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About Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner
Expertise
Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history, philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.

Experience
I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)

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Conservative Judaism - belief

Expert: Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner - 11/2/2009

Question
Shalom Rabbi, can you tell me, do Jews believe in heaven and if so, who goes? Do Jews belief ih hell and if so, who goes? Is your answer different for modern Judiasm as oppossed to Judiasm as it was practiced thousands of years ago? Thank you in advance for answering these questions, I went to Hebrew school years ago, but they only taught us Hebrew. Marc

Answer
Dear Marc,

Thanks for writing.

The anwer(s) is(are) yes and no.

Judaism has a wide spectrum of beliefs or speculations about what happens at death, ranging from death is the end of the individual human being on the most liberal/modern end of the spectrum to a full-blown belief in an after-life (World to come) and with or without resurrection of the dead and the length of eternity.

One the one hand, it is helpful to also know that Jews have been discussing if not debating this topic for several thousand years or more in transmitted form in the Mishna/Talmud/Midrash, touched upon in the Hebrew Scriptures (TaNaKH) and thus it is not a contemporary "issue" or question that is raised.

Other religions - Christianity and Islam in various branches - assure the individual believer that there is salvation or rescue from death, beyond question, if you would only accept their religion as "the truth" while there are other religious traditions which speak of death as a stage preceding "nirvana" or reincarnation for another life cycle.

In my opinion and that of other, Judaism has long encouraged us to live a life within the tradition "as if" there is some form of reward and punishment after death for the life we led, and if it is indeed true, then we "are ahead of the game;" if not, we at least have made the world a better place for others, those who lived with us and those who follow us. I for one am comfortable living the "right way" ethically, morally and within the guidelines of Jewish "commandments" and what will come will come.

If you are deeply interested, consider the "Death of Death" by Rabbi Neil Gillman or the article in the Encyclopedia Judaica in the library. If you are looking for distinctions between Judaism and Christianity, check Dr. Trude Weiss-Rosmarin's book, "Judaism and Christianity: The Difference."

Best wishes

Rabbi Dov

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