THE RABBI SIDNEY H. BROOKS LECTURE

Thursday, April 16, 2007
7:30 p.m.
W. H. Thompson Alumni Center

Guest Speaker: Daniel J. Schroeter, Ph.D.

Lecturing on

"The Jewish Experience in the Muslim World"
 

Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks (1920-1999)

For more than 40 years Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks played an integral role in the religious life of the Omaha community. He served as Rabbi of Temple Israel for thirty-three years before his retirement in 1985. During those years and since, Rabbi Brooks encouraged a continuing dialogue between people of different faiths. In order to accomplish this goal, Rabbi Brooks devoted much of his time and effort to ecumenical organizations such as Operation Bridge, Omaha Interfaith Housing, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Institute on Judaism for Christian Clergy at Temple Israel. For his efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, Rabbi Brooks received the Humanitarian Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews, a special award from the Omaha Metropolitan Association of Churches, and he twice received the George Washington Award of Honor from the Freedom Foundation.

Rabbi Brooks is recognized widely for his pursuit of social justice and action in all walks of life. Never one to shirk responsibility, Rabbi Brooks often brought social issues into the conversation about religious life. While this was not always popular, Rabbi Brooks is respected throughout the community for his courage in pursuing issues of real importance to the lives of the citizens of Omaha. In recognition of these efforts, Rabbi Brooks was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1985.

Born in 1920, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Rabbi Brooks graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1942 with a degree in English Literature. In 1946, Rabbi Brooks graduated with a Master's Degree in Hebrew Literature from the Hebrew Union College Rabbinical School. A prolific writer and speaker, Rabbi Brooks has published many interviews, editorials, and articles in local and national newspapers and journals. He also collaborated in the editing of Rabbi Samuel S. Cohon's Jewish Theology and Dr. Richard Freund's Understanding Jewish Ethics. In 1971, Rabbi Brooks received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Hebrew Union College.

Throughout the years, Rabbi Brooks was encouraged and supported by his wife, Mrs. Jane Brooks. Mrs. Brooks also has participated significantly in the religious life of the Omaha community.

Previous Brooks Lectures  

2006 - Rabbi David Sandmel, Ph.D.:
“Theology, Identity and Politics:
Jews, Christians and Israel in the 21st Century?”

2004 - Dr. Michael Cook:
“Looking Beyond Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion’ – Reviewing & Previewing the Wider Ramifications”