Jewish Ideas to Change the World

A virtual event presentation by Deena AranoffAbout The Event:In this class, we will participate in a close study of Torah texts that reveal maternal aspects of the divine.About The Speaker:Deena Aranoff is the Faculty Director of the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish studies at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. She teaches rabbinic literature, medieval patterns of Jewish thought, and the broader question of continuity and change in Jewish history. Her recent publications engage with the subject of childcare, maternity, and the making of Jewish culture. ★ Support this podcast ★

An in-person event by Rav Yehuda HaKohenAbout The Event:Learning to see the subtle stirrings of social & political change beneath the surface. A Tu B'shvat Seder.About The Speaker:Rav Yehuda HaKohen is an Israeli organizer & educator. As a leader in the Vision movement, he works to empower students to become thought leaders & active participants in the current chapter of Jewish history. As a Jew living in the West Bank / northern Judea, HaKohen also organizes grassroots dialogue sessions for Palestinians & Israelis seeking to transcend competing one-sided narratives in favor of a more holistic analysis of the conflict. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi David KasherEvent Co-Sponsored by BMH BJAbout The Event: The Israelites made it across the Red Sea just in time. As they touched shore on the other side, the miraculously parted waters came crashing back down and Pharaoh his army, chariots and all, drowned in the water. But wait, says the midrash. Pharoah somehow made it out alive! And you’ll never guess where he ended up…About The Speaker:Rabbi David Kasher serves as an Associate Rabbi at IKAR, a non-denominational spiritual community in Los Angeles. He received his BA in Political Science at Wesleyan University, holds a J.S.D. from Berkeley Law, and received his Rabbinic Ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Rabbi Kasher grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies, and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He was part of the founding team at Kevah, a nonprofit specializing in Adult Jewish Education. He has served on the faculty of Berkeley Law, the Wexner Heritage Program, Reboot, and The BINA Secular Yeshiva, and also taught at Pardes, SVARA, The Hartman Institute, AJR, and HUC. Rabbi Kasher is a teacher of nearly all forms of classical Jewish literature, but his greatest passion is Torah commentary, and he just published a book on the subject, ParshaNut: 54 Journeys Into the World of Torah Commentary. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi David KasherEvent Co-Sponsored by Beth El PhoenixAbout The Event:Rabbinic Judaism emerged like a phoenix out of the ashes of the destruction of the Great Temple in Jerusalem. The rabbis proposed that the new center of Jewish life could be located not in a building, but in a book. But in order to make such a bold move, they had to develop a dynamic new way of reading that book. And to do that, they would need a whole new theology.About The Speaker:Rabbi Dr. David Kasher serves as an Associate Rabbi at IKAR, a non-denominational spiritual community in Los Angeles. He received his BA in Political Science at Wesleyan University, holds a J.S.D. from Berkeley Law, and received his Rabbinic Ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Rabbi Kasher grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies, and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He was part of the founding team at Kevah, a nonprofit specializing in Adult Jewish Education. He has served on the faculty of Berkeley Law, the Wexner Heritage Program, Reboot, and The BINA Secular Yeshiva, and also taught at Pardes, SVARA, The Hartman Institute, AJR, and HUC. Rabbi Kasher is a teacher of nearly all forms of classical Jewish literature, but his greatest passion is Torah commentary, and he just published a book on the subject, ParshaNut: 54 Journeys Into the World of Torah Commentary. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Aaron CherniakEvent Co-Hosted by Temple ChaiAbout The Event:In recent decades, there has been a revival of scientific and clinical research into psychedelic drugs and their therapeutic potential. In this talk, I will review some emerging findings and offer some important context, which will provoke larger questions about psychological – and spiritual – healing, both with the use of psychedelic substances and in everyday life.This project was made possible through the support of a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc funder DOI 501100011730) through grant https://doi.org/10.54224/30292. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton World Charity Foundation, Inc. About The Speaker:Rabbi Aaron Cherniak is a research and clinical psychologist completing his Ph.D. at Stockholm University, as well as the Director of the JPSYCH Lab of Judaism and Mental Health.He studies spirituality/religion and its link to lifespan development, relationships, and mental health. His research examines beliefs, behaviors, and experiences related to spirituality/religion in an attachment theory framework, which describes how internalized feelings of safety and security in formative relationships guide social and emotional functioning. His dissertation research explores these patterns in individuals’ subjective experiences with psychedelics and efforts to integrate those experiences into their personal identity and narrative.As a clinician, Rabbi Cherniak has treated individuals and families with a wide range of needs, including in Bnei Brak’s Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center. He has lectured on spiritual/religious issues in mental health and clinical practice to both professional and communal audiences. Through JPSYCH, Rabbi Cherniak disseminates psychoeducational resources to the global Jewish community.He is a married father of two, rabbi, avid canoeist, and unrepentant punster. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor Bjorn KrondorferEvent Co-Sponsored by Congregation Or TzionAbout The Event:This talk will trace the lives of two women Holocaust survivors who both grew up in traditional Jewish families in Bedzin, Poland, and later became residents of Arizona: Jane Lipski (Tucson) and Doris Martin (Flagstaff). They managed to survive the Nazi onslaught as adolescent girls. While Jane was able to escape the ghetto and join the resistance movement in Slovakia, Doris was sent to Auschwitz and selected for labor at a women’s camp near the Gross-Rosen concentration camp. While Doris was liberated in 1945 by the advancing Soviet forces and ended up in a Displaced Person Camp in Germany, Jane was arrested by the Soviets as a suspected spy and remained in captivity in Soviet labor camps until 1947. I will introduce the complex history of the Holocaust through the lives of Doris and Jane, with particular attention to women’s resourcefulness in their struggle so to survive.About The Speaker:Björn Krondorfer is Regents’ Professor and the Director of the Martin-Springer Institute at Northern Arizona University. As an Endowed Professor of Religious Studies, he also teaches in the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies. He received his Ph.D. at Temple University, Philadelphia. His field of expertise is religion, gender, and culture, and (post-) Holocaust and reconciliation studies. His scholarship helped to define the field of Critical Men’s Studies in Religions.As director of the Martin-Springer Institute, he has organized several international academic symposia. He has mentored the creation of several exhibits: Through the Eyes of Youth: Life and Death in the Bedzin Ghetto; Resilience: Women in Flagstaff’s Past and Present; and the permanent installation of a Berlin Wall exhibit at NAU. He has curated the art exhibitions Wounded Landscapes (2014) and Echoes of Loss: Artistic Responses to Trauma (2018). In 2019, he has been awarded a one-month residential fellowship at the Santa Fe Art Institute on the theme of “truth and reconciliation.” ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie SchnytzerEvent Co-Hosted by Hebrew Education AllianceAbout The Event:How did a prominent Moroccan rabbi depict a woman of valor in a sermon dedicated to his mother? What mystical revelation occurred at a vital moment within the walls of the Ba’al Shem Tov’s study hall? Who are the bride and groom in the divine wedding on the eve of Shavuot and are we invited? Hoping through intimate moments with the Bible in Eastern Europe and Morocco, we will try to understand what is the purpose of studying the Bible, how should we be learning, and most importantly – what does it mean for each one of us, and can we be intimate with the Bible?About The Speaker:Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only Ph.D. in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race? His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s majestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad's thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A panel discussion featured leaders from our local community. The panelists: Rabbi Pinchas Allouche, Rabbi Nitzan Stein Kokin, Richard Kasper, and Rabbi John Linder discussed the topic of “Can the Phoenix/Scottsdale Jewish Community be United: Looking at our Unity and Divisions.” Moderated by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David WolpeEvent Co-Sponsored By Temple Emanuel and BMH-BJ About The Event:The search for happiness and meaning, lessons from ancient traditions and modern science. About The Speaker: Named The Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, and twice named one of the 500 Most Influential People in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, David Wolpe is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple. Rabbi Wolpe previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. A weekly columnist for the New York Jewish Week and weekly Torah columnist for the Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Wolpe has been published and profiled in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and many more. He has been featured on The Today Show, Face the Nation, ABC This Morning, and CBS This Morning. In addition, Rabbi Wolpe has appeared prominently in series on PBS, A&E, History Channel, and Discovery Channel, and has engaged in widely watched public debates with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and many others about religion and its place in the world. Rabbi Wolpe, who has spoken in seminars, public and scholarly forums, and scholar-in-residence appearances hundreds of times all over the world from Israel to India, is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times (Riverhead). His new book is titled David, the Divided Heart (Yale U Press). It was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards and has been optioned for a movie by Warner Bros. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Daniel Matt in his new book Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation.Read and or purchase his book: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Elijah-Prophet-Transformation-Jewish/dp/0300242700 ★ Support this podcast ★

About The Event:On January 6, 2021, Americans were shocked as thousands of self-proclaimed patriots stormed the Capitol, many carrying Confederate flags and wearing anti-Semitic sweatshirts. What the nation witnessed that cold winter afternoon was the continuation of a battle that goes back to 1945 when Americans began fighting a second Civil War over two distinct visions of the future—and have continued fighting ever since with one key difference.The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to Anti-Semitism and White Supremacy After 1945 tells the chilling story of the decades-long battle between four postwar hate group leaders and the three New York-based anti-fascist groups that fought to stop them. On one side stood Emory Burke, Jesse B. Stoner, James Madole, and George Lincoln Rockwell who saw themselves as dedicated patriots protecting the white Christian world they knew before the War against all who would now degrade and destroy it. As millions of veterans returned home in 1945-1946, these charismatic White Supremacist leaders built violent networks of terror and planned deadly attacks on Jews and Blacks throughout the nation.Opposing these four leaders and their deadly organizations were three New York-based groups that waged a secret undercover war to defeat organized White Supremacists: the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Jewish Committee (AJC), and the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League (ANL).About The Speaker:Steven J. Ross is a Distinguished Professor of History, Dean’s Professor of History, and Director of the University of Southern California’s Casden Institute for the Study of the Jewish Role in American Life. His most recent book, Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America was named a Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History for 2018 and has been on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List for 23 weeks.His previous book Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics, received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Film Scholars Award and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Working-Class Hollywood: Silent Film and the Shaping of Class in America, won the Theater Library Association Book Award for 1999, as well as a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Ross’s current book, The Secret War Against Hate: American Resistance to White Supremacy After 1945, will be published by Bloomsbury Press. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Malka SimkovichEvent Co-Hosted by BMH BJAbout the Event:In the Hellenistic era, Judean leaders in Jerusalem sent letters to Jews living in Egypt imploring them to observe the holidays of Chanukah and Purim. Why were these holidays important to these leaders, and why were they so focused on the practices of their Jewish kin in Egypt? This lecture will explore the complex dynamics of Judea-diaspora relations in the ancient world, and how the observance of holidays was used as an opportunity for Judeans to enforce the idea of Judean exceptionalism.About the Speaker:Dr. Malka Z. Simkovich is the Crown-Ryan Chair of Jewish Studies and the director of the Catholic-Jewish Studies program at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is the author of The Making of Jewish Universalism: From Exile to Alexandria (2016) and Discovering Second Temple Literature: The Scriptures and Stories That Shaped Early Judaism (2018), which received the 2019 AJL Judaica Reference Honor Award. Simkovich’s articles have been published in academic journals such as the Harvard Theological Review and the Journal for the Study of Judaism, and in mainstream publications such as The Jewish Review of Books and The Christian Century. She is involved in numerous interreligious dialogue projects which help to increase understanding and friendship between Christians and Jews. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Chaim Seidler-FellerAbout the Event:This discussion constitutes a personal effort at articulating a meaningful notion of God that is spiritually fulfilling, intellectually uncompromising, and morally compelling. The search ranges across the Jewish tradition from the fundamentals of Biblical monotheism to Maimonides’ rationalism and onto Hasidic mysticism. The result is a contemporary notion of God that can nurture personal humility and the development of an ethical personality.About the Speaker:Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller is a faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. He recently celebrated 40 years of working with students and faculty as the Executive Director of the Yitzhak Rabin Hillel Center for Jewish Life at UCLA, where he is now Director Emeritus. Chaim was ordained at Yeshiva University where he completed his Master's in Rabbinic Literature. He has been a lecturer in the Departments of Sociology and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at UCLA, and in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He is a faculty member of the Wexner Heritage Foundation. Chaim was the founding director of the Hartman Fellowship for Hillel Professionals and a founding member of Americans for Peace Now.Chaim was a rabbinic consultant to Barbra Streisand during the making of the film Yentl. He and his wife Dr. Doreen Seidler-Feller, a clinical psychologist, are the parents of two children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Devorah SteinmetzEvent Co-Sponsored by Rodef Shalom About the Event:The Talmud tells a story about the first human being’s experience of the first winter, a story that echoes the story of Chanuka. We will consider the meanings that emerge from the interplay between these texts and that are embodied in our practice of lighting candles on Chanuka.About the Speaker:Devora Steinmetz serves on the faculty of the Hebrew College Rabbinical School and the Mandel Leadership Institute. She is the founder of Beit Rabban, a Jewish day school profiled in Daniel Pekarsky’s Vision at Work: The Theory and Practice of Beit Rabban. She is the author of scholarly articles on Talmud, Midrash, and Bible as well as of two books, From Father to Son: Kinship, Conflict, and Continuity in Genesis and Punishment and Freedom: The Rabbinic Construction of Criminal Law. She has served on the faculty of Drisha, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Yeshivat Hadar, and Havruta: a Beit Midrash at Hebrew University. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Leon MorrisEvent Co-Hosted by Hebrew Education Alliance About The Event:Many of us are drawn to Jewish texts and tradition, and at the same time bring commitments and perspectives that are part and parcel of who we are. How do we balance our own sense of truth with the inherited claims of Jewish tradition to which we are drawn? What is the place of “personal integrity” in religious life? What do we do when our own experience of the world seems so different from those who shaped Jewish law and tradition? Discover a surprising radical text from the Babylonian Talmud (Tractate Yoma 69b) that reveals how the early Rabbis themselves struggled with these same questions. Pair that text with a contemporary Israeli pop song that mines these issues in a decidedly 21st-century way. How can our Jewish lives be both “ours” and “Jewish”? About The Speaker:Rabbi Leon Morris is the President of Pardes. Leon made aliyah with his wife Dasee Berkowitz and their three children in June 2014, after serving as the rabbi of Temple Adas Israel in Sag Harbor, NY. He was the founding director of the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El (now the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center) in Manhattan. Before coming to Pardes, Leon served as a Vice President for Israel Programs at the Shalom Hartman Institute and was a faculty member at Hebrew Union College.Ordained from Hebrew Union College in 1997 where he was a Wexner Graduate Fellow, he has worked extensively with the Jewish community of India, beginning in 1990 when he served as a Jewish Service Corps volunteer for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. He was also a Mandel Jerusalem Fellow. Leon has taught at Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform institutions and is a regular contributor to the Jewish, US, and Israeli press. He is an editor of the new Reform High Holy Day machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh, and is a contributor to Jewish Theology in Our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations and Future of Jewish Belief (edited by Elliot Cosgrove, Jewish Lights, 2010). ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (President and Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) interviews Rabbi Danny Landes

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Andrea WeissEvent Co-Sponsored by Temple Emanuel About The Event:The “American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters” campaign sent a letter a day to the President, Vice President, and Members of Congress for the first 100 days of the Trump administration in 2017 and the Biden administration in 2021. The letters were written by a multifaith group of scholars who connected core American values to our different religious traditions. We will explore some of the letters and discuss how this project can serve as a model and resource for bringing people together around shared values. About the Speaker:Rabbi Andrea L. Weiss, Ph.D. is Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Provost and Associate Professor of Bible at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She is the founder of the American Values, Religious Voices campaign, co-editor of American Values, Religious Voices: 100 Days, 100 Letters (University of Cincinnati Press, 2019, with Volume 2 forthcoming in Fall 2022), and associate editor of The Torah: A Women’s Commentary (CCAR Press, 2008). Her other writings include Figurative Language in Biblical Prose Narrative: Metaphor in the Book of Samuel (Brill, 2006) and articles on metaphor, biblical poetry, and biblical conceptions of God. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Letty Cottin PogrebinEvent Co-Sponsored by Congregation Or TzionAbout The Event:Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz in conversation with Letty Cottin Pogrebin, writer, activist, and co-founding editor of Ms.Magazine, about her new book, Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy.About The Speaker:Letty Cottin Pogrebin, a writer, activist, and national lecturer, is a founding editor of Ms. magazine, and the author of twelve books.Her works include the Jewish feminist classic, Deborah, Golda, and Me: Being Female and Jewish in America, the novel, Single Jewish Male Seeking Soul Mate, and her latest title, Shanda: A Memoir of Shame and Secrecy (Post Hill Press, 2022). She was also the editorial consultant on Marlo Thomas’ acclaimed children’s book, Free to Be, You and Me.Ms. Pogrebin’s articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Tablet, The Forward, and many other periodicals of Jewish interest. She is a co-founder of the National Women’s Political Caucus, the UJA Task Force on Women, and the Ms. Foundation for Women, and is a past president of the Authors Guild and of Americans for Peace Now.She currently serves on the board of the Brandeis University Women’s and Gender Studies Program and performed past board service for the Women’s Studies in Religion Program at the Harvard Divinity School. Ms. Pogrebin’s honors include a Yale University Poynter Fellowship in Journalism, a Matrix Award for excellence in communication and the arts, and an Emmy Award for her work on Free to Be You and Me. Her writing and activism have also been honored by dozens of Jewish organizations and synagogues.Letty Cottin Pogrebin lives with her husband in New York City and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The couple has three children and six grandchildren. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Tammy JacobowitzEvent Co-Hosted by Temple Solel About The Event:In this class, Dr. Tammy Jacobowitz talks about her upcoming book, designed to help parents engage in relevant, difficult, and meaningful conversations with their children, based on the weekly portions in the book of Vayikra. About The Speaker:Dr. Tammy Jacobowitz is the chair of the Tanakh department at the SAR High School in Riverdale, NY, and is the founding director of Makom B’Siach at SAR, an immersive adult education program for parents. She has taught Bible for the Wexner Heritage program, and she is also an adjunct faculty member of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, where she teaches the Pedagogy of Tanakh. She received her BA in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, is a graduate of the Drisha Institute’s Scholars Circle, and is a Wexner Graduate fellow. Dr. Jacobowitz is currently working on a Parsha book, geared toward parents reading to young children. She lives in Teaneck, NJ with her husband, Ronnie Perelis, and their four children. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie SchnytzerAbout The Event:Some of the best-kept secrets in kabbalistic literature deal with understanding what it means to be human and the interconnectedness between mankind, flora, fauna, and even the pebbles by a lake. Secrets of a previous aquatic world and a future one in which the natural hierarchy changes offer a unique perspective of ourselves and the world we live in.About The Speaker:Jonnie Schnytzer is a Ph.D. candidate focusing on medieval kabbalah. His dissertation is focused on the kabbalistic system of thought of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie is also preparing a critical edition of Ashkenazi’s commentary on Sefer Yesira. Probably the only Ph.D. student in Jewish Philosophy who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli naval commandos in a swimming race, Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie has recently orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Michael MarmurEvent Co-Sponsored by Rodef ShalomAbout The Event:In this class we will consider a debate in the Talmud concerning the limits of responsibility for the deeds of our fellow human beings, and how one of the greatest Jews of the twentieth century read and related to this debate. At stake is the question: when is it intrusive and disrespectful to get involved in your neighbor’s business, and when is it morally imperative?About The Speaker:Rabbi Michael Marmur is an Associate Professor of Jewish Theology at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. He has published works on Abraham Joshua Heschel and American Jewish Thought and is the Chair of the Board of Rabbis for Human Rights. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit-HalachmiEvent Co-Hosted by Temple EmanuelAbout The Event:This session will focus on two Talmudic stories about rabbinic power and gender. They share two elements that we’ll study closely: the role of the body and the emotion of anger. We’ll ask: How are each portrayed in each of the Talmudic narratives and how do we understand them and manage them in today’s Jewish world?About The Speaker:Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Ph.D. serves as the Inaugural Senior Rabbi at Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. In addition to serving as a congregational rabbi, she has also served as Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought and Ethics at Hebrew Union College (HUC) and for over a decade as Vice President of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Ordained at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Sabath earned a Ph.D. at the Jewish Theological Seminary.She is the co-author of two books: Striving Toward Virtue: A Contemporary Guide to Jewish Ethical Behavior, and Preparing Your Heart for the High Holidays. She is also at work on a collection of essays on Jewish Philosophy as well as a volume, co-edited with Rabbi Prof. Rachel Adler, on gender and ethics in Jewish thought. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Joseph OzarowskiEvent Co-Hosted by Hebrew Education Alliance About The Event:We will take an in-depth look at a tragic Biblical narrative for its contextual, halachic, and pastoral value. About The Speaker:Rabbi Dr. Joseph S. Ozarowski is Rabbinic Counselor and Chaplain for JCFS Chicago and Jewish Chaplain for the North Shore Health Care System. He is also an adjunct professor at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership as well as the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles. Rabbi Ozarowski was cited by Chicago Jewish News as a “Top Jewish Chicagoan of 2013,” and received the “Rabbi Mordechai Simon Award” from the Chicago Board of Rabbis in 2014. He served as president of the Board of Rabbis from 2015 to 2017 and now serves as President of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC). An engaging, nationally known teacher and speaker, Ozarowski has served congregations in Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota, and the New York area.Rabbi Dr. Ozarowski is a Board-Certified Chaplain. He received his undergraduate degree from the Loyola University of Chicago, his rabbinic ordination from Skokie’s Hebrew Theological College, and his doctorate from Lancaster (PA) Theological Seminary. He has served on the Jewish Federation of Chicago (JUF) Board and on the North Shore University HealthCare System Institutional Ethics Committee.A prolific author, Rabbi Ozarowski co-authored Common Ground, (1998, Jason Aronson) and has written numerous articles. His first book, To Walk in God’s Ways – Jewish Pastoral Perspectives on Illness and Bereavement, (hardcover 1995, Jason Aronson, paperback 2004, Rowman and Littlefield) is considered a standard in the field of Judaism and Pastoral Care.Rabbi Ozarowski is married to Ashira (nee Rapoport), and has four children and nineteen grandchildren. ★ Support this podcast ★

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi David WolpeEvent Co-Hosted by Temple SolelAbout The Event:This talk surveys antisemitism and its impact on Jews in America, religiosity and its decline, and looks at the question of the future of the American Jewish community.About The Speaker:Named The Most Influential Rabbi in America by Newsweek and one of the 50 Most Influential Jews in the World by The Jerusalem Post, and twice named one of the 500 Most Influential People in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, David Wolpe is the Max Webb Senior Rabbi of Sinai Temple. Rabbi Wolpe previously taught at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, the American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Hunter College, and UCLA. A weekly columnist for the New York Jewish Week and weekly Torah columnist for the Jerusalem Post, Rabbi Wolpe has been published and profiled in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Time, Newsweek, The Atlantic, and many more. He has been featured on The Today Show, Face the Nation, ABC This Morning, and CBS ThisMorning. In addition, Rabbi Wolpe has appeared prominently in series on PBS, A&E, History Channel, and Discovery Channel, and has engaged in widely watched public debates with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and many others about religion and its place in the world. Rabbi Wolpe, who has spoken in seminars, public and scholarly forums, and scholar-in-residence appearances hundreds of times all over the world from Israel to India, is the author of eight books, including the national bestseller Making Loss Matter: Creating Meaning in Difficult Times (Riverhead). His new book is titled David, the Divided Heart (Yale U Press). It was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Awards and has been optioned for a movie by Warner Bros.Event Presented In Loving Memory of Dr. Sherman Minkoff. ★ Support this podcast ★

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi David Wolpe- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:• Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLYSyEus7DcWMhyEZ_CQFQ • Become a Member: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Listen to Valley Beit Midrash’s other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz) ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Lisa GoldsteinEvent Co-Hosted by Temple ChaiAbout The Event:Developmental trauma occurs when a child’s earliest needs go unmet and they develop unconscious patterns that cause life-long psychological and wellness challenges, as well as interpersonal difficulties. Fortunately, the field of trauma healing is developing new and effective treatments, some of which include a strong spiritual grounding. In this class, we will explore a surprising and helpful connection between Shalom Aleichem, the song Jews sing to welcome the ministering angels to our Shabbat evening meal, and the powerful work of healing developmental trauma. About The Speaker:Rabbi Lisa Goldstein is a teacher, consultant, and certified practitioner of NARM, a modality of healing complex trauma. She teaches a wide variety of online courses with an emphasis on spiritual wisdom, prayer and meditation, and the teachings of R. Nahman of Breslov. She also works one-on-one to support people in their journeys of healing and spiritual growth.Educated at Brown University and Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Goldstein has almost 25 years of executive experience, serving as the director of Hillel of San Diego, and the executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She is a faculty member for Jewish Pedagogies for Well Being at M2, a research program for master educators, and has helped create and implement online learning programs, including self-paced highly produced courses. She lives in New York City with her husband, Igal Harmelin, and their foster son, Seydou. ★ Support this podcast ★

Alix Cramer of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Doug Seserman, CEO of Americans for Ben-Gurion University. • Americans for Ben-Gurion University Website: https://americansforbgu.org/• Contact Doug Seserman: https://americansforbgu.org/americans-for-ben-gurion-university-a4bgu-2/contact-us/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:• Website: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiLYSyEus7DcWMhyEZ_CQFQ • Become a Member: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/become-a-member- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Listen to Valley Beit Midrash’s other podcasts: • Social Justice in the Parsha (Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz) • Pearls of Jewish Wisdom on Living with Kindness (Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz) ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Rabbi Ysoscher KatzEvent Co-Sponsored by Hebrew Education AllianceAbout The Event:Halakha has certain mechanisms which allow people to perform mitzvot vicariously. One of those mechanisms is Shomea K'oneh; hearing equals reciting. We will explore how this “legal fiction” can be utilized to create a Halakha that is inclusive of people with certain disabilities, particularly the person who is deaf or blind. About The Speaker:Rabbi Ysoscher Katz is the Chair of the Department of Talmud at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Rabbi Katz received ordination in 1986 from Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Dayan of UTA Satmar, and studied at Yeshivat Beit Yosef, Navaradok for over ten years. A graduate of the HaSha’ar Program for Jewish Educators, Rabbi Katz has taught at the Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls and SAR High School. ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event presentation by Rabbanit Leah SarnaEvent Co-Sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event:Join Rabbanit Leah Sarna for a transformative exploration of the thirteen attributes of divine mercy which make up the backbone of our Selihot and Yom Kippur prayer services About The Speaker:Rabbanit Leah Sarna is the Associate Director of Education and Director of High School Programs at Drisha. She previously served as Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Chicago, a leading urban Orthodox congregation. She was ordained at Yeshivat Maharat in 2018, holds a BA from Yale University in Philosophy & Psychology, and also trained at the SKA Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz, Drisha, and the Center for Modern Torah Leadership. She was a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a winner of the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize.Rabbanit Sarna’s published works have appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Lehrhaus, and The Jewish Review of Books. She has lectured in Orthodox synagogues and Jewish communal settings around the world and loves spreading her warm, energetic love for Torah and Mitzvot with Jews in all stages of life. ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Harris BorEvent Co-Sponsored by Congregation Or TzionAbout The Event:AI raises innumerable questions about our desires for the future and what it means to be human. Can Judaism speak to these questions? Technology shows us what is possible. Can Jewish theology show us what is wise? Harris Bor explores these questions and other themes from his new book “Staying Human – A Jewish Theology for the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Featuring Spinoza, Heidegger, terrible sci-fi films, and classical Jewish texts. About The Speaker:Harris Bor is a Research Fellow and Lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies and a barrister (trial advocate) specializing in international arbitration and commercial litigation. He has written in both the Jewish and legal fields. He holds a Ph.D. in theology from Cambridge University, is a Rabbinic Scholar with the Montefiore Endowment, and has been a visiting scholar at Harvard University and University College London. Purchase The Book:Harris's book (including e-book) can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers. Selected links below:https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Human-Theology-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/172527860X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=https://www.amazon.com/Staying-Human-Theology-Artificial-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B09PFC4RQ2https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/staying-human-harris-bor/1140538110?ean=9781725278608 ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Dr. Elana Stein HainEvent Co-Hosted by Temple SolelAbout The Event:Are nature and revelation in competition with one another if God is the author of both? In this session, we will examine how Jewish responses to this question are reflected throughout our High Holiday liturgy, with an emphasis on what this means for life today.About The Speaker:Dr. Elana Stein Hain is the Director of Faculty and a Senior Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she serves as lead faculty, directs the activities of the Kogod Research Center for Contemporary Jewish Thought, and consults on the content of lay and professional leadership programs.A widely well-regarded teacher and scholar, Elana is passionate about bringing rabbinic thought into conversation with contemporary life. To this end, she created Talmud from the Balcony, an occasional learning seminar exposing the big ideas, questions, and issues motivating rabbinic discussions; she leads the Created Equal Research Seminar which considers the relationships between gender consciousness and Jewish thought; and she co-hosts For Heaven's Sake, a bi-weekly podcast with Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, exploring contemporary issues related to Israel and the Jewish world.Elana earned her doctorate in Religion from Columbia University where she wrote her dissertation on the topic of legal loopholes as a prism for understanding rabbinic views on law and ethics. She is an alumna of the Yeshiva University Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies (GPATS) as well as the Consortium in Jewish Studies and Legal Theory Graduate Fellowship at Cardozo School of Law. She also served for eight years as a clergy member on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, at both Lincoln Square Synagogue and the Jewish Center, has taught at the Wagner School at NYU, and sits on the board of Sefaria: A Living Library of Jewish Texts. Elana lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her family. ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Dr. Tanya WhiteEvent Co-Sponsored by Temple Emanuel About The Event:How much can the individual transform without the role of an outside call? How do we navigate the fine line between rebuke and shaming? Appropriating a plethora of voices from the Biblical text to modern psychologists and philosophers, this lecture explores the role of the individual and society in our ethical decisions, grappling with the psychological consequences of living in shame vs. guilt cultures, and offers a radical reading of the ‘other’ as a mechanism towards self-transformation.About The Speaker:Tanya White is an international lecturer, writer, and educator with a focus on Tanach and Contemporary Jewish Thought. She is a Senior Lecturer at Matan Women’s Institute for Torah Studies and teaches at other institutions including Pardes and LSJS. Tanya holds a doctorate in Jewish Philosophy from Bar Ilan University and is the recipient of the Schupf Fellowship for outstanding students. A collection of her articles, blogs, and published material can be viewed on her blog page: www.contemplatingtorah.wordpress.com ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Rabbanit Sharona HalickmanAbout the Event:Shofar, Tashlich, Fasting, Prayer…Where do these laws and customs originate from and what is the deeper meaning behind the unique Mitzvot of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur?About the Speaker:Sharona holds a BA in Judaic Studies from Stern College and an MS in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School, Yeshiva University. Sharona was the first Orthodox woman to serve as a member of the clergy as the first Congregational Intern and first Madricha Ruchanit at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, NY. After making aliya in 2004, Sharona founded Torat Reva Yerushalayim, a non-profit organization based in Jerusalem that provides Torah study groups for students of all ages and backgrounds. ★ Support this podcast ★

A Virtual Event Presentation by Samuel LebensEvent Co-Sponsored by Hebrew Education AllianceABOUT THE EVENT:Is there any way for the Jew to make sense of our belief in an all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing God, in the face of all the pain and suffering that we see around us? How might philosophical acrobatics conducted in the ivory tower, regarding the problem of evil, have any impact on the lived experience of faith in the face of suffering?ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Samuel Lebens is an Orthodox Rabbi and an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Haifa. He has published books and articles on a wide array of topics, from the work of Bertrand Russell to the philosophy of Judaism. He specializes in metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of literature, and the philosophy of religion. He lives with his wife and three children in Netanya, Israel. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. James BaskindEvent Co-Sponsored By: Congregation Or TzionABOUT THE EVENT:The story of the Kaifeng Jews is a little-known episode of the Diaspora, but its existence caught the imagination of both European missionaries and prominent Jews, with far-reaching effects. An investigation of this isolated yet enduring enclave will highlight the dynamic tension between fidelity to, and adaptation within, tradition, while under the rule of a dominant and highly codified culture.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Dr. Baskind received his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2006. His area of academic research is Japanese Buddhism and culture, with a focus on how Chinese models—represented by the Obaku School—were received in Edo-period Japan. Other areas of research and writing include Buddhist-Christian interaction in early modern Japan, as well as the Zen/Pure Land dialectic as it pertains to Japanese Buddhist discourse. His current project critically examines tea culture in East Asia, and how it became widely perceived as inextricably linked with Zen and its associated arts. Most recently he held the position of Associate Professor of Japanese Thought at Nagoya City University in Nagoya, Japan. While in Japan his research was supported by numerous grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Apart from his academic pursuits. he has also studied and practiced the tea ceremony (both sencha and matcha) as well as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which he currently teaches. In addition, he has nearly completed a book on the cultural history of jiu-jitsu, entitled, Jiu-jitsu: A History of Soft Power. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Jonnie SchnytzerEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Temple Emanuel ABOUT THE EVENT:What was it that the Biblical prophets sought out to achieve? And how did the term prophecy evolve from outcries for social justice to individualistic concepts of cleaving to God and mystical methods of saving the world? In an attempt to understand prophecy in our day and age, we begin our journey with the Biblical text, moving on to medieval philosophical and mystical teachings and concluding with 20th-century ideas.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Jonnie Schnytzer is a Ph.D. candidate focusing on medieval kabbalah. His dissertation is focused on the kabbalistic system of thought of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie is also preparing a critical edition of Ashkenazi’s commentary on Sefer Yesira. Probably the only Ph.D. student in Jewish Philosophy who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli naval commandos in a swimming race, Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie has recently orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Joel PorembaEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Congregation Or TzionABOUT THE EVENT:A memoir that explores the stories of survival, tragedy, and hope against the backdrop of the resilience of a nine-year-old Polish Jew between 1939 and 1945.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Joel Poremba is a business attorney with twenty-three years of litigation experience in both state and federal courts. He represents small and medium-sized companies in complex business disputes and handles insurance defense matters. Prior to this, Joel litigated against billion-dollar insurance companies over breached disability policies. He is a graduate of Western State University, College of Law, and the University of California, San Diego with a degree in political science.Joel is the son of Holocaust survivor, Nathan Poremba. Stunned after hearing his father give his testimony to the Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive in 1998, it subsequently took 21 years and an inspiring trip to Israel for Joel to finally watch his father’s video testimony. Determined, Joel subsequently sat down and further interviewed his father about the details of his Holocaust survival. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor Shai SecundaABOUT THE EVENT:The hit Israeli television series about an ultra-Orthodox Jerusalemite family, Shtisel, has become an unexpected international hit. In this discussion, we take a close look at Shtisel, which turns out to be brimming with Jewish insight and Jewish learning.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Shai Secunda is the Jacob Neusner Professor of Judaism at Bard College, and Contributing Editor at the Jewish Review of Books. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Edward BernsteinEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Temple EmanuelABOUT THE EVENT:Introverts and extroverts in Jewish leadership possess different gifts and leadership styles. Rabbi Bernstein explores key differences between the two and reflects, from an introvert’s perspective, how both will be key to revitalizing Jewish communal life as we rebuild from the COVID-19 lockdown.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Edward Bernstein serves as Chaplain for Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Boca Raton, Florida. He also hosts My Teacher Podcast: A Celebration of the People Who Shape Our Lives. Rabbi Bernstein edited Love Finer Than Wine: The Writings of Matthew Eisenfeld and Sara Duker, a 2016 National Jewish Book Awards Finalist. Rabbi Bernstein was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He served congregations in New Rochelle, NY; Beachwood, OH; and Boynton Beach, FL. Rabbi Bernstein has also served on the faculty of Camp Ramah Darom, Moishe House and the JTS Florida Office.Source sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/407988 ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Yitz GreenbergEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: BMH-BJABOUT THE EVENT:The unique core teaching of Jewish religion is that the human mission is to fill this world (planet) with life. Judaism predicts that In partnership with God, humanity can vanquish all the enemies of life in this world -poverty, hunger, oppression/discrimination/unjust inequality, war, sickness. Eventually, in the Messianic age, even death itself can be defeated.This session will focus on how we should live now until the final redemption is achieved. The answer is: to live on the side of life. Every life behavior, every human action should be shaped and reshaped to insure that we maximize life (or quality of life)in that behavior. No behavior or moment in life is ‘neutral’.We will review every behavior -eating, sleeping, exercise, speaking, befriending, sexuality and communication, having children and raising them, business and professional activity-to see how we can maximize life and minimize death or decay elements in them. This presentation will argue that even religious/ritual activities are intended to lead us to live on the side of life.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:In the words of Professor Steven T Katz, chair of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies at Boston University, “No Jewish thinker has had a greater impact on the American Jewish community in the last two decades than Rabbi Yitz Greenberg.”Rabbi Dr. Irving Greenberg (known affectionately as “Rav Yitz”) is perhaps the leading Jewish scholar and theologian of our time. An author of many influential books on Jewish thought, ethics, and philosophy, Rav Yitz is the Past President of CLAL: The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership and Past President of Jewish Life Network/Steinhardt Foundation. Prior to these positions, he served as Rabbi of the Riverdale Jewish Center, was an Associate Professor of History at Yeshiva University, and the founder, chairman, and Professor in the Department of Jewish Studies of City College of the City University of New York. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard and received ordination from Yeshiva Beis Yosef.Rabbi Greenberg is a singular leader of contemporary American Judaism, having shown leadership on many vital Jewish communal initiatives spanning from the 1960s to the present. He served as Chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council and has written extensively on the complexity of post-Holocaust theology as well as Jewish pluralism with regard to the theology of Jewish-Christian relations and beyond. ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Matt Reingold ABOUT THE EVENT:Over the course of the Coronavirus pandemic, Israeli cartoonists across the religious and political spectrums produced a treasure trove of visual materials about their own society. In this session, we will examine a select offering of cartoons about Jewish holidays and explore how cartoonists used their craft to offer commentary on both their own society and also on what it means to celebrate holidays during a pandemic.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Dr. Matt Reingold (York U, 2014) teaches Jewish History and Jewish Philosophy at TanenbaumCHAT. His primary research interests are Jewish and Israeli graphic narratives and Israel education. He is the author of Gender and Sexuality in Israeli Graphic Novels (Routledge, 2021) and Reenvisioning Israel through Political Cartoons: Visual Discourses During the 2018-2021 Electoral Crisis (Lexington, 2022). ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Professor Joshua ShanesEVENT CO-HOSTED BY: Temple SolelABOUT THE EVENT:This class will be a conversation/talk about the competing definitions of antisemitism, what led to their foundation, the differences between them, and what’s at stake.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Joshua Shanes is an Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, and Director of the Arnold Center for Israel Studies, at the College of Charleston. He has published widely on modern Jewish politics, culture, and religion – as well as antisemitism and contemporary politics – in academic and popular outlets including Washington Post, Slate, Haaretz, and Tablet. He is currently writing a history of Jewish Orthodoxy. ★ Support this podcast ★

ABOUT THE EVENT:This lecture on “Zionism and Its Critics” will examine the proponents and opponents of the Zionist idea from the 1880s until the present, illuminating the diversity of this ideology over its short history and how it has changed over time from dream of early thinkers like Theodore Herzl to a state and society that will be celebrating its 75th anniversary next year.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn is currently the Visiting Assistant Professor in Israel Studies at the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. Her expertise focuses on Diaspora-Israel relations, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Israeli ultra-nationalist movement. Her first book, City on a Hilltop: American Jews and the Israeli Settler Movement (Harvard, 2017), hailed as a landmark contribution to the field, was the winner of the 2018 Sami Rohr Prize in Jewish Literature Choice Award, a finalist for the 2017 National Jewish Book Award, and a nominee for the 2021 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. She is currently working on a new book manuscript tentatively entitled “New Day in Babylon and Jerusalem: Zionism, Jewish Power, and Identity Politics Since 1967” on American Zionism since the Six Day War. She teaches courses and mentors both undergraduate and graduate students in Israel Studies and related fields. Prior to her appointment at Northwestern, Dr. Hirschhorn was the University Research Lecturer and Sidney Brichto Fellow in Israel Studies at the University of Oxford (2013-2018) and a postdoctoral fellow in Israel Studies at Brandeis University (2012-2013). She is a graduate of Yale University (B.A.) and the University of Chicago (M.A., Ph.D) and the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships. Apart from her academic work, Dr. Hirschhorn is also a prominent voice bringing scholarship into the public square as a frequent public speaker, writer, media commentator, and foreign policy consultant on Israel/Jewish Affairs. Follow her work at sarahirschhorn1@twitter. ★ Support this podcast ★

ABOUT THE EVENT:In this session, Ittay Flescher will share his reflections about the different identities of Jewish, Muslim and Christian youth through his experience co-leading a youth movement for Palestinians and Israelis in Jerusalem. There will also be opportunities to ask questions about the benefits and challenges of interfaith dialogue between diverse populations.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Ittay Flescher is the Education Director at Kids4Peace Jerusalem, an interfaith movement for Israelis and Palestinians and Israel Correspondent for Plus61J Media. He also frequently teaches on gap year programs about the identity, narratives and cultures of the people who call Jerusalem home..Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

ABOUT THE EVENT:The second chapter of Tractate Shabbat presents multiple explanations of why bad things happen. The majority opinion that we get what we deserve. This passage offers 1) An “iffy” explanation intended for women and 2) An explanation intended for scholarly men, offering complex variables, including randomness. (Shabbat 31b-32a) ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Rachel Adler, the David Ellenson Professor of Modern Jewish Thought Emerita at Hebrew Union College–Los Angeles, was one of the first to integrate feminist perspectives into interpreting Jewish texts and law. Her book Engendering Judaism (1998) is the first by a female theologian to win a National Jewish Book Award for Jewish Thought. She has published over sixty articles on Jewish Thought, law, and gender, and on suffering and lament in Jewish tradition as well as the whimsical Tales of the Holy Mysticat, a prizewinning resource for adult Jewish education..Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY:Beth El PhoenixABOUT THE EVENT:Cain and Abel is a foundational story about sibling rivalry and fraternal responsibility, but in the hands of rabbinic tradition, it’s also a powerful “script” for understanding the moral basis of law and justice. We’ll re-read this great Torah narrative using classic mishnaic and midrashic interpretations that seek to clarify the enduring values lying just beneath the surface of the Torah’s laws about dispensing justice.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Dan Ornstein is the rabbi of Congregation Ohav Shalom and a writer living with his family in Albany, New York. He also teaches Judaic Studies in the middle school of the Hebrew Academy of The Capital District. Rabbi Ornstein is the author of Cain v. Abel: A Jewish Courtroom Drama (The Jewish Publication Society 2020). He blogs at the Times Of Israel, and contributes essays to WAMC Northeast Public Radio, The Jerusalem Post, and The Jewish Forward. He is a contributor to the multi-volume Mesorah Matrix book series on Judaism and a number of other print and online journals. He and his wife, Marian Alexander, are the proud parents of Joseph, Shulamit and Vered. ★ Support this podcast ★

ABOUT THE EVENT:The Book of Proverbs, attributed to King Solomon, is a profound collection of Jewish wisdom, song, and inspiration. Yet to contemporary readers, the text can appear vague, ambiguous, and contradictory. In this refreshing and relevant commentary, Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz challenges us to find modern meaning in this ancient text. Using his signature blend of social justice practice and Jewish thought from throughout history, Rabbi Yanklowitz shows how the words of Proverbs are strikingly pertinent to issues we face today. Drawing on a wide range of sources, Rabbi Yanklowitz explores such topics as income inequality, feminism, animal rights, environmentalism, and many more. The author’s commentary is paired with the full text of Proverbs–in both Hebrew and an updated, gender-accurate translation–so readers can glean their own insights.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash.--Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

EVENT CO-HOSTED BY:Congregation Or TzionABOUT THE EVENT:Together we will explore both the mechanics of how the the prozbul enables lenders to receive payment even after a Sabbatical year, and how this innovation serves as a prime example of how the Sages understand their role as both protectors of the Halakhic system and innovators responsible for responding to social and economic change. We will also compare Prozbul to other examples of innovation and resisitance to innovation.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield teaches Talmud, Halakha and Jewish Thought at Pardes. In addition, Zvi is a faculty member of the Pardes Center for Jewish Educators and has been training and mentoring Jewish Educators for over ten years in Tefilah in educational settings, critical issues in modern Jewish thought, and Israel education.Zvi holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University and did graduate work at Harvard University in Medieval and Modern Jewish Thought. He studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel and has rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.--Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Daniel RothEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY:Temple EmanuelABOUT THE EVENT:In the race to discover real solutions for the conflicts that plague contemporary society it is essential that we look to precedent. Many of today’s conflicts involve ethno-religious tensions, such as the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, modern wisdom alone is ill-equipped to resolve. In Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism, Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth asks us to consider ancient religious and traditional cultural solutions to such present-day issues. Roth presents thirty-six case studies featuring third-party peacemakers drawn from Jewish classical, medieval, and early-modern rabbinic literature and analyzes them textually, theoretically, and discusses implications for practice today.ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Rabbi Dr. Daniel Roth is the director of Mosaica, The Religious Peace Initiative which serves as a network of ‘insider religious mediators’ advancing both religious peace and mitigating crisis situations in Israel and the Middle East. Roth also works to connect religious leaders to the tens of community mediation and dialogue centers throughout Israel that Mosaica supports. In addition, Roth is a core faculty member at Bar-Ilan University’s Graduate Program for Conflict Management, Resolution and Negotiation, where he teaches graduate courses on religious peacebuilding as well as supervises graduate students. His book Third-party Peacemakers in Judaism: Text Theory and Practice, was published by Oxford University Press in Spring 2021. Roth was the founder and director of the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution, the Mahloket Matters Projects and the 9Adar:Jewish Week of Constructive Conflict / Dibur Hadash Israeli Week of Mediation and Dialogue. Roth is a regular lecturer for MEJDI Tours/National Georaphic, and was a senior research fellow at George Mason University’s Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. Roth holds a Ph.D. from Bar-Ilan University’s Graduate Program for Conflict Management, Resolution and Negotiation, a MA in Talmud from Hebrew University, a B.Ed in Jewish Philosophy from Herzog Teachers’ College, and studied for eight years in Yeshivat Har-Etzion during which time he received Orthodox rabbinic ordination.--Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Jeremy RosenEVENT CO-SPONSORED BY:Congregation Or TzionABOUT THE EVENT:King David: Man of War and Politics, Man of God, Man of Contradictions. Based on a close reading of the Books of Samuel.No biblical character is described in such detail as King David with all the complexities of his character and the range of his responses to the challenges he faced of escaping Saul, ruling a country, a family and himself. One opinion in the Talmud is that he never sinned. Is that position sustainable?ABOUT THE SPEAKER:Jeremy Rosen is a British born rabbi, a graduate in philosophy from Cambridge University and Mir Yeshivah in Jerusalem. He has Semicha from the Roshei Yeshivot of Mir, Ponevez and Be’er Yaakov. He has spent his working life in the rabbinate, Jewish education, and Academia on four continents and has retired to New York where he is the Rabbi of the Persian community of Manhattan and lectures at the JCC.--Stay Connected:• Website: www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library/ • Donate: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/donate • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBeitMidrash ★ Support this podcast ★