We are living in historic times. On the calendar, there are just days left before the year 2000. In the Jewish world, the year is 5760 and, according to some rabbinic literature, the coming of the messiah will take place in the year 6000, bringing about the predetermined ‘End of Days.’

A new Orthodox Union (OU) publication – sponsored by its Pardes Project – challenges readers to think about the concepts of history and pre-destination and ponder whether we shape history or history shapes us. "If the road, the distance and the destination are all laid out, what is our part in shaping history?," writes Rabbi Yaacov Haber, OU Director of Education and a founder of the Pardes Project, in an introduction to the booklet.

The Pardes Project, a monthly educational program, enables Jews of all backgrounds to explore centuries-old wisdom on contemporary issues through informal, non-judgmental, home-based discussion groups.

The booklet begins with a series of hypothetical questions that allow participants to place themselves back in time and consider how they would have responded if – for example – in 1949 they had been told that man would walk on the moon 2 decades later, or if – in the early 60s – they had heard that personal computers would become common household items.

The pamphlet then leads group members to consider their beliefs regarding the mystical Messianic prophecies, asking "How do you respond?"

The sources quoted in the booklet reflect on the nature of time and history,
discussing the past, present and future. The writings of the Talmudic and more modern rabbinic sages presented in the Pardes book, serve as a springboard for lively discussions on these weighty issues.

Since 1995, the Pardes Project has revitalized the world of adult Jewish learning. In living rooms, senior centers, college campuses and synagogues in 15 countries around the world countries including Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Germany, more than 15,000 people are participating in the Pardes dialogue. Previous Pardes topics include spirituality, ecology, terrorism, friendship, gender and guilt.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 62 countries around the globe.

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