Invitation to a celebratory book launch for “Dharma and Halacha”

The Dangoor Centre considers itself a natural partner to the comparative studies of Hinduism and Judaism.

Dharma and Halacha: Comparative Studies in Hindu-Jewish Philosophy and Religion

Edited by Ithamar Theodor and Yudit Greenberg

Dharma and Halacha Inauguration – The Background

For the last 25 years or so, comparative studies of Judaism and Hinduism have been developing into an academic discipline in its own right. As such, books such as Between Jerusalem and Benares and Veda and Torah have been published and broken new ground in this field. Some of these publications have been inspired by the deepening of the relations between Jews and Hindus, and the blossoming relations between Israel and India. Other publications have been inspired by internal processes within the academic study of religion, and specifically, through examination of non-Christian and non-Eurocentric paradigms. Pursuant to these developments, a Hindu-Jewish research group was established within the American Academy of Religion in 1995. 

Parallel to the developing discipline of Hindu-Jewish Studies, there has been a growing affinity between Jews and Hindus. This has been commemorated by three Hindu-Jewish councils which took place during the years 2007-2009 in New-Delhi, Jerusalem and New-York. These councils were attended by senior representatives of both Judaism and Hinduism, along with Israeli and Indian diplomats. The councils emphasized the deep relations between Hinduism and Judaism as the two founding religions of most contemporary world religions.

In recent years Hindu-Jewish studies have been developing in Israeli academia, and a number of conferences have taken place. The Sir Dr. Naim Dangoor Centre for Universal Monotheism headed by Dr. Danielle Gurevitch considers itself a natural partner to the comparative studies of Hinduism and Judaism, and has invited Dr. Ithamar Theodor to join the teaching faculty at the Asian Studies wing of the department of Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as to lead the Comparative Study of Religions Research at the Dangoor Centre. This week we will be inaugurating the new book Dharma and Halacha: Comparative Studies in Hindu-Jewish Philosophy and Religion Edited by Dr. Ithamar Theodor and Professor Yudit Greenberg which was published this year. The volume contains 12 chapters which engage with the comparative studies of Hinduism and Judaism, as well as the history of this emerging academic discipline. It is dedicated to Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber who is also among the book’s authors, and who pioneered the pursuit of dialogue and understanding between Hindus and Jews.