Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Director of the Justice Fellowship in Chicago, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "There’s a Riot Goin’ On”: Violence in Rabbinic Thought" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein is the Director of the Justice Fellowship in Chicago, where he also works as Educational Consultant for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Staff Educator for Farm Forward’s Jewish Initiative for Animals, and Coordinator and Teacher for Mishkan Chicago’s Social Justice Beit Midrash. He has taught at Hadar, Drisha, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, the TAKUM social justice beit midrash, and campuses, communities, and organizations around the U.S. and Israel. He is a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com. DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2PxBo1p For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Director of the Justice Fellowship in Chicago, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Torah Case for Reparations" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein is the Director of the Justice Fellowship in Chicago, where he also works as Educational Consultant for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Staff Educator for Farm Forward’s Jewish Initiative for Animals, and Coordinator and Teacher for Mishkan Chicago’s Social Justice Beit Midrash. He has taught at Hadar, Drisha, Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, the TAKUM social justice beit midrash, and campuses, communities, and organizations around the U.S. and Israel. He is a Senior Editor of Jewschool.com. DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2E7PIbK For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, the Founder of ZION: An Eretz Israeli Congregation, on the topic of "A New Synagogue Model in Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Marc Dollinger, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair, Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University, presents his lecture "Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960s" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Professor Dollinger’s most recent book, Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing The Alliance In The 1960s, takes a new and different look at Jewish involvement in the civil rights movement, showing how American Jews leveraged the Black Power movement to increase Jewish ethnic and religious identity in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Join us as we explore never-before-seen historical documents that reveal a story that’s been hidden from view for over half a century. With so much contemporary interest in Black Lives Matter and larger questions of race and justice, we’ll explore a fascinating and surprising Jewish past. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Marc Dollinger, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Chair, Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University (https://jewish.sfsu.edu/), on the topic of "Campus Anti-Semitism from the Right & Left!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Marc Dollinger, chard and Rhoda Goldman Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University, presents his lecture "Jews and Whiteness" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (www.cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Are American Jews white? The question, answered differently by different generations of American Jews, gets at the heart of American Jewish identity. Have Jews remained separate and distinct from the rest of middle-class America or have they assimilated so much that they have become white? Come explore the contentious history and sociology of Jews and racial definition. We’ll journey back to the 1960s and discover some (surprising) insights into the debate over Jewish whiteness. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/cbiaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Eddy Portnoy, Academic Advisor & Exhibitions Curator at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (https://www.yivo.org/), on the topic of "Jewish Psychics & Clairvoyants!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/lea... https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmi... ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Eddy Portnoy, academic adviser for the Max Weinreich Center and exhibition curator at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (www.yivo.org/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture The "The Bizarre Tales of Yiddishland: What the Yiddish Press Reveals about the Jews" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: An underground history of downwardly mobile Jews, Eddy Portnoy’s new book Bad Rabbi and Other Strange but True Stories from the Yiddish Press mines century-old Yiddish newspapers to expose the seamy underbelly of pre-WWII New York and Warsaw, the two major centers of Yiddish culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One part Isaac Bashevis Singer, one part Jerry Springer, this irreverent, unvarnished, and frequently hilarious compendium of stories provides a window into an unknown Yiddish world that was. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/37FxnAp For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Eddy Portnoy, academic adviser for the Max Weinreich Center and exhibition curator at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research (https://www.yivo.org/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture The "Distorted Mirror: What Yiddish Cartoons Reveal about Jewish Life in the early 20th Century" before an audience at Temple Beth Shalom (https://tbsaz.org/) in Sun City, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: For many centuries, Jews were the target of antisemitic visuals, images that framed them negatively as one-dimensional figures. It is only with the advent of the Yiddish press that Jewish artists began to develop a visual language with which they were able to describe their own communities. Yiddish cartoons became a unique forum that considered all aspects of cultural and political life, as well as a number of little known scandals that occurred in Yiddish-speaking communities which historians have mostly ignored. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/templebethshalomaz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, interviews Professor Menachem Lorberbaum, Vice Dean of Humanities and Professor of Jewish Philosophy at Tel Aviv University, on the topic of "The Jewish Political Tradition: What Is The Model Jewish Form of Government?" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Paul Nahme, Dorot Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies and Religious Studies at Brown University, on the topic of "Black and Jewish Expressions of Freedom." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, the founder and director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute (http://elijah-interfaith.org/), on the topic of "On Religious Pluralism and 'Truth.'" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, , the founder and director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute (elijah-interfaith.org/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Luther was an Anti-Semite – What Does That Mean For Us?" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Martin Luther shaped western culture. He also contributed to antisemitism, eventually inspiring the Third Reich. Is there another way of dealing with this issue than simply condemning Luther? I will suggest that what went wrong with Luther can go wrong with how any member of one religion sees another. Luther is a great teacher also in his failings. DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, the founder and director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute (http://elijah-interfaith.org/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Being Inspired by the Religious Geniuses of Other Faiths" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (www.cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Great personalities in religion are sources of inspiration. They allow us to see the best in religion. The category of Religious Genius has been developed in order to allow us to appreciate outstanding individuals across religions. Who is a religious genius? what are the qualities that make him or her special and how can these speak to everyone? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/cbiaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, interviews Rabbi Dr. Ethan Tucker, the Rosh Yeshiva of Hadar (https://www.hadar.org/) on the topic of "Halachic Process, Adaptation, & Relevance Today!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Daniel Matt, translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, on the topic of "The Mystical Meaning of Torah." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Daniel Matt, the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Raising the Sparks: Finding God in the Material World" before an audience at The New Shul (thenewshul.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2DdEamV For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/The-New-Shul-207398175969503/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Good Starts," a free-use public domain song by Jingle Punks, courtesy of YouTube's Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Daniel Matt, the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "How Kabbalah Reimagines God" before a VIP audience at The New Shul (thenewshul.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/The-New-Shul-207398175969503/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Good Starts," a free-use public domain song by Jingle Punks, courtesy of YouTube's Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Daniel Matt, the translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Elijah the Prophet: The Jewish Superhero Who Never Died" before an audience at The New Shul (thenewshul.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/37sQLR5 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/The-New-Shul-207398175969503/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Good Starts," a free-use public domain song by Jingle Punks, courtesy of YouTube's Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, interviews Neshama Carlebach, a singer, songwriter, on the topic of "On Love & Healing Today!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, interviews Professor Noam Chomsky, linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist, on the topic of "Activism, Human Nature, & American Repentance." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Zvi Zohar, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Sephardic Law and Ethics - Bar-Ilan University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "We Were Strangers in Egypt: Our Attitude as Jews to non-Jewish Strangers" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The Torah only tells us how to relate to converts, leaving us with no instructions with regard to aliens/strangers. This lecture presents a textual analysis of Jewish approaches to understanding "the stranger" from ancient times until the current day. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2NYNJft For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Zvi Zohar, Chauncey Stillman Professor of Sephardic Law and Ethics - Bar-Ilan University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "All Jews are Jews by Birth: Are Jews a Faith Community?" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: A person born as a Jew remains a Jew, however s/he behaves. Surprisingly, this is stated in the Talmud only with regard to one kind of Jew: a former Gentile who became Jewish by the halakhic process of giyyur. Indeed, the Talmud says that such a person is like a newly-born (Jewish) child. We will read together sources that enable us to understand this view of giyyur as birth, and discuss the implications for our understanding of how the halakhic tradition understands Jewishness. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/33Tf4VM For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, interviews Rabbi Menachem Creditor, the Pearl and Ira Meyer Scholar-in-Residence at UJA-Federation New York, the founder of Rabbis Against Gun Violence and a noted author, on the topic of "Eradicating Gun Violence in America." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash http://rabbicreditor.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/menachemcreditor ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Liz Shayne, a student at Yeshivat Maharat, on the topic of "Smart Assistants and Shabbat!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Liz Shayne, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Was The Golem Jewish? Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Jewish Identity" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2pkM4Yf For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Liz Shayne, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Rabbi Google: Jewish Law, the Internet, and the Power of Online Torah." before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/36ZUJjP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Jacob Ari Labendz, Clayman Assistant Professor of Judaic and Holocaust Studies and the director of the Center for Judaic and Holocaust Studies at Youngstown State University (https://ysu.edu/) on the topic of "Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism: Studies and New Directions." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2qchtMH For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Justin Cammy, director of Jewish studies at Smith College (www.smith.edu/academics/jewish-studies) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Why Yiddish Matters" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: What is the relationship between language and fate, homecomings and leave-takings, the commitment to art and a writer’s service to his community? We will explore these questions through the prism of Sutzkever, whom one scholar called “the last great Yiddish poet.” Justin Cammy, a leading world expert on Sutzkever, will introduce us to Sutzkever’s writings, from the beginning of his career in interwar Poland to his contributions to the cultural life of the Vilna Ghetto to his dedication to rebuilding Yiddish culture after the war in the first Hebrew city, Tel Aviv. Why does Sutzkever, and Yiddish, continue to matter, and what can we learn about ourselves by reading a great Jewish writer? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/OrTzionAZ/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Justin Cammy, director of the program in Jewish studies at Smith College (https://www.smith.edu/academics/jewish-studies) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Yiddishland: Then and Now" before an audience at the Jewish Worship Group in Surprise, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How have Jews mapped the landscapes of Yiddish, both historically and into the present? What do various models of Yiddishland tell us about Jewish politics, culture, and self-identity, and how have they often functioned as utopian experiments or radical alternatives to existing realities? What do imaginings and experiments in Yiddishland tell us about Jewish power and powerlessness, diaspora politics, and the dynamism of Jewish cultural reinvention? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Senator Joseph I. Lieberman (I-CT, ret.), on the topic of "Jewish Values & Public Service." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Udi Goren, travel photographer, speaker, educator, and writer (www.israeltrailtalk.com/), presents his lecture "A Walk of the Land – A Photographic Journey of the Israel National Trail" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (www.cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: A personal crisis invoked by the 2014 war in Gaza motivated Udi to set out on a two and a half month journey through the Israel trail. The 700-mile long trek stretches Israel’s entire length. It is world-renowned as one of the world’s best and toughest long distance hikes. Udi will be taking you with him to experience Israel outside of the headlines and the friction and to hear first hand about his physical and mental journey from despair to a newly found hope. The people, the national monuments, the mountains, the creeks and the Israeli landscapes–you will encounter them all! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP UDI's PHOTOS: https://bit.ly/36IrAtn For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/cbiaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Udi Goren, travel photographer, speaker, educator, and writer (https://www.israeltrailtalk.com/), presents his lecture "The Many Faces of Jerusalem" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: 2017 marked 50 years to the Six-day War and going back to the old city of Jerusalem and the Jewish holy sites. The talk takes an in-depth look at this remarkable city, discussing different aspects and perspectives: spiritual / earthly, East / West, religious / secular, old / new, different religions, etc. It will make sense of all the scattered information people might have about the city, giving them a logical and cohesive idea of one of the oldest cities in the world. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Ephraim Meir, Professor of Modern Jewish Philosophy at Bar-Ilan University, on the topic of "Buber, Levinas & Rosenzweig: Beyond Pluralism to Inter-Religious Dialogue!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Benjamin Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at the Jewish Theological Seminary, on the topic of "Embracing Both Biblical Criticism & Divine Command." DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learining-library www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

Evonne Marzouk, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture about her novel "The Prophetess: A Modern Story About Rachel, An American Teen Called to Join a Secret Community of Jewish Prophets" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2WyNUAH For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Marc Gitler, Director of Content for 929 English (https://www.929.org.il/lang/en/today) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Hero is a Harlot: A Conversation about The Book of Joshua’s Most Intriguing Character" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2pwSAel For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson, the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and Vice President of American Jewish University, presents the Hammerman Family Lecture "Almighty? No Way! Embracing the God We Actually Love" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/OrTzionAZ/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Bradley Shavit Artson, the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean's Chair of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and Vice President of American Jewish University, presents a special VIP presentation "How I Installed the Chief Rabbi of Uganda, Converted 300 people there, and Sailed Up the Nile to Learn Life’s Lessons" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/OrTzionAZ/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Ziony Zevit, Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University (University of Judaism), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Letters from the Dead: Three Ancient Texts Discovered by Archaeologists" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this presentation, we will examine, read, and discuss three short Hebrew texts written in the ancient Hebrew alphabet. They are all dated by the archaeological context within which they were found and by the handwriting style to the biblical period: one from Jerusalem, one from south of Tel Aviv, and one from a site in the Sinai wilderness. Considered together, they provide us with insights into different aspects of ancient Israelite civilization and its religious practices, and they enrich our understanding of the Hebrew Bible. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Ziony Zevit, Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature and Northwest Semitic Languages at the American Jewish University (University of Judaism), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture " Child Sacrifice: Considering the Context" before an audience at Beth Emeth Congregation of the West Valley (www.bethemethaz.org/) in Sun City West, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In our culture, we sacrifice for children, but three narratives in the Tanakh describe the sacrifice or near sacrifice of children: Abraham of Isaac (Gen 22), Jephthah of his daughter (Jud 11), and Mesha, king of Moab, of his son (2 Kings 3). We will examine the narrative art of the first two stories—the third is a short report—but will consider them all within the cultural context of ancient Israel. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ facebook.com/BethEmethofWValleyAZ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Tal Keinan, author, entrepreneur and social activist., presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "God Is In The Crowd" before an audience at Congregation Beth Tefillah (https://www.bethtefillahaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: GOD IS IN THE CROWD is told through the prism of Tal’s dramatic personal story. Born to a secular Jewish family in Miami, he only became curious about his religion and identity when he arrived at Phillips Exeter Academy. This curiosity led him to embark on a trip to Israel, and soon after, his Jewish identity became so important that he enlisted in the Israeli Air Force. As a man who was putting his life on the line for his people, he began to ask himself if what he was fighting for was worth it. This led Tal into an investigation of the core values of Judaism in the twenty-first century and what must be done to preserve the religion. At once alarming and hopeful, philosophical and prescriptive, personal and communal, GOD IS IN THE CROWD presents an innovative plan in which the wisdom of the Jewish crowd is harnessed to endow Judaism with new purpose and ensure its survival. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/34budSh For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/cbtaz twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Chaim Bruk, the Co-CEO and Spiritual Leader of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana (https://www.jewishmontana.com/) on the topic of "An Orthodox Rabbi adopts 5 children!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learining-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Michal Bar-Asher Siegal, a scholar of rabbinic Judaism at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, on the topic of "The Talmud Sages & Christianity." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2M5SNOc For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching "A Sfat Emet on Parshat Tzav." This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching on Parshat Pekudei. This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching on Parshat Shoftim, titled "Building a Just Society!" This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching "What To Do with the Hatred in our Hearts?" This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Shai Held, President, Dean, and Chair in Jewish Thought at Hadar (https://www.hadar.org/), on the topic of "The Centrality of Love in Jewish Thought." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/HadarInstitute https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer, Professor of Jewish Studies at Boston College, on the topic of "Rabbinic Poetry in the High Holy Day Liturgy." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★