"I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending that haunts our sleep so much as the fear... that as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived.""I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense.""When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought to feel."
Born in Brooklyn, Kushner was educated at Columbia University and later obtained his rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in 1960. The same institution awarded him a doctoral degree in Bible in 1972. Kushner has also studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, taught at Clark University and the Rabbinical School of the JTS, and received six honorary doctorates.
He served as the long time congregational rabbi of Temple Israel of Natick, in Natick, Massachusetts for twenty-four years and belongs to the Rabbinical Assembly.
He is the author of a best selling book on the problem of evil, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. Written following the death of his son, Aaron, from the premature aging disease, progeria, the book deals with questions about human suffering, God, omnipotence and theodicy.
Kushner has written a number of other popular theological books, such as How Good Do We Have to Be? (Dedicated to his grandson, Carl), To Life! and many others. In collaboration with the late Chaim Potok, Kushner co-edited Etz Hayim: A Torah Commentary, the new official Torah commentary of the Conservative movement, which was jointly published in 2001 by the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Publication Society. His Living a Life That Matters became a best seller in the fall of 2001. Kushner's book, The Lord Is My Shepherd, was a meditation on the Twenty-Third Psalm released in 2003. Kushner also wrote a response to Simon Wiesenthal's question of forgiveness in the book The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness.
Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World
This book published in 2009, is a theological piece that addresses fears of terrorism, natural disasters, rejection, growing old and offer suggestions on how best to cope, ultimately living with purpose and differentiating between God and nature.
Faith & Family: Favorite Sermons of Rabbi Harold S. Kushner
This book is was published in October 2007
Practice Random Acts of Kindness: Bring More Peace, Love, And Compassion...
This book was published in 2007
Overcoming Life's Disappointments
This book was published in 2006
The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-third Psalm
This book was published in 2003
When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough: The Search for a Life That Matters
This book was published in 2002
Who Needs God
This book was published in 2002
Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict Between Conscience and Success
This book was published in 2001
How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness
This book was published in 1997
When Children ask about God: A Guide for Parents Who Don't Always Have All the Answers
This book was published in 1995
To Life: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking
