Dedication

Volume 10, No.2 Winter 1992 DEDICATION 1 This special issue of Shofar is dedicated to the memory of Professor Baruch Bokser, Z"L. Professor Bokser died prematurely in the summer of 1990 after suffering the ravages of a vicious cancer. He confronted his illness with rare courage, and he will ever be a model for us all. Baruch was a friend and colleague to all who contributed to this volume. His advice was always generous, and his insights profound. We will miss him for his wisdom and his spirit; it is fair to say that he will never be replaced. The contributions Baruch made to this field of scholarship were, despite the tragic cutting-short of his career, considerable. His command of the literature and his creative synthesis of related disciplines have rarely been paralleled, and his studies set a standard to which we all aspire. His book on The Origins ofthe Seder is a frequent reference; his translation of Yerushalmi Pesachim, to appear shortly, will show how translation must be done. These and many other works have enriched our understanding of Judaism in the ancient world. The present essays represent a small effort at carrying forward the legacy of Baruch Bokser. Had he lived, his own contribution would no doubt have been included here. We all mourn that it could not be so. David Kraemer The Jewish Theological Seminary ofAmerica December 1991 ...