Can Robots Be Jewish? And Other Pressing Questions of Modern Life, Amy E. Schwartz, ed. Mandel Vilar Press, Simsbury, CT ©2020, ISBN 978-1-942134-67-1, p. 256 plus appendices, $24.95.
WINCHESTER, California – Beginning in 2005, Nadine Epstein, current editor of Moment Magazine, a well-respected Jewish publication since its founding in 1975 by the late Elie Wiesel and Leonard Fein, initiated an “Ask the Rabbi” column, distinguishing itself from other similar columns by asking not one, but many rabbis to respond. “Ask the Rabbi” column seeks advice from rabbis across the full spectrum of Jewish thought and theology – including, Humanist and Independent Judaism on the left, through Reform and Conservative, and on to Orthodox, Sephardic, and Chabad on the right.
Moment Magazine’s editor of “Ask the Rabbi” and editor of Can a Robot be Jewish? Amy Schwartz, begins with a few caveats about the responses: First, each answer had to be 200 words or less (a mighty difficult task for most rabbis). Second, there are other rabbis within each movement whose opinions may vary from the printed answers, and third, answers are proffered by only America rabbis, so she does not claim that answers in Can a Robot be Jewish? are the last word on its subjects. Nonetheless, the replies offer deep insights. Because of the wide theological chasm between Judaism’s extremes, we should expect divergent thoughts, and there are. Surprisingly, however, rabbinic answers often agree, although arrived at by differing arguments and citing scholars and texts held dear by that movement.
Schwartz divides Can a Robot be Jewish? into six parts: Science, sex, modern life, values, politics, and the nature of the universe, and each part asks four to six questions posed by Moment Magazine’s readers since 2005.
The first inquiry, Can a Robot be Jewish? actually poses a question about “the nature and significance of robots and artificial intelligence.” The rabbis also muse on such questions as: “Should we edit our children’s genes?” “When does life begin?” “How should we view pregnant unmarried women?” “What guidance, if any, does Judaism offer transgender people?” “Are there things that can’t be forgiven?” “Does politics belong on the bima?”, and “Are Jews expecting a Messiah?”.
Even though each Jewish religious movement holds its own interpretation of Torah and some declare their foundation to be the only meaningful path to God, Judaism, today, is not a monolith. In the book’s forward, Rabbi Irving Greenburg points this out, “There is no one all-conquering version of the truth,” and the responsa clearly reflect this assertion. Can a Robot be Jewish? differentiates itself from other similar books by presenting side-by-side answers to difficult questions of modern life, allowing readers to reflect on Judaism’s diverse thoughts and opinions through the eyes of a varied set of the religion’s denominational intelligentsia.
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Fred Reiss, Ed.D. is a retired public and Hebrew school teacher and administrator. His newest book is A Deep Dive into the Jewish Calendar for the Mathematically Challenged. He may be contacted via fred.reiss@sdjewishworld.com.