Rabbi Harold Kushner, of blessed memory, died on April 28, 2023 at the age of 88. Rabbi Kushner is best known for his best selling book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. He wrote a total of 14 books, many of which were also best sellers. While known world-wide for his writing and lecturing, Rabbi Kushner was a beloved pulpit rabbi and served 25 years as the spiritual leader of Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Natick, MA and many more years as their Rabbi Laureate. For more information about Rabbi Kushner’s illustrious career, see his New York Times obituary.
In January 2014, Rabbi Kushner gave a lecture at Temple Torah (now Temple Torat Emet) in Boynton Beach, FL, where I was then serving as spiritual leader. A few months earlier, Rabbi Kushner and I both attended the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Biennial Convention in Baltimore, MD. During the convention, we recorded a brief interview that served as a teaser for Rabbi Kushner’s upcoming visit to Boynton Beach. The conversation touched on When Bad Things Happen to Good People as well as two other books by Rabbi Kushner, When Children Ask About God and Living a Life That Matters. Rabbi Kushner had a gift for speaking and writing about sophisticated subjects in an accessible way. In this 10-minute interview a decade later, he distills complex issues in clear and vivid terms and in such little time. Here is my conversation with Rabbi Harold Kushner on October 13, 2013, which you may also find on YouTube. May the memory of Rabbi Harold Kushner be for a blessing.
I am grateful to Barbara and Jay Wiston for introducing me to Rabbi Kushner and for envisioning Rabbi Kushner’s public lecture in Boynton Beach in 2014. ~Rabbi Ed Bernstein
Rabbi Ed Bernstein 