Dr. Harold S. Kushner – 2003 Perkins Lecturer
Harold S. Kushner is Rabbi Laureate of Temple Israel in the Boston suburb of Natick, Massachusetts, after serving that congregation for 24 years. He is best known as the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, an international best seller first published in 1981.
Rabbi Kushner was born in Brooklyn, New York, and graduated from Columbia University. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1960 and awarded a doctoral degree in Bible by the Seminary in 1972. He has six honorary doctorates, has studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and taught at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, and the Rabbinical School of Jewish Theological Seminary.
For four years, he edited the magazine Conservative Judaism. In 1999, the national organization, Religion in American Life, honored him as their clergyman of the year. In 1995, Rabbi Kushner was honored by the Christophers, a Roman Catholic organization, as one of fifty people who have made the world a better place in the last fifty years.
Other books written by Kushner:
- Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World
, 2009, Random House
- Overcoming Life’s Disappointments
, 2006, Random House
- The Lord Is My Shepherd
, 2003, Random House
- Who Needs God
, 2002, Fireside
- When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters
, 2002, Fireside
- Living a Life that Matters
, 2001, Random House
- How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness
, 1997, Back Bay
- When Children ask about God: A Guide for Parents Who Don’t Always Have All the Answers
, 1995, Random House
2003 Perkins Lecture Topics:
- Sunday, March 2, 2003 – 10:30am
“What Christians Can Learn From The Jewish People” - Sunday, March 2, 2003 – 7:00pm
“How Good Do We Have To Be?” - Monday March 3, 2003 – 11:00am
“Learning to See An Invisible God” - Monday, March 3, 2003 – 7:00pm
“What Do We Get Out Of Being Religious?” - Tuesday, March 4, 2003 – 11:00am
“What To Do With The Rest Of Your Life” - Tuesday, March 4, 2003 – 7:00pm
“Living A Life That Matters”

