Arnold Ages

Arnold Ages (17 May 1935[1] – 9 October 2020[2]) was a Canadian-born scholar, author, editor and journalist. As an academic, he published 90 scholarly articles and books between 1956-2001,[3] not limited to his specialty of French Enlightenment literature; as a journalist, his newspaper publications spanned over five decades and included book reviews, editorials, opinion pieces, interviews, and reports for journals across Canada and the United States. His views were conservative, strongly supportive of the State of Israel, and traditionally Jewish. He preferred discretion to controversy.[4]

Ages was notable for his ability to write for academic as well as general audiences. Likewise unusual was his appeal to newspaper publications in both Canada and the United States.

Life

Ages was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario. He graduated from Nepean High School in 1953. He received his B.A. degree from Ottawa’s Carleton University in 1956, studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem (1958), and was awarded graduate degrees from Ohio State University (M.A., 1958, PhD, 1963).[5] At Carleton, he studied religion under Rabbi Dr. Simon L. Eckstein,[6] of Congregation Beth Shalom (Orthodox), Ottawa.[7]

Ages was married to Shoshana Ages (who wrote under the pseudonym "Rose Kleiner"[8]) in 1960, and dedicated his doctoral thesis to her.[9]

Academic and scholarly career

Ages became an Assistant Professor of French at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, in 1963, and was later Associate Dean of Arts.[10] He retired in 2003[11] and in the following year was named Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Waterloo. He afterwards lectured on French literature during the winter months at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida campus of Nova Southeastern University.[12]

In 1970, Ages was appointed Canada's first synagogue Scholar-in-Residence at Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto.[13] There he came in contact with some of the leading Jewish figures of the time, all of whom were living in Toronto: Stuart E. Rosenberg (the Beth Tzedec rabbi), Walter Wurzburger (rabbi of the Orthodox Shaarei Shomayim), Gunther Plaut (rabbi at the Reform Holy Blossom), and Emil Fackenheim (the University of Toronto Hegel scholar and philosopher of the Holocaust).

Journalism career

Ages’ entry into the journalism field began in 1964 when, having earned his doctorate, he wrote for the New York Jewish Spectator, Reconstructionist, and Hadassah Magazine.[14]

In April 1972, Ages became the editor of the Chronicle Review (originally the Canadian Jewish Review), which was then a monthly magazine. Attracting well-known Canadian writers such as Irving Layton and William Kurelek, the Chronicle Review became known for providing “high-quality reading for the Jewish public.”[15] But the monthly soon ran a deficit, and closed in November 1976. Ages declined a request at the time to become editor of the Canadian Jewish News.[16]

In Canada, his articles appeared in daily newspapers such as the Montreal Gazette[17] and Toronto Star,[18] as well as in publications including the Toronto Jewish Standard, the Canadian Jewish News,[19] Canadian Zionist,[20] Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin,[21] Winnipeg Jewish Post,[22] Calgary Jewish Star,[23] Edmonton Jewish Star,[24] and B'nai Brith Canada's Jewish Tribune.[25]

In the United States book reviews and articles appeared in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune,[26] Los Angeles Times,[27] and The Baltimore Sun,[28] and in Jewish publications (besides those already cited) such as the Indiana Jewish Post and Opinion,[29] Chicago Jewish Star,[30] Philadelphia Jewish Exponent,[31] B'nai Brith National Jewish Monthly,[32] and Washington, D.C. Bible Review.[33] He was a stringer for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency from 1983-1984,[34] and an occasional contributor in later years. Ages occasionally used the pseudonym "Harold Jacobson".[35]

Recognition

During his academic career, Ages received seven Canada Council grants.[36] In 1984, he was a Killam Fellowship award winner, the first ever at the University of Waterloo.[37] In the journalism field, in 1973 he received a Smolar Award for editorials and columns.[38]

Selected works

1969: French Enlightenment and Rabbinic Tradition (appeared in English and German)

1973: The Diaspora Dimension

1986: The Image of Jews and Judaism in the Prelude of the French Enlightenment[39]

References
  1. “Arnold [Ages] Tells Of Canadian 'Wonders'," Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 11, 1947, p. 24.
  2. “Arnold Ages,” https://steelesmemorialchapel.com/condolence/arnold-ages/
  3. Arnold Ages, “From the Professor Files: The Shelf Life of Published Research,” Faculty Association of the University of Waterloo FAUW Forum no. 105 (Feb. 2001), p. 12.
  4. Lewis Levendel, A Century of the Canadian Jewish Press: 1880s-1980s (Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1989), p. 71.
  5. “Autobiography,” in Arnold Ages, Voltaire’s Critical Notes in the Old Testament Portion of ‘La Bible Enfin Expliquee’ (Ohio State University, PhD dissertation, 1963), p. 236. His doctoral thesis was an expanded version of his Master’s degree thesis on Voltaire’s notes on the Bible.
  6. Letter, Arnold Ages, “Eckstein aliyah,” Chicago Jewish Star (June 24, 2011), p. 4.
  7. Eli Gottesman, Who’s Who in Canadian Jewry (Montreal: Jewish Institute for Higher Research, 1965), p. 102.
  8. Rose Kleiner [Shoshana Ages], "Toronto in the Summer: A Delightful Adventure," Chicago Jewish Star (July 16, 1999), p. 8.
  9. Arnold Ages, Voltaire’s Critical Notes in the Old Testament Portion of ‘La Bible Enfin Expliquee’ (Ohio State University, PhD dissertation, 1963), p. ii.
  10. “Scholar-in-residence appointed,” Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin (Nov. 20, 1970), p. 12.
  11. “Faculty members retire September 1,” University of Waterloo Daily Bulletin (Aug. 11, 2003).
  12. For example, Nova Southeastern University LifeLong Learning Institute Newsletter, vol. 5, Winter 2014, p. 1.
  13. “Scholar-in-residence appointed,” Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin (Nov. 20, 1970), p. 12.
  14. “Smolar Award Winners Announced,” JTA Daily News Bulletin (Nov. 8, 1973), p. 4.
  15. B. G. Kayfetz, “The Jewish Press in Canada,” in Edmond Y. Lipsitz (ed.), Canadian Jewry Today: Who’s Who in Canadian Jewry (Downsview, Ontario: J.E.S.L. Educational Products, 1989), p. 80.
  16. Lewis Levendel, A Century of the Canadian Jewish Press: 1880s-1980s (Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1989), pp. 73, 378.
  17. For example, Arnold Ages, “War is hell, but not for everyone,” Montreal Gazette (Feb. 27, 1982), p. A12.
  18. For example, Arnold Ages, “A cool dissection of Keegstra,” Toronto Star (Dec. 29, 1985), p. E10.
  19. For the Jewish Standard and Canadian Jewish News, see Lewis Levendel, A Century of the Canadian Jewish Press: 1880s-1980s (Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1989), p. 71. Ages worked part-time at the Canadian Jewish News during the 1960s (Levendel, p. 321).
  20. Lewis Levendel, A Century of the Canadian Jewish Press: 1880s-1980s (Ottawa: Borealis Press, 1989), p. 294.
  21. For example, “1960-1970: Decade of rapid growth in content, size, circulation,” Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin (Nov. 27, 1970), p. 19; Arnold Ages, “Mideast slogan has to be: ‘peace for peace,’” Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin (Nov. 16, 1989), p. 4.
  22. For example, Arnold Ages, “Not Just Anti-Israel: The Arab Boycott,” Winnipeg Jewish Post (June 15, 1978), p. 4.
  23. For example, Arnold Ages, “Looking Back at Nuremberg,” Calgary Jewish Star (May 9, 1986), p. 6.
  24. For example, Arnold Ages, “An Ambiguous Moral Tale [Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice],” Edmonton Jewish Star (July 1989), pp. 4, 8.
  25. For example, Arnold Ages, “Commentary: Canadian troops in peace and war,” North York, Ontario (Canada) Jewish Tribune (April 13, 2006), p. 4; Arnold Ages, “Absurdities, ironies, surprises and puzzlements in recent media reports,” North York, Ontario (Canada) Jewish Tribune (June 13, 2012), p. 21.
  26. For example, Arnold Ages, “Modern Satire At its Very Best,” Chicago Tribune (Dec. 25, 1988).
  27. For example, Arnold Ages, "Illuminating the interstices of history," The Los Angeles Times (June 27, 1982), p. M4.
  28. For example, Arnold Ages, "Elie Wiesel Unpacks New Fruit from His Reminiscences," Baltimore Sun (Sept. 23, 1990), p. 11M.
  29. For example, Arnold Ages, “Book Nook,” Indiana Jewish Post (Dec. 24, 1971), p. 12; “Palestinians’ cause well presented,” Indiana Jewish Post (Dec. 5, 2001), p. 11.
  30. For example, Arnold Ages, “’Jewboy, you are of no use to me’,” Chicago Jewish Star (March 30, 2018), p. 6.
  31. For example, Arnold Ages, “The Search for God at Harvard,” Philadelphia Jewish Exponent (Dec. 27, 1991), p. 6X.
  32. For example, Arnold Ages, “What Protestant Churches Have Said About Israel,” National Jewish Monthly vol. 84 (1969).
  33. For example, Arnold Ages, “Why Didn’t Joseph Call Home?” Bible Review vol. 9 (Aug. 1993); Arnold Ages, “Dreamer, Schemer, Slave and Prince: Understanding Joseph’s Dreams,” Bible Review vol. 14 (1998).
  34. For example, Arnold Ages, “Special Interview [with Elie Wiesel]: Some Disquieting Experiences,” JTA Daily News Bulletin (Jan. 5, 1983), p. 4.
  35. For example, Harold Jacobson [Arnold Ages], “A gem for Stratford’s 50th,” Chicago Jewish Star (June 28, 2002), p. 8.
  36. “Scholar-in-residence appointed,” Vancouver Jewish Western Bulletin (Nov. 20, 1970), p. 12.
  37. “JTA Correspondent Wins Canada’s Most Prestigious Academic Award,” JTA Daily News Bulletin (April 4, 1984), p. 4.
  38. “Smolar Award Winners Announced,” JTA Daily News Bulletin (Nov. 8, 1973), p. 4.
  39. Review by Prof. Martin Staum, “Roots of Stereotyping,” Calgary Jewish Star (Oct. 3, 1986), p. 13: “Despite some flaws, Ages’ book performs a useful service in clarifying for a brief generation how theological anti-Semitism, even in western Europe, could sow the seeds of the more sinister varieties of anti-Semitism which flourished in the 19th and 20th centuries.”
  • Works by or about Arnold Ages (WorldCat)
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