Dr. Rabbi Moshe Dror (1934-2011), author, educator, mystic, father and director of Jewish Futures Network passed away in Israel, on Friday, April 29, 2011. Moshe died in surgery, after being hospitalized earlier in the month due to a stroke. Simcha, his wife, reports that his funeral was held on Monday morning, May 2nd, in Israel.
Moshe Dror is best known in the futures studies community as co-author of Futurizing the Jews (Praeger, 2003). For over two decades he shared his vision of a "new exodus" and how a new generation of "cyber rabbis" could shape an open spirituality. Most recently he served as the chair of the World Network of Religious Futurists after the passing of Dr. Richard Kirby (d. 2009).
Moshe began his career as Rabbi in 1959. In 1977 earned a PhD in media ecology under Neil Postman at the Jewish Theological Seminary at NYU. After serving in several congregations and an art museum, he worked for the Israeli Ministry of Education, until his retirement, helping religious educators.
He became known as the Cyber Rabbi of WNRF in the 1990s, and authored many popular articles and podcasts on its website, particularly JewishFutures.com. He was well-loved by members of the World Futures Studies Federation for over 30 years and active also with the World Future Society.
If you knew Moshe, and would like to send a note of gratitude to his colleagues at WNRF, please email tribute@wnrf.org. We will post letters here and share them with his family.
Dear WNRF,
Moshe was a dear friend whom I came to know and love over several decades. We met at an AHP (Association for Humanistic Psychology) event in Toronto in 1978 and deepened our knowledge of each other at many subsequent AHP, WFS, CAFS (Canadian Association for Futures Studies) and TRN (Transformation Research Network) national conferences. What struck me most about him was the fact that his faith in the possibility of an ever-deeper humanity was deeper than his considerable capacity to see through the systemic superficiality of our modern culture. This protected him from cynicism and enabled him to live with hope in the face of deeply depressing realities. He lived as a light in an often dark world.
Ruben Nelson
Executive Director
Foresight Canada
888-673-3537
To Moshe Dror Family
Rabi and futurist Moshe Dror was a colleague and friend to all the community of futurists and freighters in Israel. He will be remembered by me as the head of the Israeli future society and as a valuable teacher and guide in the foresight discipline. From his home in the south of Israel he always inspired us with his visions and wisdom. The foresight community in Israel will miss him and remember him for ever.
Dr Yair Sharan
Director of ICTAF at Tel Aviv University
Former co-chairman of the Israeli Future Society
Tel Aviv, Israel
I didn't know till now that Dr Moshe Dror was passed away. What a shock! My sympathies are with his family and friends.
Moshe was a very dear friend and I met him for the very first time in Greece in 2002. Since then I have worked with him along late Dr Richard Kirby. I must say Dr Moshe Dror has been an inspiration to me in many ways. He was caring and loving and stood by his colleagues no matter what.
He was the genius of geniuses in many ways. And above all he was a wonderful human being.
I will always miss him.
Aziz Chaudhry
Former Deputy Executive Director WNRF
London, UK