My Story: My Life. My Ideas.

In the Part I of this talk, Dennis describes his Brooklyn upbringing, his journey to the Soviet Union, his relocation to California and the foundations of his radio career. In Part II, he delves into the origins and evolution of his philosophical thinking.

Major points:

Personal background

1. Dennis was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1948 and was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home. While NY was a great place for Dennis to grow up in, he knew at a young age that he was not going to stay there because it was too insulated. Dennis wanted to meet others who were different from him.

2. Dennis points out that one’s 20s, if they are good, they are very good because one is old enough to do practically anything and young enough to still be able to be somewhat irresponsible. This was definitely true for Dennis with his travels for giving lectures.

3. Dennis went from lecturing about the plight of Soviet Jews in his early 20s, to becoming director of a Jewish Institute, to hosting a radio talk show called “Religion on the Line”, to now being nationally syndicated with an Evangelical Christian radio station.

Philosophical background

1. Even as a child Dennis was preoccupied with good versus evil.

2. Clarity in general and moral clarity in particular is another ongoing passion for Dennis.

3. Dennis’ preoccupation with God is more intellectual than emotional.

4. Being out of sync with his Baby Boom generation played a big role in shaping him.

5. Dennis’ experience with holy people from other faiths on “Religion on the Line” led him to the belief that there is more than one vehicle to God besides Judaism.

6. Over the course of time, Dennis has come to realize that the United States of America is exceptional.

Time: 1:51:16

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