On the evening of Sept. 10 at Gratz College in Bala Cynwyd, Koren Publishers launched the Magerman Edition of the Koren Shalem Humash, focusing on Torah commentaries by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, who completed the translation before he passed away in 2020.
The Undertaking
The sprawling project includes Torah commentary pulled from Sacks, the late chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth in the United Kingdom. David Magerman, a Philadelphia-area philanthropist known for his support of local schools, Jewish causes and the state of Israel, funded the eponymous edition. He explained that the relatability that Sacks brought to the text, “connecting modern thought and enlightenment-era thinking and enlivening Torah with that,” inspired him to undertake the project after Matthew Miller of Koren Publishers approached him with the idea of publishing Sacks’ translation and commentary.
“It was beyond necessary,” the publisher explained. “Nothing like it exists. None of the old, other translations do the Chumash justice. No one could have done it other than Rabbi Sacks, between his knowledge, his eloquence, his subtlety.”
In response to questions after the event, Aryeh Grossman, director of development at Koren Publishers, talked about what it was like to work on the project. He functioned as the point person between Sacks and the editorial team, responding to emails about details such as word counts, and later dealing with the painful reality of the rabbi’s passing while work was still in progress. Although the translation had been completed, it would be another five years before the publication would be brought to light.
He added that it was gratifying to see the final product. “It’s very exciting now to kind of see it out there,” he said. “We were planning this for months, as well, and now just seeing the Chumash out there in the world, seeing people react to it is so amazing.”
The Theme of the Event
Dr. Tanya White, a lecturer at the Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Studies and Bar-Ilan University, and Rabbi Itamar Rosensweig, rabbi of The Merion Shtiebel, spoke at the event, which was titled “Torah as Conversation: Rabbi Sacks’ Legacy.” In keeping with the theme, the two main speakers sat at a small table and took turns. Behind them stood a poster bearing a photo of the late rabbi and emblazoned with a quote of his: “Judaism is the voice of hope in the conversation of humankind.”
The speakers stressed the importance of “covenant and conversation” and, according to White, covenantal thinking, which she defined as connecting divine authority with human initiative. They discussed the challenges Sacks faced in translation of the text, his efforts to make it relevant and timeless and his determination to incorporate all strands of legitimate interpretation into his translations and commentaries.
They also emphasized Sacks’ ability to bring modern thought into the Chumash. In his introductory remarks, Miller noted that “Rabbi Sacks was our guide to the bewildering thickets of modernity, our guide to a fresh and refreshing daily Torah.”
“What Rabbi Sacks does is, he takes universal wisdom, universal categories of knowing, be it philosophy, psychology, science … and he brings it to the Torah. So, what we have is the symbiotic relationship that is continually flowing between Torah and chachma [wisdom],” White said.
Rabbi Sacks’ Legacy
Attendees and speakers alike expressed their admiration for Sacks’ universal approach, making Torah accessible to all. “He wanted the Chumash to be open to everyone, to be welcoming of all different strands of Judaism,” Magerman said in his introductory remarks. “And he would offer a commentary, but he wanted the translation not to lock in a particular view.”
In addition, White noted in her address, “He brought Torah to the outside world. He taught Torah to prime ministers and to princes and to religious leaders and to the street cleaners and to everyone and anyone in between.”
Indeed, Joanna Benarroch, president of the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, said “a Judaism engaged with the world” represents his legacy and that he was forward-looking in his approach. “For Rabbi Sacks, it was really important to understand where we came from, to make it relevant for us in the here and now and to pass it on to the next generations,” she said.
Some of the attendees expressed similar themes along with simple admiration. Lauren Jacobs said she loves Sacks and was looking forward to hearing whatever insights would be offered at the event. She felt that the one idea that truly captures his legacy is “making Torah timeless … regardless of what your age is, or when you’ve lived or what generation you are — it’s timeless.”
“Everything Rabbi Sacks has written or said is so inspirational,” Nancy Kurtzman, another attendee, said, “and I’m just drawn to hearing … a tidbit that I can walk away [with], that ignites something different in me tonight.” She added that his enduring legacy was reaching everyone regardless of their level of observance.
Dinah Bucholz is a freelance writer.