Bringing Two Worlds Together
JEONG MUN HEO, PH.D. ’21 Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies Head of Development for South Korea at Revel Head of Revel’s Certificate in Jewish Studies, South Korea
T ruth seeker, Jewish studies innovator and Christian theologist, Dr. Jeong Mun Heo is building an unusual bridge—between South Koreans and Jews. “This is the ultimate purpose of my life,” he said. The transformation of this South Korean computer science and mathematics major into a champion of Jewish-Korean- Christian dialogue all began with fractals—and continued with a long convalescence that gave him a lot of time to think. “In college, studying the infinite complexity of the mathe- matical universe drove me to explore the metaphysical world,” said Dr. Heo. Then, at 20, he was bedridden for months with a respiratory disease that led him to contemplate the purpose of existence and, ultimately, God. “As a sensitive young man, I started to think about the meaning of life and death,” he said. He began looking to religion for answers, and as his interest grew, started a Master of Divinity, where he was introduced to the connection between early Christianity and Judaism. Wanting to dive deeper, Dr. Heo headed to Israel to pursue a degree in Jew- ish education. Eventually, inspired by the teachings of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, an Orthodox theologian and advocate for interfaith dia- logue, and former YU President Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Dr. Heo landed in the doctoral program at YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. “Here they gave me the tools I need to pursue my dream—and I met people who were living my vision,” he said. Now in its first year, Revel’s Korea-based certificate in Jew- ish studies is Dr. Heo’s brainchild, and it’s making waves. This innovative concept is the first Jewish studies certificate pro- gram to be launched by a Jewish university in South Korea. Geared toward future leaders, it features lectures from visiting Yeshiva University professors, “the rock stars of the Jewish world,” as Dr. Heo said. “My students love learning the real his- tory of Judaism and Christianity, which promotes mutual toler- ance and understanding.”
Dr. Heo is also determined to bring the Talmudic method of chavruta study—in which pairs of students debate and discuss the text—to South Korea. “The Korean education system still seems to be mostly focused on rote memorization,” he said. “Chavruta study can not only increase academic excellence, it can also cultivate the kind of emotional intelligence that our so- ciety needs.” He also hopes to bring the Jewish educational phi- losophy of lishmah—study for its own sake—to Korea. While South Korea’s Jewish community is virtually nonex- istent, Dr. Heo’s fascination with Jewish wisdom is not unique there. The Talmud—albeit abbreviated, poorly translated and often illustrated with cartoons—is ubiquitous in Seoul; rumor has it that each Korean family has at least one copy. Why? Ev- ery South Korean knows that while Jews account for just 0.2% of the world’s population, they comprise 23% of Nobel Prize winners. Many Koreans believe that the secret of this intellectual suc- cess can be found in the Talmud. Dr. Heo notes that even if the Korean Talmud isn’t the “real thing,” there may be wisdom in it. But he hopes to bring something more authentic to his people. “There is inherent value in studying Jewish ideas and attitudes,” he said. “But Koreans need to first have a basic knowledge of Biblical and Jewish history, rather than accepting the stereotyp- ical views of Jews and Judaism portrayed in the media.” Presently, Dr. Heo is running the Revel certificate program and recruiting Korean students in South Korea and the United States. As he conducts his postdoctoral research at Hebrew Uni- versity through 2023, he will also be working to establish an ac- ademic center for Jewish-Christian dialogue in South Korea. “Now is the time for the world to come together,” he said. “I’m just doing my part.”
4
YU Today : Powered by Innovators, Guided by Values
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog