The Heschel Center of the Catholic University of Lublin has published the writings of its patron

The Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin, in cooperation with the Publishing House of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, has published “Essential Writings” by Abraham Joshua Heschel. The contents of the book were selected and provided with an introduction by the daughter of the Center's patron, Prof. Susannah Heschel.

“Essential Writings” by A.J. Heschel is available for free in the repository of the Catholic University of Lublin:https://tiny.pl/3gnq1s-n

“I dedicate this book to my father's beloved and devoted nieces, Thena Heschel Kendall (London) and Pearl Heschel Twersky (New York), who are the continuators of the splendor and nobility of the Heschel family,” - S. Heschel wrote.

The publication was created with funding from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and is a selection of the most outstanding writings of the eminent philosopher and thinker that A.J. Heschel was. Most of them were published during the author's lifetime, but some appear in print for the first time. These are, as the daughter of the Center's patron tells us, fragments of his handwritten notes, found in documents, real treasures of insightful knowledge.

The thoughts, and writings that constitute the content of the publication are timeless, universal in nature. They deal with issues such as opposition to war, the inner need for prayer, interreligious dialogue. The book also contains elements of the biography of the Jewish philosopher and theologian: life in Poland, Berlin, the USA. We can read about his relations with Christians - they were close and personal, which made them something uncommon at the time: " My father never treated Christian scholars of Jewish texts condescendingly, but had intense discussions with them about rabbinical ideas. From Christians he expected [...] respect, affirmation, social support. He sought topics that unite us, not divide us."

“A Selection of Writings” also recalls A. J. Heschel's meetings with Pope Paul VI and cooperation with the Vatican during the Second Vatican Council on the issue of Catholic-Jewish relations. “My father met with various Vatican officials, both in New York and in Rome, although he was often sharply attacked by some of his Jewish colleagues,” - writes S. Heschel.

Finally, the book is the collected thoughts of the philosopher-theologian, in the form of longer and shorter notes, essays and reflections on phenomena, events, spirituality and human behavior. “Essentail Writings” is a philosophical reflection on the most important topics concerning God and the believer, his spiritual life and personal relationship with God. It draws from Jewish philosophy and spirituality, giving the Polish reader a glimpse into a little-known (or even unknown) Jewish perspective on the most important religious topics. “Honesty, authenticity, righteousness without love can lead to the ruin of other people, of man himself,” said the patron of our Center, Rabbi Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel.

The thoughts, writings of this outstanding theologian, philosopher and poet, who played a particularly important role during the Second Vatican Council, influencing the shape of the Nostra Aetate document, we are passing on in the form of a book, which is and can be a signpost for Christians, for Jews, for everyone who seeks wisdom for life." - emphasizes the director of the Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations at the Catholic University of Lublin, Father Dr. Pawel Rytel-Andrianik, who is also head of the Polish section of Vatican Radio - Vatican News. “What defines our mission is the building of Catholic-Jewish relations on the level of science, education and culture in the international dimension, and the publication of the latest book is part of this activity,” - adds the center's director.

Abraham Joshua Heschel is undisputedly one of the most prominent representatives of modern Jewish thought, and in a broader sense, one of the best-known philosophers of religion in the United States and beyond. The so-called “depth theology” he developed has become an inspiration for Jewish and Christian theologians. It is safe to say that all of Heschel's work is both theology and anthropology.

“Essential Writings” by Abraham J. Heschel is another publication that has been published thanks to the Center's activities. So far, as part of the unit's work, the following have been published: "They Even Killed the Children. The Ulmas, a Family of Martyrs, Who Helped the Jews“ (Manuela Tulli, Fr. Pawel Rytel-Andrianik), a two-volume monograph ”Wartime Rescue of Jews by the Polish Catholic Clergy" by attorney Ryszard Tyndorf.

Task commissioned by the Minister of Science “Abraham J. Heschel Center for Catholic-Jewish Relations” - subsidized from the State Budget - Ministry of Science and Higher Education, contract no. MEiN/2023/DPI/2884 of 12.10.2023.

Monika Stojowska / The Abraham J. Heschel Center, KUL