We told you earlier, that we had the wonderful opportunity to interview Rabbi Moshe Rosenberg aka “The Harry Potter Rabbi” who teaches Judisum through the words of Jo Rowling’s novels.

IHOR: How does the Harry Potter series relate to Judaism?

Rabbi Rosenberg: While the series scrupulously shies away from organized religion, it leaves ample room for any religion, including Judaism, to find commonalities and identify with it. In this way, while JK Rowling does not force a religious outlook, she makes possible for ethical and religious people to benefit from her writing, especially in promoting the sort of values we all try to instill in our children and students.

A complete answer to this question would actually be the table of contents of Morality for Muggles: From relationships to character traits, from life to death to love, there are so many points upon which HP and Judaism shed similar or complementary light. I wrote my book to illustrate some of these areas of confluence.

IHOR: Can you give us an example on how you teach Judaism through Harry Potter?

Rabbi Rosenberg: Actually, rather than teaching Judaism, which is almost forcing the novels into a pre-conceived pattern, I see myself as teaching values to my students, and filtering them through the twin prisms of the Bible and Harry Potter. Many times both make the same point in their unique ways. If kids see this, they will grow accustomed to seeking out the values implicit in all that they read and relating them to their religious ideals.

One example might be to ask a class to name two guys and a girl who battled insurmountable odds to triumph over evil. The answer will come back: Harry, Ron and Hermione, of course, which is when I say, “How about Moses, Aaron and Miriam, their sister?” That leads to a discussion of what each one of the three, in the Bible and in HP, brings to the trio and how their unique chemistry works. Then, of course, the discussion can range further, asking if the bonds of friendship were ever disturbed by jealousy. It becomes clear that Aaron and Miriam, like Ron, had an episode in which they were tired of playing second fiddle, but ultimately repaired their relationship. To know the nature of true friendship, to understand that it is human to feel jealousy and to learn the lesson that one can repair relationships that one has tarnished are all so important for young people.

Another example might be to examine attitudes towards death. By contrasting Voldemort and Dumbledore’s attitudes kids can grapple with questions like: What is “worse than death?” Is death to be feared and fought or accepted as “the next great adventure?” To see how Dumbledore choreographed his own death, leaving the world on his own terms, and then to compare the Rabbinic account of the death scene of Aaron leaves one with the lesson that, while we cannot defeat death, we have an awful lot to say about how we meet it.

IHOR: Do you use J.K. Rowling’s personal story to teach, as well? If so, how?

Rabbi Rosenberg: I had not, but what a wonderful idea! Her story is inspiring and her journey is as impressive as that of her characters. Thank you for the suggestion!

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