Why Rabbis Should Teach the Hebrew Bible to Non-Jews

Tradtionally, American Orthodox Jews have shied away from any sort of interfaith dialogue that involves substantive issues of theology and scriptural interpretation, following an approach outlined by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik in his seminal essay “Confrontation.” But Ari Lamm, although an Orthodox rabbi, has devoted the past several years to engaging non-Jews in fruitful discussions of Tanakh. He would not, however, describe these endeavors as dialogue. In this interview with David Bashevkin, which ranges from the historical and philosophical to the deeply personal, Lamm explains the rationale behind this project—one he pursues on his own podcast and on social media—and how it relates, in his view, to the divine mission of the Jewish people. (Audio, 67 minutes. Interview begins at 7:58.)