Our hope is that the essays will assist the reader in deciding where to stand on essential matters of Jewish belief and practice, and will help teachers charged with transmitting Jewish learning truthfully and passionately to perform that important task. The Jewish Theological Seminary has long played the role of intellectual and spiritual leader and guide in the lives of Jews in North America and the world over. I am pleased that our faculty is able to continue that leadership with this series, thanks to the generous support of the Kazis Family Foundation.