STEINSALTZ (Even Yisrael), ADIN

STEINSALTZ (Even Yisrael ), ADIN (1937– ), Israeli rabbi and author. Born in Jerusalem, Steinsaltz acquired a background in Jewish studies, as well as chemistry, mathematics, and physics, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was also ordained as a rabbi. After working in education for 13 years in the Negev, he returned to Jerusalem where he taught, did research, and wrote for various periodicals. In 1988 he received the Israel Prize in Jewish Studies.

In 1965 he founded the Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications which undertook the production of a vocalized Babylonian Talmud, accompanied by Hebrew translation and commentary; over 30 volumes of a projected 42 had appeared by the early 2000s. An English translation of the series was begun by Random House, and volumes have appeared in French, Russian, and Spanish. Rabbi Steinsaltz founded the "Mekor Ḥayyim" yeshivah in 1984, an institute which has as one of its aims the bridging of the gap between religious and non-religious Jews. In February 1989 he initiated the founding of a yeshivah in Moscow, called the Center for the Study of Judaism.

Each year Rabbi Steinsaltz lectures widely outside of Israel, and his books, a number of which have been translated into English, such as The Essential Talmud (1976), The Thirteen-Petalled Rose (1980), and Guide to Jewish Prayer (2000), reach readers the world over. He has published works on Talmud, biblical figures, repentance, stories of Rabbi Naḥman of Bratslav, and other topics. He has also published over 600 papers on Jewish and scientific subjects.