Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill, Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, on the topic of "Teaching Judaism in Indonesia" 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 ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "Are Jewish Law & Jewish Values Separate Philosophical Systems?" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this class session, Rabbi Shmuly will examine texts that explore the relationship between law and values. Are values built into the law or separate? Is following the law enough? DONATE: 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. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Ph.D., the founder, and director of The Shalom Center (https://theshalomcenter.org/) on the topic of "Half a Century of Activism!" 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 ★

Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram, the Executive Director of Reclaiming Judaism (http://www.reclaimingjudaism.org/) presents her lecture, Wisdom from Reb Zalman: Embracing the Jewish Spirit before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Dr. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi lived a calling to reach and touch people in deeply spiritual, supportive, and Jewishly profound ways. He developed effective approaches to bridging science and spirituality, pre-war European and 21st Century Judaism, patriarchy and feminism, tradition and innovation, Jewish faith and many faiths. Come be challenged and inspired, as Rabbi Goldie Milgram, one of his emissaries, and volume co-editor of Wisdom from Reb Zalman | Embracing the Jewish Spirit (Reclaiming Judaism Press), shares and convenes discussion of his fascinating and instructive encounters with students and colleagues worldwide. DONATE: 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. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, and Eddie Chavez Calderon, Campaign Organizer for Arizona Jews for Justice, presents their class, "Immigrant Rights in the Bible & Talmud" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this fascinating class, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Eddie Chavez Calderon will approach the contemporary conversation about immigration through two unique modes: a text study Biblical and Talmudic teachings on immigrants and personal stories about life as an immigrant. DONATE: 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. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. John Fung, Professor of Surgery and the Co-Director of Transplant Institute at the University of Chicago (https://www.uchicagomedicine.org), on the topic of "The Many Dimensions of Kidney Donation!" 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 ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, “Tikkun Olam: Exploring the Concept of Repairing the World Throughout Jewish Intellectual History!" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Tikkun Olam (repairing the world) is a concept often invoked but rarely understood. It turns out that the phrase was used throughout Jewish history over the last two millennia in very different ways. In this class, Rabbi Shmuly will lead us through a text study of various sources to understand how different Jewish thinkers have understood the concept of tikkun olam and what that might mean for us today. DONATE: 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. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, the Founder & Dean of the David Cardozo Academy (https://www.cardozoacademy.org/) on the question of "Time for New Halakhic System?" 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/Rabbi.Nathan.Lopes.Cardozo/ https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Micha Odenheimer, the founder of Tevel B'Tzedek (tevelbtzedek.org/), presents his lecture, "Reflections on the Conflict, Anti-Zionism, and American Jews" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Micha, a rabbi and writer, who has lived in Israel for the past 32 years, will share snapshots from his personal experience as an Israeli, an American Jew, and a journalist on the current debate about Zionism, the conflict and Israel. Why do emotions on this issue run so high, and disagreements hurt so much? What facts and issues are too often ignored in the debate? What are the internal and external dangers that Israel faces as a result of the conflict? How can the discussion be reframed in order to move forward? What are the signs of hope, alongside the warning signs of hazard and potential tragedy? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai www.facebook.com/Tevelbtzedek.org 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 Micha Odenheimer, the founder of Tevel B'Tzedek (https://tevelbtzedek.org/), presents his lecture, "Shabbos in Somalia: Reflections on Judaism and the Global South" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Micha Odenheimer covered stories and crises in Africa and Asia for Haaretz, the Washington Post and others, beginning with the Ethiopian aliyah in 1991 and continuing with Haiti, Somalia, Iraq, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Indonesia. Already a rabbi when he began to report from the Global South, Micha’s travels inspired him to think about the relevance of Judaism to the challenges of globalization, poverty and the human future. In this lecture, Micha will share his thoughts and experiences, ending in his decision to create a Jewishly inspired international development organization, Tevel b’Tzedek, whose aim is to bridge between Israel, the Jewish people, and the challenge of poverty and environmental crisis in the Global South. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai https://www.facebook.com/Tevelbtzedek.org 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 Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) (https://www.adl.org/), on the topic of "Combating Anti-Semitism & Hate Today." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/anti.defamatation.league https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Avi Weiss, Founder of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and Hebrew Institute of Riverdale (https://www.yctorah.org), a leadership development scholar, on the topic of "The Building of Open Orthodoxy!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/31uOqBN 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, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Max Klau (https://www.maxklau.com/), a leadership development scholar, on the topic of "Race & Social Change!" 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 ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Micah Goodman, a research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem (https://hartman.org.il/) and President of Ein Prat, on the topic of "Reducing Suffering in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE "Catch-'67": https://amzn.to/2IqYYt3 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, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Saru Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United) (https://rocunited.org/) and Director of the Food Labor Research Center at University of California, on the topic of "Justice for Restaurant Workers!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE "FORKED": https://amzn.to/2We2dZJ For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/ROCUnited https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "Understanding Human Suffering: Theological, Moral, & Spiritual Explorations" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How might we spiritually respond to our own pain and suffering? How might we morally respond to the pain and suffering of others? In this session, Rabbi Shmuly will explore Jewish sources on pain and suffering and explore various theological approaches to understanding this pervasive human phenomenon. DONATE: 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. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Sarah Bunin Benor, the Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies at the Los Angeles campus of HUC-JIR (http://huc.edu/), on the topic of " Is Hebrew Education in Sunday School Working?" 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 ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Professor Marc B. Shapiro, the Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Scranton (https://www.scranton.edu), on the topic of "Orthodox Rabbis Censoring Truth." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2EmK6L5 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 Emily Langowitz, of Temple Solel, presents her lecture "Judaism and Reproductive Justice: Reframing the Jewish Conversation on Abortion from Torah to Today," before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this class we will explore the continuing dialogue within Judaism around issues of reproductive health, specifically focusing on abortion. We’ll take a look at the classic texts used as grounding for decision-making around this issue, and also expand our awareness to include modern feminist critique of traditional modes of discussing abortion. Finally, we will see how Reproductive Justice as a framework broadens our understanding both of the issue of abortion and of our own evolving Judaisms. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALAS: https://bit.ly/2Jr8GPf 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 (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "The Book of Jonah: A Rebellious Prophet We Can Relate To" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: We read the story of Jonah every Yom Kippur but have we studied it in depth yet? In this session, participants will read the Book of Jonah together (just 4 short chapters) and interpret the book together with Rabbi Shmuly! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/labshul/ 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 Peter Singer (https://petersinger.info/) the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics in the University Center for Human Values at Princeton University & Laureate Professor at the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at University of Melbourne, on the topic of "Utilitarian Perspectives on Saving Lives, Organ Donation, & End-of-Life Ethics!" DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP 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. Richard Schwartz, one of the earliest voices on the subject of Jewish vegetarianism and environmentalism, as the two Jewish community leaders discuss what we can do to stop climate change before it's too late! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie (http://amichai.me/), the founding spiritual leader of Lab/Shul NYC and the creator of Storahtelling, Inc., presents his lecture, "Interrupting the Bible: Five Tools to Reinvent the Jewish Story" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ for Valley Beit Midrash's 2018-2019 Learning Season Closing Event. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Can Monotheism’s oldest storytelling ritual bridge the growing gap between modern generations and our ancient legacies? Join master teacher and performer Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder and spiritual leader of Lab/Shul NYC, as he presents a story of self-discovery and a manifesto for reclaiming tradition and claiming pluralistic approaches that promote a wiser Judaism for today. Based on Amichai’s book in process, this interactive presentation tells of a personal journey from Jerusalem to New York, through Bagdad and Berlin, spanning two millennia, three religions, and four continents, and presenting five principles for bridging the gap between modern society and its sacred legacies. LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2U7Qkn7 DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/labshul/ 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 Noa Kushner, Founding Rabbi at The Kitchen (www.thekitchensf.org/), presents her Valley Beit Midrash discussion "Social Justice, Mitzvah, and God Then and Now: The writing of R. Arnold Jacob Wolf z”l" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: “What we cannot believe is that God is a revolutionary. So long as we act by our lights we shall act poorly, because our insights are really self-interest and our convictions mere rationalizations.” (R. Arnold Jacob Wolf, “The Negro Revolution and Jewish Theology,” Unfinished Rabbi, p. 87). This session will explore the serious challenges raised by an essay written in 1964 that still surprises and surpasses current thinking in its radical approaches to both activism and theology. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2CX8Ad5 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/TheKitchensf/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Noa Kushner, Founding Rabbi at The Kitchen (https://www.thekitchensf.org/), presents her Valley Beit Midrash discussion "Jewish Thought in Three Acts: Creation, Revelation, Redemption" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How do we ask our most serious questions about the meaning of life and our place in the world? According to tradition, we look through our three primary stories of how we came to be (creation), who we are (leaving Egypt), and why (receiving Torah). Through these narratives, we can begin to see our way to awareness, responsibility and hope — as well as confront the darkness that arises and can be overcome in those same pivotal moments. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: To come For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/TheKitchensf/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Jonathan K. Crane, Raymond F. Schinazi Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought at Emory University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Eating Ethically: Religion and Science for a Better Diet" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Few activities are as essential to human flourishing as eating, and fewer still are as ethically fraught. Eating well is particularly confusing. We live amid excess, faced with conflicting recommendations, contradictory scientific studies, and complex moral, medical, and environmental consequences that influence our choices. A new eating strategy is urgently needed, one grounded in ethics, informed by biology, supported by philosophy and theology, and, ultimately, personally achievable. Eating Ethically argues persuasively for more adaptive eating practices. Drawing on religion, medicine, philosophy, cognitive science, art, ethics, and more, Jonathan K. Crane shows how distinguishing among the eater, the eaten, and the act of eating promotes a radical reorientation away from external cues and toward internal ones. This turn is vital for survival, according to classic philosophy on appetite and contemporary studies of satiety, metabolic science as well as metaphysics and religion. By intertwining ancient wisdom from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with cutting-edge research, Crane concludes that ethical eating is a means to achieve both personal health and social cohesion. Grounded in science and tradition, Eating Ethically shows us what it truly means to eat well. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2VgrjHE 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 ★

Professor Jonathan K. Crane, Raymond F. Schinazi Scholar in Bioethics and Jewish Thought at Emory University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Dying to Die: Jewish Perspectives on End of Life Interventions" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. 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 ★

Professor Peter Beinart (http://peterbeinart.net/), Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York and a contributor to The Atlantic, a Senior Columnist at The Forward, a CNN Political Commentator, and a Fellow at The Foundation for Middle East Peace, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture, "Jewish Power and Jewish Vulnerability in the Age of Trump" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: 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 ★

Professor Peter Beinart, Associate Professor of Journalism and Political Science at the City University of New York and a contributor to The Atlantic, a Senior Columnist at The Forward, a CNN Political Commentator, and a Fellow at The Foundation for Middle East Peace, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture, "The Coming Democratic Party Civil War Over Israel" before a VIP roundtable audience at Temple Chai (http://templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: 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 ★

Professor Samuel Brody, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "What Would God’s Economy Look Like?" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Jewish thinkers commonly argue that the Torah is meant to provide a complete, all-pervasive guide to Jewish life. And yet, for much of Jewish history, even while halakha could regulate the trade and business practices of Jewish individuals and firms, it never had the ability to prescribe rules for the very nature of the economy itself. With the rise of modern Jewish nationalist and socialist movements, Jews could think for the first time in centuries about the broad questions of political economy – production, distribution, and re-distribution – from the standpoint of Torah. This talk explores some of that recent thought, seeking to imagine what life would be like if Jews strove to model not just their transactions, but the very economy itself, according to God’s will. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2TBc3U7 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://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 ★

Professor Samuel Brody, assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "A Land of Two Peoples: Martin Buber and Bi-nationalism in Palestine" before an audience at Beth Emeth Congregation of the West Valley (http://www.bethemethaz.org/) in Sun City West, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Most today remember Martin Buber for his collections of Hasidic tales, as well as his dialogical philosophy of I and Thou. However, Buber was also an active and concerned member of the Zionist movement, famously advocating against the UN partition plan on the grounds that the land should be shared between its two peoples. This talk will explore the theological and political basis of Buber’s views, arguing that while most of Buber’s opponents saw him as an idealistic academic unrealistically applying his philosophy to reality, he was actually much closer to contemporary religious Zionism than anyone would care to admit. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2Czz5VZ 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 ★

Jordan B. Gorfinkel(http://jewishcartoon.com/), aka GORF, presents his lecture "Illustrating the Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In “Illustrating the Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel…Or: Everything I Needed To Know About the Haggadah I Learned From Batman,” veteran comic book creator and editor Jordan B. Gorfinkel (aka GORF) will analyze the narrative and thematic elements of the Haggadah in order to show how the story lends itself perfectly to a comic book adaptation. ABOUT THE HAGGADAH: The Passover Haggadah Graphic Novel integrates a brand-new, modern translation into sophisticated and fun sequential art that brings the epic Exodus story to life. The result of extensive historical and linguistic research, every gorgeous panel imbues the classic narrative with renewed relevance and excitement. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE HAGGADAH: https://amzn.to/2SsIaKi For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/HaggadahGraphicNovel/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Alexandra Birch (www.alexandrabirch.com) presents her lecture and performance piece "Music and the Holocaust: Musical Stolpersteine and Recovered Music from the Holocaust" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Dr. Alexandra Birch is a researcher and violinist who finds and performs lost music from the Holocaust in Europe and the former USSR. Join Dr. Birch as she discusses her most recent research, musical commemoration of the Holocaust, and the more unknown “Holocaust by Bullets” in the former USSR. She will also play samples and discuss five new pieces she has recorded. This event will be a memorable evening of scholarship, music, and remembrance. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2XWRmWe 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 Steven Windmueller, the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service, presents his lecture "The Jewish Community in 2050" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This program analyzes what is happening demographically, religiously and culturally to American Jewry. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 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 Steven Windmueller, the Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service, presents his lecture "Why Now, Why Here: Anti-Semitism in America" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This presentation focuses on the recent and rapid rise in anti-Semitism and seeks to explain why this is happening. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2O1SSSs For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://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 ★

Stephen M. Flatow, vice president of the Religious Zionists of America and a noted author, presents his lecture "A Father’s Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This is the story of one brave father’s determination to bring his daughter’s murderers to justice through the American justice system. Stephen M. Flatow says he was “just a real estate lawyer in New Jersey” until April 9, 1995. Flatow’s life changed that day when he learned his daughter Alisa, a twenty-year-old college student traveling in Israel, had been the victim of a terrorist bus-bombing. After he discovered the Iranian government had directly sponsored the bomber, Flatow decided to sue the terror state. It was not to be quixotic, as Flatow, working with a superb Washington lawyer and an astute forensic researcher, not only won a dramatic verdict against Iran, but collected a huge judgment. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2HkP2Cy For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 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. David Kasher, Associate Rabbi at IKAR (ikar-la.org/)presents his lecture "The Torah of Martin Luther King, Jr." before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of our great American heroes, was a uniquely gifted orator. His speeches are breathtaking performances, by any standard. But heard through Jewish ears, they strike particular chords of resonance. For King was able to effortlessly weave in references to the Hebrew Bible that evoke classic moments from the Jewish narrative. By turning back to reflect on those passages, we can gain a deeper understanding of King’s message, and the ways in which he was offering his own novel interpretations of these texts that are so beloved to our tradition. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2IVP7Py 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. David Kasher, Associate Rabbi at IKAR (https://ikar-la.org/)presents his lecture "Thou Shalt Be a Mensch: The Jewish Line Between Law and Ethics" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In perhaps no other religious tradition does Law hold more central place than it does in Judaism. In their founding code, The Mishnah, the rabbis mapped out a system of laws that are meant to regulate nearly every sphere of human life. Yet of out 63 tractates there is one – Avot – that does not seem to dictate legal obligations, but simply to advise good behavior. What is the role of this exceptional volume in the larger work of the Mishnah, and what does it tell us about the relationship between Law and Ethics in Judaism? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2C7f8pf For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts 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 Judith Hauptman, the E. Billi Ivry Professor (emerita) of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture at the Jewish Theological Seminary, presents her lecture "The Moral Obligation to Speak Out in the Face of Wrongdoing" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS LECTURE: A wonderful sugya in Bavli Shabbat (54b-55a) takes up the question of what to do when one sees people misbehaving, whether they are government officials or neighbors, whether they are breaking religious or civil law. Via anecdotes and midrashim, a very demanding moral principle emerges. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2HeEghj For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts 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 Judith Hauptman, the E. Billi Ivry Professor (emerita) of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture at the Jewish Theological Seminary, presents her lecture "Women's Voices in the Talmud" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In general, only men issue halakhic statements in the Talmud. But women appear often in anecdotes about how the law was carried out. A close reading of some short anecdotes reveals that women took the law into their own hands and made changes in it for personal reasons. By looking closely at some of these anecdotes, we will see the kinds of changes women made in the law and the reasons for these changes. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2GU4p5k 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 Naomi Levy (http://rabbinaomilevy.com/), presents her lecture "Einstein and the Rabbi" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: A bestselling author and rabbi’s profoundly affecting exploration of the meaning and purpose of the soul, inspired by the famous correspondence between Albert Einstein and a grieving rabbi. “A human being is part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and feelings as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness…” —Albert Einstein When Rabbi Naomi Levy came across this poignant letter by Einstein it shook her to her core. His words perfectly captured what she has come to believe about the human condition: That we are intimately connected, and that we are blind to this truth. Levy wondered what had elicited such spiritual wisdom from a man of science? Thus began a three-year search into the mystery of Einstein’s letter, and into the mystery of the human soul. What emerges is an inspiring, deeply affecting book for people of all faiths filled with universal truths that will help us reclaim our own souls and glimpse the unity that has been evading us. We all long to see more expansively, to live up to our gifts, to understand why we are here. Levy leads us on a breathtaking journey full of wisdom, empathy and humor, challenging us to wake up and heed the voice calling from within—a voice beckoning us to become who we were born to be. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE: https://amzn.to/2U0TkTf For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://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 ★

Professor Eitan Fishbane, associate professor of Jewish thought at the Jewish Theological Seminary (www.eitanfishbane.com/), presents his lecture "Love of Neighbor, Love of God: How the Two are One in Jewish Mystical Thought" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The imperative to love (ve-ahavtah) appears in at least three ways in the Torah: the command to love God, to love one’s neighbor as oneself, and to love the stranger. In this session we will explore mystical sources that characterize these loves as inseparably intertwined; that one encounters God in the face of the other. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2SdgR1l 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 Eitan Fishbane, associate professor of Jewish thought at the Jewish Theological Seminary (www.eitanfishbane.com/), presents his lecture "Is the Human Being Divine? Soul and Body in Jewish Mystical Thought" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Influential kabbalists argued that the soul is the essence of a person and that the soul is a direct emanation from God. So can we claim that there is a true distinction between Divinity and humanity? We will study sources from Kabbalah and Hasidism that develop this subject, seeking to understand how Jewish mystics defined the core of human nature. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2InacC5 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 ★

Professor Eitan Fishbane, associate professor of Jewish thought at the Jewish Theological Seminary (https://www.eitanfishbane.com/), presents his lecture "Existentialist Messianism" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Divine sparks beneath the surface of the mundane. Nature as a window onto the divine mystery. Wilderness as the audible song of revelation. Like their counterparts in other spiritual traditions, Jewish mystics have articulated the wonder and holy power of Nature’s Temple, the manner in which the earthly is experienced as an indwelling of God. In this session, we will explore several classic expressions of this phenomenon, studying the words of medieval kabbalists alongside the teachings of Rebbe Nahman of BraZlav and non-Jewish masters such as Ralph Waldo Emerson. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2V6BluI 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 Elyse Goldstein, the founding rabbi of City Shul in Toronto ( www.cityshul.com, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Women are from Genesis, Men are from Leviticus! Does Gender Read the Bible?" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In theory, gender is fluid. Even so, for many people, the gender they grew up identifying with colours their experiences both academic, personal, emotional and spiritual. For others, gender is “invisible,” but after exploring how others feel and hear things, they may come to see just how much societal definitions have been inculcated into their experiences as well. Does the lens of gender, then, colour even the way we read the Bible? Is the Bible or Bible study ever “neutral”? This session introduces the methodology of feminist analysis of Biblical text, and puts it into practice with several Biblical narratives, positing that a thorough feminist analysis of sacred text helps broaden the way we understand our spirituality. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2SBBhq0 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 ★

Rosh Kehila of The Kehilah in Riverdale, NY, presents her lecture, "Withholding/Withdrawing Treatment of the Terminally Ill" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life), as well as kavod haBriyot (human dignity), are central principles in Jewish law. With 20th-21st century medical advancements, the possibility of taking measures to extend a person’s life is a reality. As a result, the Jewish value of preservation of life, even for a brief period of time, has the capacity to compete with the value of the sanctity of life and limiting suffering. When a patient is terminally ill, experiencing a great deal of physical and/or emotional pain, what does Halakha rule regarding withholding treatment? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2DvJjq6 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rosh Kehila of The Kehilah in Riverdale, NY, presents her lecture, "Human Cloning and Embryo Research: The Ethical and Jewish Legal Implications" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Within the last few decades, medical technological developments have changed the landscape for what is possible for medical treatments. The theoretical bioethical and halakhic discussions surrounding human cloning and embryo research are becoming a reality. As a result, further advancements in organ transplantation, infertility and genetic engineering, to name a few, are directly impacted by this possibility within medicine. This class will discuss how these new possibilities within research and medicine have practical application within the halakhic and bioethical discussion. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2UPBr9O For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts 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 Joshua Shanes of the College of Charleston (cofc.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Searching for Authenticity: The (re)birth of Jewish Denominations in 19th-century Europe" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Since the canonization of the Talmud, Jews lived in autonomous communities that clearly defined the meaning and obligations of Jewishness. The rise of the modern centralized state in the nineteenth century, and the impact of Enlightenment and secularization, radically transformed this reality. The dismantling of the autonomous community and the integration of Jews into European states as citizens meant the end of this self-evident Jewish identity. It brought the freedom as well as the inescapable imperative to redefine the meaning of Jewishness, first in Western Europe and then in the East. In response, Jews sought to reconstruct their Jewish identities as they always had, by grounding them in prooftexts that “proved” their own iteration of Judaism was the most authentic. This lecture will examine the process of this reconstruction, survey its main iterations, and reflect on its significance today. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2DWxs5H 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 Joshua Shanes of the College of Charleston (http://cofc.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Galitsyaners: (Re)discovering Jewish Galicia" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Negative references to the Galitsianer as cunning, unlearned, coarse, or a religious fanatic are still heard in the early twenty-first century. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, in addition to its nineteenth-century Hasidic, rabbinic, and maskilic celebrities, Galicia produced countless Zionist and socialist leaders as well as a cadre of literary and academic stars in the twentieth century, most notably the noble laureate S. Y. Agnon. Galicia – the portion of the old Polish empire ruled by Austria from 1772 to 1918 – was the cradle of much of modern Jewish civilization. This talk will survey the history of this community and its place in the East European Jewish experience. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming 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. Ariel Burger (https://arielburger.com/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Life and Legacy of Elie Wiesel: A Student’s Perspective" before an audience at the Jewish Worship Group in Surprise, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Elie Wiesel, who passed away July 2, 2016, was a Holocaust witness, human rights activist, author, and confidant of presidents and prime ministers. He was also a teacher, who mentored thousands of students to become rabbis, scholars, and activists in their own rights. One of his closest students, Rabbi Dr. Ariel Burger, author of Witness: lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, November, 2018), will share his perspective on Wiesel’s impact, through personal stories and larger reflections. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP To purchase the book, visit: https://amzn.to/2SdMzAm For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/Ariel-Burger-361142947963007/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★