Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Aharon Ariel Lavi, co-founder of the Eco-Hassidic community “Garin Shuva”, on the Gaza border; the Nettiot Intentional Communities Network; MAKOM: the national umbrella organization of intentional communities in Israel; and Hakhel: the Jewish Intentional Communities Incubator in the Diaspora, presents his lecture "About Economy and Sustenance: Judaism, Society, and Economics" before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The economic forces are among the strongest forces at play in human society. In every purchase, sale, commercial viewed and even in the reading of these lines lies an economic activity that shapes the face of society. There are many ways to manage and examine the economy, and although their implementation requires scientists, essentially these are ethical decisions on cultural, social and spiritual dilemmas. This book aims to discover the contribution of the Jewish cultural world to economic thought and to understanding the structure of society. A Jewishly rooted viewpoint will allow us to provide new answers for the most basic questions that shape economic activity and from it, society in general. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: FORTHCOMING 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. Mel Gottlieb, President of the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (ajrca.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Kabbala and Consciousness" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This lecture will be on the dynamics of practical Kabbala as a growth system creating consciousness in the realm of the intellect, the emotions, and in concrete action. It will utilize the Sefirot, the Hebrew Alphabet as a path towards individuation, and allow for greater awareness of imbalances and the ‘shadow,’ through study and meditation. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2qaCu6V For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/ajrca www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Mel Gottlieb, President of the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (https://ajrca.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Making Enemies Into Friends" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This lecture will be an articulation of the Torah’s mandates toward encountering our enemies and transforming them into friends, including the exception for the category of Amalek, and the reasons for this. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2PUntRZ For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/ajrca www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Shai Secunda, Jacob Neusner Associate Professor of Judaism at Bard College (religion.bard.edu/), presents his lecture "Jews on the Big Screen: Understanding New Israeli Film and Television" before an audience at the Jewish Worship Group in Surprise, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Israeli film and television has come a long long way since its humble and scrappy beginnings. It has become smart and savvy and a source of pride and fascination for many Jews tuning in around the globe – especially religious Americans. What might it all for understanding Israeli culture and ourselves? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming 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 Shai Secunda, Jacob Neusner Associate Professor of Judaism at Bard College (http://religion.bard.edu/), presents his lecture "Iran is Closer Than You Think: The ‘Iranian’ Talmud" before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: As its very name indicates, the Talmud Bavli was produced in Babylonia in the centuries following the compilation of the Mishnah. But politically and culturally speaking, Talmudic Babylonia was actually at the center of a powerful Iranian Empire. What happens when we approach the Talmud as a product of Iran – for our learning, and for our self-understanding? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2OCeVTi 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 Dov Linzer, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (https://www.yctorah.org/) presents his lecture "Unequal Justice? Jew/Non-Jew Distinctions in Civil and Criminal Halakha) before a roundtable audience at Temple Kol Ami (www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: One of our basic democratic principles is that everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. In religious law, however, there tends to be a privileging of those who are members of the faith over those who are not. While this makes sense in matters of ritual, it would seem deeply unfair, indeed unethical, to apply such distinctions to matters of civil and criminal law. In this lecture, we will see how halakha initially gave warrant for unequal treatment of non-Jews and how over time, due to changing circumstances and attitudes, a number of major halakhic decisors minimized or eliminated these distinctions. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2J3KnUg For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.kolami.9 twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/YCTorah/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Laura Geller, Rabbi Emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, presented her lecture "Wise Aging: Getting Good at Getting Older" at Valley Beit Midrash's opening event in Oct. 2018. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Occasionally, we meet an older person we admire and think: “I want to be like her when I grow up. I want to be wise, joyful, grateful, compassionate, patient, funny, curious, optimistic!” As Estelle Reiner said in the classic deli scene from When Harry Met Sally: “I want what she’s having.” The question for us as we get older is: what do I need to do now to become the eighty-five-year-old I someday hope to be? What work do I have to do now to acquire a heart of wisdom? This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. 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 Laura Geller, Rabbi Emerita of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, presented her lecture "Why Friendships Change As We Age" at Valley Beit Midrash's opening event in April 2018. This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2E9sWCY 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 and Mr. Laurence B. Hirsch, Esq. present their talk "American, Israeli, and Jewish Legal Perspectives on Divorce" before a roundtable audience at the offices of Jaburg Wilk (www.jaburgwilk.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP Many thanks to the Arizona Jewish Lawyers Association and Jewish Legal Aid for sponsoring this event. Thank you to Jaburg Wilk for hosting. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/jaburgwilk/ www.facebook.com/AZJewishLawyersAssociation/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Legal-Aid-255117814622551/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Uri Topolosky, the Rabbi of Kehilat Pardes (http://www.kehilatpardes.org/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Stumbling Stones: The Oldest Form of Jewish Spirituality" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: One of the oldest forms of Jewish spirituality, may also be the most accessible for the modern Jew. This conversation with an established community builder, will offer an inspirational encounter with holy texts and foundational stones that have elevated our people throughout the centuries. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2AYMAAe https://bit.ly/2ORRRwa For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/OrTzionAZ/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Marianne Novak, a student at Yeshivat Maharat, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "From Punishment to Compassion" before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The time leading up to Tisha B’av and its aftermath, leading ultimately to Rosh HaShana, demands an almost instantaneous move from extreme sadness, grief and anger to joy and happiness to be with God. How does our tradition help us move from one radical state to the other with purpose and meaning? How does this process enhance our relationship with God? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2OlotOK For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/yeshivatmaharat/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Elad Nehorai, the Pop Chassid (popchassid.com/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash Lecture "The Change-Making Power Of Community." ABOUT THIS LECTURE: We have been inundated recently with stories about how “echo chambers” hurt political discourse and make it harder to affect positive change. But what if there was more to the story? In this session, Elad will explore the incredible power communities (both online and offline) have to create change, and how these “echo chambers” can actually be used to amplify a cause to the outside world in a way no individual could on their own. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/torahtrumpshate/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Elad Nehorai, the Pop Chassid (http://popchassid.com/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash Lecture "How To Break Out Of Tribalism and Still Be Proudly Jewish" before a roundtable audience at DeskHub, a collaborative workspace for start-up organizations. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: It could be argued that tribalism, valuing one’s own group more than others, often leading to hurting others, has become one of the defining problems in our generation. But how does one balance that against the call by our very religion to act, in so many ways, as a tribe? How do we square what seems like self-interest with the call to make the world a perfect place? In this session, Elad will discuss these tensions, and how Judaism itself holds the answers to them. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ https://www.facebook.com/torahtrumpshate/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Herzl Hefter, the Founder of Rosh Beit Midrash Har’el (www.har-el.org/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Saving God From True Believers: (It’s the Least We Can Do for Him After Everything He Did for Us)" at before a roundtable audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In 2001, the Taliban destroyed the two ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan. How is Judaism different? Can we be both compassionate and committed? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2sBxTfQ For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Herzl Hefter, the Founder of Rosh Beit Midrash Har’el (http://www.har-el.org/), presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Navigating Change and Tradition: A Case Study" at before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Modernity emphasizes human autonomy. Tradition calls for submission to authority. As modern people how do we navigate this territory? A narrative of tension between Moses and the tribal leaders in the desert and its resolution will serve us as a guide. This will be a text-based study. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2HpojkB For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Jeremy Dauber(https://www.jeremydauber.com/), the Atran Professor of Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture at Columbia University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Jewish Comedy: A Serious History" before an audience at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center(www.vosjcc.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. Many thanks to the Jewish Book Council (www.jewishbookcouncil.org/) for co-sponsoring this event! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2KgtPYM ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In a major work of scholarship both erudite and very funny, Jeremy Dauber traces the origins of Jewish comedy and its development from biblical times to the age of Twitter. Organizing his book thematically into what he calls the seven strands of Jewish comedy (including the Satirical, the Witty, and the Vulgar), Dauber explores the ways Jewish comedy has dealt with persecution, assimilation, and diaspora through the ages. He explains the rise and fall of popular comic archetypes such as the Jewish mother, the JAP, and the schlemiel and schlimazel. He also explores an enormous range of comic masterpieces, from the Book of Esther, Talmudic rabbi jokes, Yiddish satires, Borscht Belt skits, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm to the work of such masters as Sholem Aleichem, Franz Kafka, the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Philip Roth, Sarah Silverman, and Jon Stewart. For more info, please visit: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/ www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/VOSJCC/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Zvi Zohar, the Chauncey Stillman Professor of Sephardic Law and Ethics at Bar-Ilan University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Rabbi and the Sheikh: A Tale of an Inter-Faith Quest and a Human Relationship in 18th Century Damascus" at before a roundtable audience at Temple Kol Ami(www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: An amazing account, published in 1842 by a leading Sephardic rabbi of Jerusalem, paints a fascinating picture of a personal, intellectual and spiritual relationship between rabbi Moshe Galante (chief rabbi of Damascus in the late 18th century) and a contemporary Muslim Sufi Sheikh. The course of that relationship, culminating in a joint mystic-spiritual journey, provides insights relevant to Muslim-Jewish religious encounter and dialogue then – and now. We will read the original text (in Prof. Zohar’s English translation) and discuss its implications. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2wfRBlu For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Zvi Zohar, the Chauncey Stillman Professor of Sephardic Law and Ethics at Bar-Ilan University, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Inclusiveness as a Religious Value: Sephardic Rabbinic Response to a Major Challenge of Modernity" at before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Discord and schism based on the perceived need for communal uniformity have been hallmarks of Jewish life in Europe and North America in recent centuries. However, great Sephardic rabbis in these times regarded inclusiveness as one of the greatest values that should guide their decision making and leadership. In this lecture, Prof. Zohar presents and discusses this theme, as embodied in concrete decisions made by these rabbis. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2I8gmVo For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Naftuli Moster, Executive Director of Yaffed, presents his Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Secular Education in Hasidic Yeshivas: Why We Should All Care" at before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Most Hasidic boys’ schools in NY and NJ provide little to no secular education to their tens of thousands of students. Nearly 100% of Hasidic boys graduate without a high school diploma. New York State Education Law requires that non-public schools provide a curriculum that is “substantially equivalent” to that of public schools, meaning a minimum of English, math, science, and social studies lessons. Most Hasidic male high school graduates are illiterate in core subjects, barely fluent in the English language, unqualified for most decent-paying jobs, and ill-equipped to navigate the broader world. Hasidic Jews are the fastest growing population in NYC, outpacing every other Jewish denomination. By 2030, 30% of Brooklyn’s youth are predicted to be enrolled in Hasidic yeshivas. 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: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Adam Chodorow, a Willard H. Pedrick Distinguished Research Scholar at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University (https://law.asu.edu/) presents his lecture "God’s Income Tax: Comparing Laws of Tithing to Federal Income Tax" before a roundtable audience at Test Hammerman & Hultgren, P.C. (http://hammerman-hultgren.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Susannah Heschel, the Eli Black Professor and chair of the Jewish Studies Program at Dartmouth College (jewish.dartmouth.edu/), presented her Hammerman Lecture Series presentation "Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity: The Life and Thought of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel" at Valley Beit Midrash's closing event in April 2018. This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Professor Heschel speaks about the remarkable life of her father, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Rabbi Heschel was born in 1907 in Warsaw into a distinguished family of Hasidic rebbes. After his studies in Berlin, Rabbi Heschel escaped Europe and immigrated to the United States, becoming one of American Judaism’s most important interpreters and teachers of the twentieth century. Professor Heschel’s lecture will describe the Hasidic roots of her father’s theological writings and also of his political engagement in the Civil Rights Movement and in Christian-Jewish relations. She will discuss their family life, their close relationships with their Hasidic family, and some of the remarkable people who entered their lives, including Martin Luther King, Jr. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP TRANSLATION OF RABBI HESCHEL'S YIDDISH SPEECH: https://bit.ly/2r0D0o0 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Susannah Heschel, the Eli Black Professor and chair of the Jewish Studies Program at Dartmouth College (https://jewish.dartmouth.edu/), presented her lecture "What is ‘Human Dignity’ According to Judaism?" at Valley Beit Midrash's closing event in April 2018. This Valley Beit Midrash lecture took place before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2qT2B38 For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Daniel Greyber, rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in Durham, NC (http://betheldurham.org/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Forgotten Mourners" at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Jewish law defines the mourning process for a parent, spouse, sibling, and child. But what happens when we lose someone who does not fit in those categories? Author of Faith Unravels: A Rabbi’s Struggle With Grief and God, Rabbi Daniel Greyber will recall his own experience of being a forgotten mourner after the death of two close friends and we will explore how we can build communities that acknowledge all who grieve and help them to heal. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Congregation-Or-…on-103351795773/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Sheila Katz of the Berklee College of Music (https://www.berklee.edu/people/sheila-katz) presents her lecture "Connecting with the Enemy: A Century of Palestinian-Israeli Joint Nonviolence" before a roundtable lecture at The New Shul (http:/www.thenewshul.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. About the Author: Sheila H. Katz, Ph.D, is the author of Connecting with the Enemy: a Century of Palestinian-Israeli Joint Nonviolence. She received a doctorate in Middle East History from Harvard University where she specialized in Palestinian-Israeli relations, organized programs on Middle Eastern women, and taught for eight years. Her first book, Women and Gender in Early Palestinian and Jewish Nationalism (University Press of Florida, 2003), investigates the origins of conflict through the transformation of gender and national identities during the first half of the 20th century. She has published numerous articles and reviews Kandiyoti’s, Gendering the Middle East, the Arab Studies Journal, the International Journal of Middle East Studies, the Middle East Journal, the Association of Middle Eastern Women’s Studies Newsletter, Harvard International Review, and Lilith Magazine. Dr. Katz lived in Jerusalem for six years where she founded one of the early feminist groups and a network for Palestinians and Israelis to confront tough issues together. She led workshops on inequality and becoming allies in Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, England, France, Sweden, Italy, Greece, and the U.S. 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/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Mr. Benjamin Taylor, Esq, present their talk "Crimes of Passion: The Extent of Human Responsibility" before a roundtable audience at the offices of Jaburg Wilk (http://www.jaburgwilk.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/cle-archives/ Many thanks to the Arizona Jewish Lawyers Association and Jewish Legal Aid for sponsoring this event. Thank you to Jaburg Wilk for hosting. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/jaburgwilk/ https://www.facebook.com/AZJewishLawyersAssociation/ https://www.facebook.com/Jewish-Legal-Aid-255117814622551/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, the Senior Rabbi at Temple Solel in Hollywood, FL (www.templesolel.com/), presents his lecture "How to Re-Claim The Spiritual Meaning of Your Child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah!" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The bar and bat mitzvah is the most popular American Jewish life-cycle ceremony. But, it has also been the victim of its own success. How can we spiritually “upgrade” bar and bat mitzvah? Based on Rabbi Salkin’s well-known series of bar and bat mitzvah books. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/TempleSolelHollywood/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, the Senior Rabbi at Temple Solel in Hollywood, FL (templesolel.com/), presents his lecture "The Gods Are Broken!" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Everyone knows the story of Abraham shattering his father’s idols. It might even be Judaism’s most famous (non-biblical) story. But it is not really a children’s story. It is the most important Jewish story, and it has deep implications for us today. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/TempleSolelHollywood/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin, the Senior Rabbi at Temple Solel in Hollywood, FL (https://templesolel.com/), presents his lecture "Righteous Gentiles of the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Models for Sacred Relationships" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami(www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Jewish history is more than “they hated us; they tried to kill us; we won; let’s eat!” We deserve to meet gentiles in Jewish history who were our friends. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/TempleSolelHollywood/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse, Assistant Professor at Stanford University (religiousstudies.stanford.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Neo-Hasidism and the Theology of Halakhah: The Duties of Intimacy and the Law of the Heart" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Together we will seek a Neo-Hasidic theology of halakhah — an understanding of sacred deeds and the divine command that can redress the challenges of modernity and enliven the heart of the contemporary Jewish seeker. We will begin with a brief turn to the teachings of the key figures presented in the companion volume to this book, whose writings are the hearthstones of contemporary Neo-Hasidism. My goal, however, is not to describe their work but to add a new voice to the conversation. I will stake the claim that Neo-Hasidism must be a movement of praxis, one affirming that the life of the spirit is embodied and expressed through concrete deeds. A sense of obligation must be central to our conversation about halakhah, just as a mandate of responsibility is integral to our covenantal relationship with the Divine. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2u7Lnmq Event Co-Sponsored by Mt. Sinai Cemetery (www.mtsinaicemetery.com/) For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Jas... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 United States— CC BY 3.0 US ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse, Assistant Professor at Stanford University (https://religiousstudies.stanford.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Neo-Hasidism and the Theology of Halakhah: The Duties of Intimacy and the Law of the Heart" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Together we will seek a Neo-Hasidic theology of halakhah — an understanding of sacred deeds and the divine command that can redress the challenges of modernity and enliven the heart of the contemporary Jewish seeker. We will begin with a brief turn to the teachings of the key figures presented in the companion volume to this book, whose writings are the hearthstones of contemporary Neo-Hasidism. My goal, however, is not to describe their work but to add a new voice to the conversation. I will stake the claim that Neo-Hasidism must be a movement of praxis, one affirming that the life of the spirit is embodied and expressed through concrete deeds. A sense of obligation must be central to our conversation about halakhah, just as a mandate of responsibility is integral to our covenantal relationship with the Divine. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2FTx06J For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Marilyn Byfield Paul, Ph.d (http://marilynpaul.com/) presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "An Oasis in Time: How a Day of Rest Can Save Your Life" before an audience at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center(www.vosjcc.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. Many thanks to the Jewish Book Council (www.jewishbookcouncil.org/) for co-sponsoring this event! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Now more than ever, people are seeking a reprieve from the constant pressure to achieve, produce, and consume. While many turn to sporadic bouts of mindfulness and meditation, organizational change specialist Marilyn Paul offers a complementary solution that is as radical as it is ancient. In her new book An Oasis in Time, Paul focuses on the profound benefits of taking a modern-day Sabbath each week for deep rest and nourishing renewal. The energy, perspective, creativity, sense of well-being, and yes, increased productivity that ensues are lifesaving. Purchase Marilyn's book HERE: http://amzn.to/2IwcESW For more info, please visit: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/ www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/VOSJCC/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Aaron J. Hahn Tapper, the Mae and Benjamin Swig Professor in Jewish Studies and the founding Director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice at the University of San Francisco (http://bit.ly/2p5kPO4), presents his lecture "The Jewish Story? Inclusion, Exclusion, and the Jewish ‘Other’ Within" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Jews and non-Jews frequently speak about “the Jews” as if they are a single, cohesive, interconnected group. But whether in their previous incarnations as Hebrews, Israelites, or Judeans, Jews have never been uniform or homogenous. There has never been a Jewish people, only peoples; never one Judaism, only Judaisms. In the twenty-first century, how can Jews be more inclusive, not just of those identifying as Ashkenazi, heteronormative, and Israel- and American-centric but rather of the historically multidimensional and vastly diverse Jewish communities that have existed within this social group since their very inception? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP Purchase Professor Hahn Tapper's book HERE: http://amzn.to/2FJGu7X For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Sam Intrator of Kavanah Life (www.kavanahlifesingles.com) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Transcending the Great Right-Left Divide in Israel Through Spirituality" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In closely examining our ancient Spiritual Origins in Israel, a very contemporary Jewish perspective emerges that transcends the current great Right-Left Political and Spiritual divide. Through our study of relevant Biblical texts and commentary that span most of Jewish History, a practical wisdom will be presented that speaks with great significance to the challenges of modern-day Israel. The Analysis will also show how certain ancient and futuristic mystical ideals provide guidance to help overcome many deep divisions in contemporary Israeli society as well in the Arab-Israeli conflict. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2Dfx6Dy For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/farmforward www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Sam Intrator of Kavanah Life (http://www.kavanahlifesingles.com) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "The Radical and Modern Approach of Ishbitz Hasidic Thought" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this podcast, Rabbi Sam Intrator explores the major themes that show how the Ishbitzer Rebbe’s ideas, while rooted in traditional sources, are radical departures from traditional interpretations. This unique school of Hasidic study offers deep psychological insights and a very modern approach to understanding human nature. It reveals both very transcendent and accessible ideas in spirituality. We will also explore the apparent rebellion of the founder of this dynasty Rabbi Mordecei Yosef against his mentor, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, to show how disagreements are often not a rejection of another approach but is, in fact, an expansion and development of that which is seemingly being rejected. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2Dfp5hU For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill, The Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, presents his lecture "Rabbi on The Ganges: A Jewish Hindu Encounter" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami(www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Professor Alan Brill recently spent a sabbatical in India teaching about the little-known encounters that Judaism has with Hinduism from within the Brahmin world. He notes that Indian works on religion typically reference Judaism through the lens of the practices of Leviticus, especially with regard to animal sacrifice. Judaism, on the other hand, tends to understand Eastern religions using the Talmudic categories of idolatry. Neither side understands much about the other one and their respective living reality. Exploring the commonalities of ideas on priestly rituals, purity, meditation, and text study, this lecture looks at how what is first seen as completely foreign and different, can be appreciated on its own terms through asking the proper questions and finding an appropriate lens. Thus, space is created for a shared spiritual language of understanding. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President-Elect of Hebrew College (www.hebrewcollege.edu/) presents her Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Mi Yodea: Humility and Hope in an Uncertain World" for The New Shul(http://thenewshul.org/). ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Sharon Cohen Anisfeld has been Dean of the Rabbinical School since 2006. Prior to assuming this position, she served as an adjunct faculty member and then dean of students at the school. After graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990, Cohen subsequently spent 15 years working in pluralistic settings as a Hillel rabbi at Tufts, Yale and Harvard universities. She has been a summer faculty member for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel since 1993 and is co-editor of two volumes of women’s writings on Passover, “The Women’s Seder Sourcebook: Rituals and Readings for Use at the Passover Seder” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002) and “The Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002). In 2015, Anisfeld was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by The Jerusalem Post. From 2011 to 2013, she was named to Newsweek’s list of Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America. 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/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President-Elect of Hebrew College (http://www.hebrewcollege.edu/) presents her Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Purim: The Jewish Holiday of Friendship" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Sharon Cohen Anisfeld has been Dean of the Rabbinical School since 2006. Prior to assuming this position, she served as an adjunct faculty member and then dean of students at the school. After graduating from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990, Cohen subsequently spent 15 years working in pluralistic settings as a Hillel rabbi at Tufts, Yale and Harvard universities. She has been a summer faculty member for the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel since 1993 and is co-editor of two volumes of women’s writings on Passover, “The Women’s Seder Sourcebook: Rituals and Readings for Use at the Passover Seder” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002) and “The Women’s Passover Companion: Women’s Reflections on the Festival of Freedom” (Jewish Lights Publishing, 2002). In 2015, Anisfeld was named one of the 50 most influential Jews in the world by The Jerusalem Post. From 2011 to 2013, she was named to Newsweek’s list of Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/hebrewcollege Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Dr. Rachel Tzvia Back (https://www.wpm2011.org/node/64) presents her lecture "The Woman’s Voice in Modern Hebrew Poetry from Lea Goldberg to Efrat Mishori" before a roundtable lecture at The New Shul (http:/www.thenewshul.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: A noted translator of Hebrew, Back has translated the work of Lea Goldberg in Lea Goldberg: Selected Poetry and Drama (2005), which won a PEN Translation Prize, and On the Surface of Silence: The Last Poems of Lea Goldberg (2017). She also translated In the Illuminated Dark: Selected Poems of Tuvia Ruebner (2014), which won the TLS Risa Dobm/Porjes Translation Award in 2016 and was a finalist for the National Translation Award in Poetry. She has translated many important Hebrew writers, including Hamutal Bar-Yosef, Dahlia Ravikovitch, and Haviva Pedaya. She was the primary translator of the anthology With an Iron Pen: Twenty Years of Hebrew Protest Poetry (2009). Her critical work includes the monograph Led by Language: The Poetry and Poetics of Susan Howe (2002). She lives in Galilee and teaches at Oranim Academic College near Haifa. 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/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow at Hazon (hazon.org/) o presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Judaism, Justice, and Holiness" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Rabbi Sid’s groundbreaking book, Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World 2006, offers a seminal thesis about the purpose of Judaism. The book portrays a tension between the commitment of Jews to universal values and the Jewish communal tendency to emphasize a more parochial set of priorities. This talk explores the sublime paradox of Judaism which combines a requirement that Jews fully engage in the world to advance peace and justice with a mandate for Jews to continue to be a people apart. 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: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow at Hazon (hazon.org/) o presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Our Universe of Obligation: How Wide?" before a roundtable audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2sm8lWr For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz, Senior Fellow at Hazon (https://hazon.org/) o presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The American Jewish community is riddled with doubts about the viability of the institutions that well served the Jewish community of the 20th century. Synagogues, federations, and Jewish membership organizations have yet to figure out how to meet the changing interests and needs of the next generation. This talk will look at the social norms that are shaping the habits and lifestyles of younger American Jews and suggest four guiding principles that can actually lead to a renaissance in Jewish life. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/farmforward www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Giller, Chair of Jewish Studies at American Jewish University (http://www.aju.edu/) presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Some Basic Principles on Kabbalistic Spirituality" at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: What distinguishes the world-view of the kabbalist from other kinds of Jews? Is kabbalah a form of metaphysics, or is it what the world calls “mysticism?” If it is “mysticism,” what makes it like other forms of religious mysticism? How can conventional Jews incorporate kabbalistic ideas into their religious practice and world-view, and in what ways was this done over Jewish history? This talk will serve the purpose of clarify the role of Kabbalah in Jewish practice and to define the appropriate, as well as the improper uses of Kabbalah. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Congregation-Or-…on-103351795773/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/AmericanJewishUniversity Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Aaron Gross, Founder & CEO of Farm Forward (farmforward.com/) and a professor at the University of San Diego presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "What is a Jewish Response to Factory Farming?" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How can Jewish community and Jewish teachings help us better respond to the factory farm systems that now produce the majority of animal products consumed in Israel, Europe, North America, and increasingly, the world? Are factory farms, which claim to feed the world, compatible with Jewish mandates to preserve human health? What do product claims like “antibiotic free” and “humanely raised” really mean? How might rabbinic teaching about tzaar baalei chayim–the Torah mandate not to cause unnecessary suffering–shape contemporary debates about the future of food? Join us and bring your own insights to share. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/farmforward www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Professor Aaron Gross, Founder & CEO of Farm Forward (https://farmforward.com/) and a professor at the University of San Diego presents his Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Jewish Animal Ethics from Torah to Today" for the Jewish Community Foundation (www.jcfphoenix.org/) ABOUT THIS LECTURE: This lively survey of Jewish animal ethics will consider passages from the Tanakh, rabbinic writings, modern Jewish thought, and the remarkable contributions contemporary Jews have made to secular animal ethics from Isaac Bashevis Singer to Jacques Derrida. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Jewish-Community…60791413/?ref=ts twitter.com/VBMTorah https://www.facebook.com/farmforward www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

**Please note: Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, Professor Claussen has requested that Valley Beit Midrash only release excerpts from this lecture.** Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Claussen, the Lori and Eric Sklut Scholar in Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Elon University, presents his lecture "Musar at a Time of War" before an audience at Temple Kol Ami(www.templekolami.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How can the wisdom of the Jewish tradition guide our judgments about the morality of warfare? This session will explore how the practice of musar, an introspective and contemplative Jewish discipline, can shape and guide our moral responses to war. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Claussen, the Lori and Eric Sklut Scholar in Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Elon University, presents his lecture "Compassion and Cruelty: The Promise and Limits of the Musar Movement" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How can Jewish practice bring greater compassion into our lives? This session will explore ways in which practices developed by the 19th century Musar Movement can be effective in helping to develop compassion and other virtues, while also taking a critical look at the limits of compassion within this historic movement. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2F8omjV For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Judy Firestone Singer, Director of Development for Matnat Chaim (https://kilya.org.il/en/), presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "Tales on Saving Lives in Israel Through Inspiring Kidney Donations!" before an audience at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center(www.vosjcc.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. Many thanks to the Jewish Book Council (www.jewishbookcouncil.org/) for co-sponsoring this event! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP ABOUT THIS LECTURE: “Whoever saves one life, it is as though he has saved the entire world.”Over the past several years, Israel has been transformed in an unexpected way: from a country some of whose citizens were notoriously active in organ trafficking, it has become the country with the world’s highest percentage of altruistic kidney donors! Along with some enlightened and ground-breaking legislation, this is largely due to the activity of an Israeli nonprofit called Matnat Chaim (Hebrew for “gift of life”) which recruits and supports healthy living donors who give their kidneys to strangers. Judy Singer donated her kidney in 2013 to Rena and found it to be a life-changing experience. Join us to hear more about this moving, fascinating, and uniquely Israeli/Jewish phenomenon. Donate to Matnat Chaim HERE: https://secured.israelgives.org/donate/matnat/ Learn more about the work of Matnat Chaim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mu_7VQMr3w For more info, please visit: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/ www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/VOSJCC/ www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ https://www.facebook.com/matnatchaim.eng/ ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Haim Ovadia, rabbi of Magen David Sephardic Congregation (http://www.magendavidsephardic.org/)in suburban Washington DC presents his lecture "Why Are There No Reform or Conservative Sephardic Movements" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The different cultures and religious approaches of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews are products of over a thousand years of living under the rule of two opposing religions, Islam and Christianity. Though both religions, as well as Judaism, are often bundled together as the Monotheistic or Abrahamic religions, there are fundamental differences between them. For better or worse, the unique characteristics of each dominant religion shaped the lives, cultures, and theology of its Jews. The rift which started thousands of years ago, has deepened after the emancipation in Europe, as religious leaders in the Ashkenazi world retreated into a spiritual ghetto, while Sephardic kept a vibrant and innovative legal approach. The lecture will review some of the influences of Islam and Christianity on Judaism, will track the path of Halakhic innovation over the centuries, and will explain why the Sephardic world appears to be more homogeneous than the Ashkenazi world. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING MATERIALS: http://bit.ly/2BbaDqn To receive Rabbi Ovadia's digital newsletter, sign up HERE: http://bit.ly/2rkFiSk For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/templesolelaz/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. David Sandmel of the Anti-Defamation League (https://www.adl.org/) presents his lecture "Interreligious Engagement & Building Community in 2018" before a roundtable audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: A look and conversation at fostering interreligious understanding and collaborative work to support vulnerable and marginalized communities. 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/ https://www.facebook.com/anti.defamation.league/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Yaffa Epstein, Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies(www.pardes.org.il/faculty/yaffa-epstein/)presents her Valley Beit Midrash (www.valleybeitmidrash.org) lecture "Because the Rabbi Said So: Exploring Power and Authority in the Rabbinate" at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Today we live in an age where travel is commonplace and extremely convenient. However, in the Rabbinic world, travel was an adventure, an experience, and a potential conduit for transformation. In this session, we’ll explore several stories from the Talmud that describe journeys the Rabbis took, the characters they met, and the lessons they learned in their travels—and what these lessons can teach us today! The session is open to all levels of experience with Talmud, and all texts will be both in the original and in translation. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP LEARNING Materials: http://bit.ly/2FwqJOv For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/Congregation-Or-…on-103351795773/ twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ www.facebook.com/pardesinstitute/ Music: "Watercolors" by John Deley and the 41 Players, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library ★ Support this podcast ★