Former JCM religious leader Dr. Jack Shlachter Explores Revelation, Synesthesia, and Mount Sinai
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
Many members of the Jewish Center of the Moriches will remember Rabbi Jack Shlachter, who served our congregation years ago during his time at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Rabbi Shlachter has long combined careers in both science and the rabbinate, bringing a unique perspective to Jewish learning. He recently presented a fascinating lecture for the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum entitled "Synchronous Sin and Synesthesia at Sinai." Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum
The presentation begins with one of the Torah's most intriguing verses describing the Revelation at Mount Sinai:
"All the people saw the thunder and the flames, the sound of the shofar..."— Exodus 20:15 (traditional Hebrew numbering)
How can people see thunder or see the sound of the shofar?
Rabbi Shlachter explores how classical Jewish sources—including the Midrash, the Zohar, an
ancient Aramaic translation, and traditional commentators—have wrestled with this remarkable verse for centuries. He then compares these interpretations with the modern neurological phenomenon of synesthesia, in which stimulation of one sense can involuntarily trigger another, such as perceiving colors when hearing music. Rather than offering a simple answer, the lecture invites listeners to consider whether the Revelation at Sinai may have involved an extraordinary shared human experience unlike ordinary perception. Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum
A physicist with more than thirty years at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Rabbi Shlachter has also served Jewish communities in New Mexico, Vienna, Beijing, Bangkok, Guatemala City, and here in Center Moriches, where many remember him fondly. His career continues to demonstrate that scientific inquiry and Jewish tradition can enrich one another rather than stand in opposition.