Arthur Hertzberg
A towering intellectual rabbi who argued fiercely for a muscular, politically engaged Judaism while dissecting the complexities of Zionism.
1921–2006 (age 85)·American rabbi, historian, and activist·Birthday: June 9·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Arthur Hertzberg was a combative and profound voice in post-war American Judaism, a historian who stepped forcefully into the arena of public debate. A Conservative rabbi and academic, he bore the weight of his family's Hasidic lineage while embracing a modern, critical scholarship. His seminal work, 'The Zionist Idea', assembled and analyzed key texts, becoming an indispensable resource. Hertzberg was no detached observer; he served as president of the American Jewish Congress and was a vocal advocate for civil rights and Soviet Jewry. Yet he often positioned himself as a provocateur, criticizing what he saw as the moral failings of Israeli policy and the complacency of the American Jewish establishment. His life was a sustained argument for a Judaism that was intellectually rigorous, ethically demanding, and unafraid of power.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Arthur was born in 1921, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arthur Was Born
The biggest hits of 1921
#1 Movie
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Arthur's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1921Born
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1926Started school
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1934Became a teenager
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1937Could drive
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1939Could vote
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Turned 21
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1951Turned 30
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 40
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 50
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 60
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 70
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 80
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2006Died at 85
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Edited and provided critical commentary for 'The Zionist Idea', a definitive anthology of Zionist writings that shaped academic understanding of the movement.
- Served as president of the American Jewish Congress from 1972 to 1978, advocating for social justice and Jewish rights.
- Authored 'The Jews in America', a major historical work tracing the community's journey from immigrants to a powerful diaspora force.
Did You Know?
He was a descendant of a famous Hasidic dynasty, tracing his lineage back to the Apter Rebbe.
He marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights.
He held a faculty position at Dartmouth College, an unusual post for a prominent rabbi at the time.
“The real choice is not between Zionism and something else. The real choice is between a Zionism that is wise and a Zionism that is foolish.”
