Hollander

This Shabbos on Good Shabbos Nebraska - America's favorite Shabbos morning talk show - we have the great privilege of hosting special guest Sjimon Den Hollander!

According Jewish tradition, Moshe's father in law Yitro researched, studied, and experienced all of the religions of the world before he embraced Judaism.  If a person wants to get an insight into what made Yitro special, they should meet Sjimon Den Hollander.

Sjimon was born a Dutch Calvinist in the Netherlands, but at a young age his desire to learn sent him from the faith of his family on a journey of a lifetime that spanned across the globe.

(Some of his bio can be found here, but he will give a detailed account of his amazing life story after Kiddush on Shabbos.)

I had the great privilege of meeting Sjimon when we were both students of the great Hacham Eliyahu ben Haim at Yeshiva university.  Sjimon was my hevrusa (study partner) and together we prepared the texts that Hacham lectured on.  It was an incredible privilege to learn with Sjimon, as Sjimon's life experiences gave him insights, understanding, and practical knowledge on such a wide variety of subjects. 

When we studied anything relating to agriculture or livestock Sjimon drew from his childhood upbringing on a farm.

When we studied anything relating to human anatomy Sjimon drew from his training and experience as a nurse.

When we studied texts Sjimon drew from his proficiency in so many languages, modern and ancient. 

For every mitzvah or ritual he told us about parallel practices in other cultures.

He regularly drew from his knowledge of general world history and philosophy. 

And despite his vast knowledge base, Sjimon is the consummate wise man described by Ben Zoma who can "learn from every man."  I have never met someone who so embodied such genuine humility.  He views every person that he encounters as a potential teacher.  He is a master of the art of listening, and he views every conversation as an opportunity to learn from the other person. 

I am so privileged to know Sjimon.  Since I have known him he has been like an older brother to me. Sjimon has taught me so much about life and connecting with other people.  He has always been there for me for my celebrations, and he was there for me during some of the hardest times in my life. 
I am so happy that my community has an opportunity to meet this extraordinary person and that he will honor us by being a guest on Good Shabbos Nebraska. 

You will not want to miss this unforgettable episode of Good Shabbos Nebraska - this and every Shabbos 10 am ONLY at Beth Israel Synagogue, where every Shabbos is a shabbaton!