The Lonely Jew of Faith: Covenantal Connection in an Age of Quarantine

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jewish life moved out of our public spaces of worship, learning, and community into the private sphere. That being so, where could Jews look to find wisdom? In the 1960s, as the space race produced scientific achievements unlike any other in human history, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik wrote one of the most prescient works of our age: The Lonely Man of Faith. He warned that modernity’s technological advancements—as laudable as they were—would not address the basic human desire for existential companionship. In this period of quarantine and social distancing, this book may have found its moment yet again. In this special lecture, recorded on March 19, 2020, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik offers a distinctly Jewish reflection on this challenging time.