ABSTRACT
I knew Joe Noshpitz for 42 years, and it is still hard to realize that he died 13 years ago. He had, however, what we might call a haimisch warmth and sensitivity that endeared him to all. It was appropriate for him to have written on religion for he was a true landsman who knew a lot about Judaism plus some Yiddish. When he would come to our home 54 years ago, he conducted the Kiddush welcoming the Sabbath. This did not mean that he was traditionally observant; he was not, yet he thought much about it, as this chapter will show. Exposed to religion early in life in his home and in school, particularly during adolescence, Joe once said that he was interested in becoming a rabbi. Still, when we talked about religion, it was not in any institutional sense or even with an attachment to spirituality. He wondered about religious origins and expressions in an open, free-ranging manner. At that time, his orientation was primarily philosophical and traditionally psychoanalytic. A half-century ago, these views dominated educated thinking. Today, evolution and genetics have entered the picture, yet room still exists for alternative perspectives. This paper represents an original Noshpitz interpretation. An argument might also be advanced that these ideas border on theology. The image of humanity offered contains elements one might expect of Calvinistic Christianity and Orthodox Judaism.
