My Legs Were Praying

A Biography of Abraham Joshua Heschel

Or N. Rose with Dov Peretz Elkins

Foreword by Susannah Heschel

Paperback
978-1-958972-72-4
US $18.95 Bookshop Amazon Barnes & Noble
eBook available
May 2025

Succinct, inspiring biography of a bridge-building Jewish leader, supplemented by 25 black-and-white photographs

On March 21, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights organizers led 8,000 protesters on a 54-mile march from Selma to Montgomery. They invited a distinguished group of national religious figures to join them in the front lines. One of these was Abraham Joshua Heschel—a gifted Jewish scholar, teacher, and speaker, whose recent book, The Prophets (1962)—a detailed study of the ancient biblical champions of justice and mercy—was a source of great inspiration to Dr. King and others.

As Heschel walked arm-in-arm with his colleagues, he was easy to spot in the crowd: He was a short, stocky man with flowing white hair, a bushy beard, who wore a dark yarmulke (Jewish head covering). Like the prophets of old, Heschel believed that standing up for others—particularly the most vulnerable members of society—is a sacred obligation. He later wrote, the religious person must seek to hold God and humankind “in one thought at one time,” suffering “harm done to others,” making “compassion” one’s “greatest passion.”

Heschel first learned these essential values as a child in Eastern Europe. This little book is his story.

Or N. Rose is the founding director of the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning and Leadership at Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Before assuming this position in 2016, he worked in various administrative and teaching capacities at Hebrew College. Rose has taught for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships, The Wexner Graduate Fellowship, and in a variety of other academic, religious, and civic contexts throughout North America, and in Asia, Europe, and Israel. A prolific author and editor, his writings have appeared at MyJewishLearning, Religion News Service; The Times of Israe, Tikkun, The Washington Post, and various scholarly publications. He’s the author and editor of several books including a recent award-winner, With the Best of Intentions: Interreligious Missteps and Unexpected Learnings (Orbis 2023).

“Amazing! Or Rose has accomplished the impossible—taken the complex story and teachings of one of our twentieth century’s quintessential Jewish leaders and shared his life story and his essential beliefs in a way that will appeal and make sense to young adults. I know a lot about Heschel, but this book is so full of detail about his life and clarity about his beliefs, I learned more.” —Ruth Messinger, global ambassador, American Jewish World Service

“In this beautiful new biography, Rose brings Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s story, indeed his inner light, to life for a new generation. Now more than ever, we need everyone to know that faith can be a source of inspiration for individuals, and a bridge of cooperation between diverse communities. This book shows us how this was the case for Rabbi Heschel, and how it might be the case for each of us too.” —Eboo Patel, founder and president, Interfaith America

“Or Rose has once again captured the brilliant spirit of Rabbi Heschel and shared it with an audience who desperately need Heschel’s prophetic wisdom. Today’s world is desperate for a model of living in pursuit of justice and peace. Heschel offers a path. Or Rose is a fabulous guide.” —Peter A. Geffen, founder and president, The KIVUNIM Institute

“In powerful prose, My Legs Were Praying brings to life the legacy and profound moral witness of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. This compelling biography is a must read and serves as needed inspiration to embrace Rabbi Heschel’s lifelong commitment to loving kindness and justice.” —Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, president, Sojourners

“My father’s legacy is enormous. He gave a vision of the extraordinary heights of love and compassion a human being can reach.” —Susannah Heschel, Eli Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies, Dartmouth College (from the Foreword)

“I pray that this wonderful book about one of the great Jewish scholars and social activists of the past century helps younger readers actualize their unique, God-given, talents and join in ongoing efforts to establish a more compassionate, just, and sustainable world.” —The Honorable Reverend Dr. Suzan Johnson-Cook, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (from the Afterword)