Scholar-in-Residence

Louis is a distinguished scholar of Jewish ethics and has taught in dozens of communities around the country. Known for his warm and engaging teaching style, he speaks on a wide range of issues in Jewish ethics and theology. Louis enjoys working with rabbinic and lay leaders to design programs that address the interests of congregants and speak to the pressing issues of our day.

    • Teshuvah 101:  Where Do I Begin and How Do I Know When I'm Done?

    • Teshuvah Exercises:  Getting Your Soul in Shape for the New Year

    • Curses and Stumbling-blocks:  How to Relate to the Vulnerable Among Us

    • Red Torah, Blue Torah:  Is Judaism Liberal or Conservative?

    • Divine Fire:  The Passionate and Destructive Faces of God

    • Food for Thought:  The Jewish Ethics of Eating

    • Inheriting God:  The Meaning of El Maleh Rahamim

    • Our Money and Our Values:  Making Sense of Our Cents

    • The Jews and God—The Covenant Reconsidered

    • The Shema:  The Ambiguous Affirmation

    • Whistle-blowing:  Am I My Brother’s (and Sister’s) Keeper?

    • The Narrative and the Normative:  The Value of Stories for Jewish Ethics

    • Our Bodies, Our Values:  Whose “Self” Am I?

    • The Ethics of the Powerful:  Dilemmas of Professional Life

    • Looking at the Dark Side:  What is the Evil Inclination and Why Does it Matter? 

    • Jewish Ethics:  What Does God Have To Do With It? 

    • Ethics, Faith and Healing:  Jewish Physicians' Reflections on Medical Practice

    • Tzedakah:  It's Not How Much You Give That Matters 

    • Ethics at the End:  Jewish Values and Care for the Dying 

    • Balancing Justice and Mercy:  A Jewish View of Forgiveness

    • Jewish "Law and Order":  Commandments as a Path for Spiritual Growth

The Challenges and Unexpected Rewards of ‘Teshuvah’ (Evolve)

Living in a Time of Shattered Faith (Evolve)

“We Ask Your Forgiveness”: Hevra Kadisha As a Spiritual Practice (Evolve)

What People are Saying about Louis Newman's Teaching

  • “Louis Newman is a fabulous teacher. He was able to present scholarly material in a warm, accessible way that engaged our congregants intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. We can't wait to invite him back!”

    Rabbi Janet Marder

    Congregation Beth Am, Los Altos Hills, CA

  • "We were delighted to have Dr. Louis E. Newman as a scholar-in-residence at Congregation Adath Jeshurun. Dr. Newman's presentations blended learning and charm that enthralled his audience. He took a topic that could have been arcane and made it accessible to our congregation. Their eager comments and questions demonstrated that he touched a deep cord within them."

    Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom

    Adath Jeshurun Congregation, Elkins Park, PA

  • "Professor Louis Newman is the kind of master teacher about whom we are encouraged to 'sit at his feet and drink his words with thirst.' He did more than explain rabbinic texts, their history and their underlying values. He brought them to life in a way that made Jewish wisdom and Jewish tradition sophisticated yet accessible, personally relevant, compelling and beautiful."

    Rabbi Alexander Davis

    Beth El Synagogue, St. Louis Park, MN

  • "Louis Newman is clearly a master teacher. With warmth and depth Professor Newman led our congregants [at Westchester Reform Temple, Scarsdale, New York] through the complex and compelling world of our rabbinic sages."

    Rabbi Richard Jacobs

    President, Union of Reform Judaism

  • “Louis Newman has taught in Palo Alto on a number of occasions. He is always energetic, humorous, thoughtful, and articulate. He engages his audience with humility and honesty. He will be a very powerful teacher on the theme of Teshuvah. I recommend him highly.”

    Rabbi Sheldon Lewis

    Congregation Koi Emeth, Palo Alto, CA

  • “Louis Newman never disappoints. He always stimulates the minds and hearts of the people who are privileged to listen to him, and he does that not with bombast or demagoguery, but with calm, clear thought, down-to-earth and easily understandable language, and yet deep analysis of his subject. Everyone leaves his sessions enriched not only in thought, but in living one's life.”

    Elliot Doriff, Rabbi, Ph.D.

    Rector and Distinguished Professor of Philosphy at American Jewish University

  • “Louis Newman is a wonderful scholar, an unusually lucid thinker and a compelling speaker. His book Repentance is brimming with psychological and spiritual insight as well as the breadth of Jewish tradition.”

    David A. Teutsch, Rabbi, Ph.D.

    Weiner Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization
    Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

  • “Louis Newman is an excellent teacher. Engaging and profound, he brings the text alive and is able to relate teachings to everyday life in ways both concrete and deep. Learning with him is always an enjoyable and meaningful experience.”

    David Waksberg, Executive Director

    Jewish Learning Works, San Francisco, CA

  • "Dr. Newman came to our shul for selichot and was pitch perfect to the community and the season. He is warm, personable, scholarly without intimidation, and deep. . .Our Holidays were shaped by this wonderful experience. Thank you to Dr. Newman for giving us a mirror to ourselves and the chance to shape the future."

    Rabbi Micah Hyman

    Congregation Beth Sholom, San Francisco, CA

  • "Professor Newman did a beautiful job leading our eclectic Reconstructionist congregation in a very meaningful conversation on the meaning of repentance in our own lives. He was able to draw out many different voices, so that we learned much not only from him, but from each other, as well. Newman is certainly a wise and thoughtful scholar, and a skilled and adept moderator."

    Patty Diamond, Program Director

    Mayim Rabim Congregation, Minneapolis, MN

  • "Dr. Newman was a big hit at our congregation. His presentations were well-organized, well-spoken, and addressed both the head and the heart. Both his knowledge and his menchlichkeit came through clearly. The comments I heard from members afterwards were universally and enthusiastically positive."

    Rabbi Daniel Pressman

    Beth David Congregation at Saratoga, CA

  • “I can't thank you enough for your wonderful, engaging, and sensitive talk at Emeth. You empowered us to think and talk about a most relevant yet incredibly challenging and painful topic with wisdom, patience, clarity, and grace.”

    Rabbi-Cantor Michael McCloskey

    Temple Emeth at Chestnut Hill, MA

  • "Professor Louis Newman’s talk was both inspiring and deeply meaningful, offering our congregants words of wisdom on repentance and living more spiritual, intentional lives. With clarity and warmth, Professor Newman spoke in a way that was both accessible and profound, leaving us uplifted and enriched. His presentation was exactly what we were hoping for, and we are so grateful for the gift of his teaching."

    Rabbi Natan Trief

    Director of Adult Learning

Book an Appointment to Talk to Louis