W. Gunther Plaut is one of Reform Judaism’s most acclaimed twentieth century rabbis and scholars. He is a gifted writer and intellectual whose ideas garner devotees throughout the world. Eight Decades: The Selected Writings of W. Gunther Plaut is a selection of his previously published articles and essays. They include discussions on history, biblical topics, literature and linguistics, theological questions, moral and social issues, perspectives on Reform Judaism, legal issues, and Israel. First published in magazines as diverse as Maclean’s, Atlantic, Commentary, Reconstructionist, Ontario Medical Review, Hebrew Union College Annual, and many others, each essay carries a unique message that is still relevant today. Eight Decades is a fitting companion to One Voice: The Selected Sermons of W. Gunther Plaut, published in 2007 on the occasion of his ninety-fifth birthday.

W. Gunther Plaut was born in Germany, but in 1935 fled the Nazis for the United States, where he became a rabbi. He served pulpits in Chicago and St. Paul, and from 1661-1977 was Senior Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. Upon his retirement, he was appointed Senior Scholar. He has been President of the Canadian Jewish Congress and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and from 1978 to 1985 served as Vice-Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Rabbi Plaut has received nineteen honorary degrees and is a Companion of the Order of Canada. He has published twenty-five books, including his magnum opus: The Torah: A Modern Commentary.

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Rabbi Jonathan Plaut was the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel in Jackson, Michigan, and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth El in Traverse City, Michigan. He served Congregation Beth El in Windsor, Ontario from 1970 to 1984 and Temple Emanu-El in San Jose, California, from 1985 to 1993. From 1993 to 1999 he was engaged in major fundraising projects. Rabbi Plaut died in April 2012 at the age of 69.

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