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The opening celebration of Limmud North America's Festival of Jewish Ideas! Hosted by Mayim Bialik and featuring Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, as well as performances by Benji Lovitt, Deborah Sacks Mintz and Rabbi Josh Warshawsky. The conference continues after with over fifty individual sessions taught by leading change makers, educators and entertainers.
Mayim Hoya Bialik is best known for portraying Bette Midler as a child in “Beaches” as well as her subsequent lead role as Blossom Russo in the early-1990s NBC television sitcom “Blossom.” Bialik most recently appeared regularly on the #1 comedy in America, CBS' “The Big... Read More →
From 2009 to 2017, Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. Prior to serving in the Obama Administration, Sarah was chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton... Read More →
Since making aliyah in 2006, comedian Benji Lovitt has performed for audiences around the world including Birthright Israel, Jewish Federations, synagogues, Hillels, and more. His perspectives have been featured on Israeli television and radio and in outlets such as USA Today, Time... Read More →
A musician, educator, and ba’alat tefila, Deborah Sacks Mintz serves as a resource to communities across North America and beyond who seek to deepen their practice of empowered song and connective prayer. She has served innovative institutions across the country as a teacher of... Read More →
Rabbi Josh Warshawsky is a nationally touring Jewish musician, songleader, and composer. Josh seeks to build intentional praying communities, and travels to synagogues, camp and schools across the country sharing his music and teachings on prayer. He is originally from Chicago, and... Read More →
Sunday May 24, 2020 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
YouTube Live
Bob Fosse’s Extraordinary Film Version of Cabaret is filled with symbolic and thematic moments that are easy to miss but not hard to analyze. Presenter David Benkof will examine the subtext of four numbers written by the Jewish songwriting team of Kander & Ebb: "Wilkommen," "Tomorrow Belongs to Me," "If You Could See Her," and "Cabaret." Lots to learn for longtime fans and newbies alike.
David Benkof teaches "Jewish Culture 101" twice a week online. His classes (tinyurl.com/BenkofClasses) help students find meaning in cultural products like literature, musicals, art, music, and TV/film. His Jewish culture videos are available at youtube.com/user/DavidBenkof. He lives... Read More →
The Torah is called a song. We're exhorted to "write our own Torah". We have 50 minutes to write our own Torah, a song! In addition to learning a bit of Torah text, we will explore techniques that inspire creative thinking and songwriting, learn a bit about each other, and make some great connections to the text and eahc other. This is for you whether you've never written a song or you're a pro songwriter. Join us for some fun!
Shep is an entertainment lawyer representing talent, a songwriter and musician, and an educator about Jewish texts, music, prayer, community building, and negotiations.
In a pioneering national project called Kenissa (entrance-way): Communities of Meaning Network, Rabbi Sid and his team have uncovered an array of organizations across North America that are literally re-inventing conceptions of Jewish identity and Jewish life. Many of these organizations are operating under the radar screen of the organized Jewish community yet they are attracting the next generation of American Jews who are, for the most part, bypassing the legacy institutions of the organized Jewish community. This talk will provide some insight into the people and ideas that make these Jewish communities of meaning tick.
Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a social entrepreneur, author and teacher. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Hazon. Rabbi Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years; its work centered on integrating Jewish learning, Jewish values and social responsibility... Read More →
Learn about the fascinating Jewish history of a Spanish island where a segregated group of devout Catholics were forced to marry amongst themselves and have suffered discrimination up until the last century for carrying last names that have Jewish roots. Some have decided to return to their ancestors' faith. They are the Chuetas and their story must be told.
Dani Rotstein is a TV commercial producer, life-long Young Judaean, ROI member, NGF Alumnus, Rikud-aholic, and Limud Mallorca co-founder who recently created Jewish Majorca - a tourism company connecting the island's past with its present in hopes of building a brighter future. He... Read More →
What part do human beings play in the revelation of Torah in the world? How do the Rabbis see their role as interpreters of Biblical text? The Torah says to count the omer from the day after the Shabbat yet the Rabbis rule that we count from the day after Pesach. Why do they read the biblical text differently from what seems to the simple pshat? What can we learn from their choice about the continuous unfolding of Torah today? What do the Rabbis understand the process of revelation to be?
Rahel Berkovits is a senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem, where she has been teaching Mishnah, Talmud and halakha for over twenty years. Rahel lectures widely in both Israel and abroad on topics Jewish law. She is the Halakhic Editor and a... Read More →
When I moved to Atlanta in 2011 I dreamed of living in a place where I could grow food all around my house. Currently we have bees, chickens, a small orchard and lots of growing space for perennial, annual and medicine plants. Bring Jewish values to our homesteading has always been important to us. During this session we'll explore what Jewish homesteading means to us and even look into our bee hives for people to get a closer look!
Amy Price loves all things outdoors and excited to share that with everyone. She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, 3 year old son, dog Zorro and 19 chickens. Professionally she supports people of all abilities to find employment opportunities and dream big for their lives. She... Read More →
We currently find ourselves at a time of Global crisis. We also find ourselves just one week away from the holiday of Shavuot, the festival that celebrates the Jewish people receiving the Torah. But, how does one impact the other? This session will ask - can Torah itself help us to cope as we manage this time of global crisis? Come explore with us!
Director, Wexner Heritage Program, The Wexner Foundation
Rabba Yaffa Epstein serves as the Director of the Wexner Heritage Program. She formerly served as the Director of Education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. She received Rabbinic Ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University... Read More →
With synagogues closed and the very real prospect of home-based High Holidays just around the corner, Jews have been scrambling to figure out how to recreate moments of awe and community that normally involve being in the physical presence of others. In this class, we’ll look at the unique challenge of virtualizing sacred spaces, why space matters to religious experience in the first place, and what Jewish communities can do to bring people together under adverse circumstances.
Fellow in Residence, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
David Zvi Kalman is a Fellow in Residence at Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where he was also in the inaugural cohort of North American David Hartman Center Fellows. David Zvi leads the Kogod Research Center’s Theology research team.He received his PhD from the University... Read More →
In times of calm and stability it is hard enough to decern the difference between needs and wants, but in a time of crisis, perhaps it is harder. Together we will explore the sacred texts and Jewish values regarding coveting and contentment to help us navigate the material challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic and understand our impulse to hoard toilet paper.
Rabbi Mary L. Zamore is the Executive Director of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. Supporting and advocating for Reform women rabbis, while bettering all, WRN works to narrow the wage gap, create safer, respectful Jewish communities and promote equity. Rabbi Zamore is the co-leader... Read More →
Jews today associate Shavuot with the receiving of the Torah at Sinai, but many sort of know that the Torah does not actually connect Shavuot with Sinai. But the mystery of Shavuot goes deeper. Shavuot does not even have a date in the Torah, and in Second Temple times, the date of Shavuot was one of most divisive issues among ancient Jews. In this class we will try to sort out this mystery by looking at Biblical texts, Dead Sea Scrolls and rabbinic texts that relate to Shavuot.
Joshua Kulp is the Rosh Yeshiva of the Conservative Yeshiva. He is the author of three books, The Schechter Haggadah, and Reconstructing the Talmud, volumes 1and 2. His Mishnah Commentary is found on Sefaria and he is currently working on Daf Shevui, a Talmud commentary sent out weekly... Read More →
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
As someone who took on religious observance after leaving her parents' home at 19, the path was windy for Mayim Bialik and some of her deepest held beliefs about God, faith, feminism, and science were challenged. How do we reconcile all of these parts of ourselves and why do some of us choose a life of observance? Join Mayim in conversation about questions with which we all wrestle, no matter our level of observance or commitment to Jewish law. Let's talk about it!
Mayim Hoya Bialik is best known for portraying Bette Midler as a child in “Beaches” as well as her subsequent lead role as Blossom Russo in the early-1990s NBC television sitcom “Blossom.” Bialik most recently appeared regularly on the #1 comedy in America, CBS' “The Big... Read More →
A conversation about pop culture, craft, and creativity today. Join Peabody award-winning co-creator of Miles Morales and Jessica Jones, and the current writer of Superman for a free-flowing discussion that will focus on creating better worlds for our future and what it’s like to create characters for others to share. A lively and fun Q and A and presentation.
While Jews in Hollywood used to downplay their Jewishness, today’s Jewish writers are reclaiming and reshaping Jewish identity on-screen. #TVGoneJewy can be overt or subtle, dramatic or comedic, shocking or sincere, and sometimes is more “Jewy” or “Jew-ish” than traditionally Jewish. And audience reaction to this increase in Jewish representation is sometimes ecstatic, sometimes critical. So what do we look for in Jewish representation on TV? We’ll look at clips from TV shows (and maybe a movie or two) and talk about how Jewish identity is being portrayed on TV and in the world.
Esther D. Kustanowitz is a writer, editor and consultant. She is a regular contributor at the Los Angeles Jewish Journal and at J.: The Jewish Weekly of Northern California. She co-hosts The Bagel Report, a podcast about Jews and entertainment, and is a casual scholar of #TVGoneJewy... Read More →
Hear first hand stories and learn how you can make a change with Arizona State Representative Alma Hernandez and social justice activist Eddie Chavez Calderon.
Since he was a teenager, Eddie Chavez Calderon has been deeply involved in social justice work. From the trenches to the coasts and everywhere in between, Eddie fights for a progressive movement that works towards a more inclusive, diverse America. Despite having many obstacles in... Read More →
State Representative, Arizona House of Representatives
Alma Hernandez was born and raised in South Tucson and is the youngest woman elected to the Arizona state legislature and the first Jewish Latina lawmaker ever elected. She is a fierce advocate for social issues such as health care, education, and criminal justice reform. She holds... Read More →
Bring your voices, bring your bodies, bring your instruments (real or imaginary) to this interactive concert with Eliana Light! We'll sing, move, dance, and learn through catchy, content-rich tunes exploring holidays, language, ritual objects, and more. Perfect for all kiddos and their grownups.
Eliana Light envisions a joyful, vibrant, heart-centered Judaism that speaks to the soul and moves the spirit, reminding us that we all are One. She crafts ritual, writes music, trains educators, and consults with communities to bring this vision to life. Eliana has taught at the... Read More →
After years as a political speechwriter—serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaign—Sarah Hurwitz decided to apply her communication skills to writing a book…about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is. In this session, she'll talk about what led her to engage in deep Jewish learning and the life-changing wisdom and insight that she discovered during her journey. Sarah will also speak about her time as a political speechwriter and share her best tips for effecitve speechwriting and communication.
From 2009 to 2017, Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. Prior to serving in the Obama Administration, Sarah was chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton... Read More →
How do we see the individual, the person, amidst the overwhelming deluge of statistics that we are bombarded with each day? This is not a modern problem. The Torah itself is very wary of taking a census because of its intrinsic dehumanizing nature. In our session, we will study the opening chapters of the Book of Numbers (BaMidbar), which contains three censuses of the Israelite population. Through a close literary reading of the text, we will examine the “how” of counting and see the methods that the Torah employs to preserve, and even enhance, the dignity of each and everyone who is numbered.
Meir Schweiger grew up in “the Bronx” (NY) and has lived in Israel since 1972, when he came on aliya. He has a BA in mathematics and physics from CCNY and an M.Ed in teaching Bible from the Herzog College in Alon Shvut. He did his advanced Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University... Read More →
Can Jewish practice actually help transform our character? In this session, Rabbi Marc Margolius will describe how integrating mindfulness with attention to core middot (innate spiritual/ethical traits with which we are endowed as beings created in the Divine Image) can help us "catch ourselves" more often before we act or speak unwisely, and come closer to our better selves. Through Tikkun Middot practice, the small and large challenges of everyday life can become a series of opportunities for spiritual and ethical growth, and we can learn to react less often from engrained habit, and respond more often from our innate wisdom.
Rabbi Marc Margolius is a Senior Programs Director at IJS, where he directs programming for lay leaders and for alumni of its clergy leadership training program, as well as the Tikkun Middot Project, which integrates Jewish mindfulness with middot practice. He previously served as... Read More →
Standing in the wilderness - depression, a crisis of faith, or a pandemic can leave you feeling deserted, disconnected and dying of spiritual thirst. Join Rabbi Sherre Hirsch to learn ways to brave your wilderness. In this workshop you will learn how to write your own Midbar Manifesto so you can move forward with courage and trust.
Chief Innovation Officer, American Jewish University
Sherre Hirsch launched her rabbinic career as the first woman rabbi at Sinai Temple, Los Angeles’s largest conservative synagogue. After publishing two books with Random House - We Plan, God Laughs and Thresholds, she became a sought-after speaker and national media contributor... Read More →
How does a society commemorate collective tragedy? What is the role of the individual in communal rites of mourning? In this session, we will examine the history and customs of Sefirat Ha-Omer as a model for mourning in the current crisis.
Sara was a founding faculty member of Yeshivat Hadar, where she developed a Bible and Exegesis curriculum. She has taught in a variety of Jewish settings, most recently as a history instructor at the Frisch School. Her research interests include the intersection of ritual and relevance... Read More →
The Torah is our earliest Jewish book, but what if, like other books, it was written and assembled by people alone? This could transform Jewish holidays, liturgy, education and rituals - or not! It might also let us claim the Torah even more strongly as a work of the Jewish people.
Dean - North America, International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism
Rabbi Adam Chalom (pronounced “shalom” à la français) is Dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism and Rabbi of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in suburban Chicago. He has led conferences on young adult children of intermarriage... Read More →
It is one of the last acceptable prejudices in American culture: the God of the "Old Testament" is a God of vengeance, focused on strict justice rather than mercy, given to anger rather than love. This perception is as mistaken as it is widespread. In this lecture, we'll encounter a series of biblical texts that make the stunning claim that what makes God unique, what makes God God, is God's unfathomable capacity for love, mercy, and forgiveness. We'll explore the common complaint that a God of love is (too) anthropomorphic, and we'll ask whether belief in a God of love is still plausible in this day and age.
Rabbi Shai Held–theologian, scholar, and educator–is President and Dean at Hadar. He has taught both theology and Halakhah at the Jewish Theological Seminary and also served as Director of Education at Harvard Hillel. A 2011 recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for excellence... Read More →
Limited Capacityfull Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.
Leonard Cohen was a fellow traveller for so many of us and a true Canadian icon. In a tribute to Cohen’s six decade career we will explore his background, look at the religious aspect of the man and see some slides and listen to his songs and poems.
Peter Sevitt lives in Toronto and is a lover of year round informal Jewish education,and brings his passion and enthusiasm to all that he does. Brought Limmud to Canada, the first NA Limmud, in 2004 and on the Limmud NA Board
From Katz’s Deli in New York, to Cantor’s In Los Angeles, have you ever wondered why pickles are served at these traditional Jewish restaurants and what their connection is to Judaism? Did you know that pickle juice is referenced in the Talmud, and cucumbers are mentioned twice in the Torah (spoiler alert: in Numbers and Isaiah). Here’s where you will find those answers!!
The history of pickles goes back more than 3000 years, and in this class you will learn about the historical connection of pickles to our European ancestors, and their subsequent bringing them to North America. Our guide on this briney journey Avram, will not only share with us the history of pickles, he will also teach us the “how-to” of pickle-making. He will show us how to make a proper brine in the Jewish tradition, a proportioned mixture of salt and water essential for the pickling process. You’ll be instructed on how to recognize the use of various spices to create a specific flavor profile, the proper technique for cutting the cucumbers, and the pickling process itself.
It's time for you to make your own homemade pickles for your next holiday party.
Avram Mandell is the founding director of Tzedek America. Tzedek America transforms lives, strengthens Jewish identity and changes the world through immersive social justice experiential education. Prior to his pioneering work with Tzedek America, he served as Director of Education... Read More →
Jewish leaders played a critical role in the fight for the vote for women but are often excluded from standard suffrage history. Learn about the tremendous contributions that Jews have made to American democracy, including Polish immigrant and Tennessee legislator, Joe Hanover; Yiddish-speaking union organizer, Rosie Schneiderman; Co-chair of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and social reformer, Maude Nathan.
Ann F. Lewis served as White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton, and is now Co-Chair of the Democratic Majority for Israel. She was one of the founding members of the National Women’s Political Caucus. Examples of suffrage materials from her own collection... Read More →
Throughout Jewish history, allegations of dual loyalties have been projected on Jews. Looking at TaNaKh, the Black Plague, the Red Scare, the emergence of Modern Zionism, and the current Coronavirus crisis we will look at primary sources in a text study about the history of these allegations and modern manifestations of these anti-Semitic tropes.
Senior Jewish Educator and Rabbi, North Carolina Hillel
Rabbi Melissa B. Simon is the Senior Jewish Educator and Rabbi at UNC-Chapel Hill, providing students with rabbinic support, facilitating students’ meaningful Jewish experiences and playing a central role in crafting the Jewish educational vision for UNC Hillel. Under Rabbi Melissa's... Read More →
We each go on many journeys during our lifetime and some are more noteworthy than others. One of the most important journeys I’ve taken, connected me with my ancestral family. This journey began in the early 1980s and continues to this day. It started as a way to assuage my seemingly endless curiosity about my grandmother who died when I was very young. No one would tell me her story, and I wanted to know her. My dad and I began an adventure to discover what seemed to be lost forever. During this journey I discovered the fate of my family in Europe and surprisingly met relatives who still remain in my ancestral home.
Janette Silverman manages a team of researchers at AncestryProGenealogists®, specializing in Eastern European & Jewish research. She has masters & doctorate degrees in Jewish studies from Spertus Institute. A longtime JewishGen volunteer, until recently was UkraineSIG coordinator... Read More →
How do we deal with today's new-old Antisemitism? And how do we guarantee a vibrant future for our people with the many threats from within and from without? Join us as we explore three distinct approaches on Antisemitism and Jewish Continuity, as they are reflected in Jewish History, and modern-day perspectives. This course promises to inspire us with a passion and love for we are, a determination to build communities and alliances, and a commitment to the spiritual calling of our people.
Rabbi Pinchas Allouche is the founding Rabbi of one of the most vibrant and fastest-growing synagogues in the United States, Congregation Beth Tefillah of Scottsdale, Arizona, where he resides with his wife, Esther, and nine children.He is a recognized rabbinic figure, a respected... Read More →
Currently Rabbi of Adas Yeshurun Synagogue in Winnipeg, was Rabbi of Beth Hamidrash Sefardic synagogue in Vancouver, Rabbi of Sefardic Educational Center in JerusalemDegree in Education University of Manitoba, Studied at Mercaz Harav Yeshiva Israel, Yeshiva Universtity Gruss Kolel... Read More →
Come together in virtual community through social connection and access your body’s innate capacity for healing through Guided Mindfulness Meditation and Compassion practices.
Learn evidence-based techniques that will help you to: · Handle difficult emotions with greater ease · Soothe yourself in times of difficulty · Practice mindfulness and compassion in everyday life · Rewire your brain for more happiness and resilience · Experience gratitude · Build your immunity by reducing stress
Mindfulness expert and author Julie Potiker is a former attorney, trained Mindful Self-Compassion teacher, and Positive Neuroplasticity Training teacher. She shares these and other mindfulness techniques with the world through her Mindful Methods for Life courses and workshops and... Read More →
How I made a billion dollars. I wanted to do my part to bring the benefits of the digital revolution to the entire world so I built a billion dollar global industry unlike any other and that's not a unicorn. Do you want to know how? Come and hear my story. It's a tale of accidents and miracles. A tale of Jews, Christians, Muslims and a Marxist. A tale of fake news and fishing. [Obviously I won't be a secret any more after this talk.] And yes I am single ;)
With a background in community activism, Brian has never been slow to express an opinion or share an idea. He is an advocate for internet and software freedom believing that only by working together as communities can we repair the world. Brian has been an internet pioneer for over... Read More →
Shavuot, which follows Passover, commemorates the reception of the Torah, which comes after the exodus from Egypt. But if the People of Israel's escape from slavery ends only in another bondage, this time to the Torah, can we really talk about a passage from slavery to freedom? In this session we will examine the different conception of liberty that was shared by our ancestors, and the transformations it went through with the rise of Christianity and the struggle against global slavery, based on the conception of the Image of God.
Dr. Tomer Persico is the scholar-in-residence for the Shalom Hartman Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Koret Visiting Assistant Professor of Jewish and Israel Studies at UC Berkeley.
Ariel Burger is the author of a book about Holocaust survivor, Nobel Prize winner, author, and activist Elie Wiesel. He met Professor Wiesel as a teenager, then became one of his closest students and teaching assistants. What is the role of memory? How might we respond to challenges, from war to hunger to pandemic, with grace, compassion, and courage? What Jewish wisdom can help us to do so? Bring your questions and an open heart.
Ariel Burger is the founding director and senior scholar of The Witness Institute, a new project to empower emerging leaders, inspired by the life and legacy of Elie Wiesel. He is an author, artist, and teacher whose work integrates spirituality, the arts, and strategies for social... Read More →
How do we tell the story of our life? Join Hollywood producer Howard Rosenman for a personal narrative that begins in Jerusalem’s Old City and ends with beloved films like Call Me By Your Name and Father of the Bride. How do Rosenman’s personal experiences influence the stories he tells on screen, and how can you pitch your own personal narratives?
Howard Rosenman has created over 43 films, which have been recognized with an Academy Award, multiple Peabody Awards and honored at Sundance, Berlin and Cannes Film Festivals. He is best known for films such as CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (Oscar for best adapted screenplay and has won over... Read More →
During one of the most politically turbulent moments in American history, a young Jewish lawyer led the fight for justice and the rule of law. Jill Wine-Banks’ passionate legal work is inspired by her Jewish upbringing, which she references throughout her recent book Watergate Girl. Join this leading legal analyst for a riveting exploration of her experience taking on the White House and the way that her Jewish identity has and continues to guide her efforts.
Jill Wine-Banks is an MSNBC legal analyst, appearing regularly on the network’s prime-time and daytime shows. She began her career as the first female organized crime prosecutor at the US Department of Justice, which led to her selection as one of three assistant special prosecutors... Read More →
Jewish communal institutions face acute financial challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jewish Community Response Impact Fund (JCRIF), a currently $92 million philanthropic partnership of 8 foundations, was recently launched in order to provide both emergency and strategic funding in loans and grants to American Jewish organizations that advance Jewish education, engagement, and leadership. What is the vision for this extraordinary investment? What are the risks and the opportunities of building coordinated, collaborative philanthropic funds? Join Felicia Herman, who directs JCRIF's grant program, and Shira Hutt, who directs its no-interest loan fund, in conversation moderated by Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, about the future of our Jewish communal infrastructure during and beyond the pandemic.
President, Shalom Hartman Insitute of North America
Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer is the President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. Yehuda is a leading thinker and author on the meaning of Israel to American Jews, on Jewish history and Jewish memory, and on questions of leadership and change in American Jewish life.Yehuda led... Read More →
Felicia Herman is Director of the Aligned Grant Program for the Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund. She has been Executive Director of Natan, a giving circle that supports Jewish and Israeli social innovation, since 2005. Felicia is Founder and Chair of the Advisory Board of... Read More →
Shira joined the Jewish Federations of North America as its Chief of Staff in January 2020, where she oversees the strategy and implementation of the organization's core operations aimed at broadening the impact of the Federation system on the Jewish community in North America and... Read More →
Why does a rabbi driven by the core Jewish teaching that all people are equal choose to live and work in the enduring epicenter of American racial segregation? Join the rabbi of Central Virginia’s oldest and largest Conservative synagogue for a personal peek and candid conversation about the unique challenges and opportunities for building inclusive community, speaking out against oppression, and working for a just society in the heart of the Old South.
Named one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Forward, Rabbi Michael Rose Knopf is the author of Thirty Days of Liberation: Pathways for Personal and Social Transformation Inspired by the Book of Exodus and the spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El in Richmond, Virginia... Read More →
A plague results in the sudden exodus of all the Jews from a place in which they know how to be Jewish to a new geography in which it’s not clear that anything they knew makes sense anymore. Whether the plague we are talking about is the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Romans, the Inquisition, the Cossacks, or the original 10 Plagues, it’s happened to us many times, and it’s just happened to us again in shocking fashion and incredible speed. Those who are saying, “We don’t have a playbook for how to deal with this” are wrong. Our ancestors left us messages in bottles as to what to do in just such a time. We have at least two playbooks — the Torah and the Talmud — whose stories are vehicles to pass on Judaism’s “Wisdom of the Wilderness.” Hint: Don’t look back or you will turn into a pillar of salt. This session will help you kickstart your exploration of the Jewish mythic canon for the Jewish Wisdom of the Wilderness through a combination of text exploration, historical analogies, and application of that wisdom to the case study of the launch of jewishLIVE as a new startup, specifically designed to help navigate the Digital Wilderness and without an expectation that we will “return to Egypt” when the pandemic ends.
If Torah is a well of wisdom for life, how do I begin to dip a bucket down and find ways to make it personally meaningful? In this session you will learn how to read the Torah in a particular way that create openings for personal exploration and inspiration. This can carry you beyond Shavuot and throughout the year.
Dr. Jane Shapiro is a founder of Orot: Center for New Jewish Learning (www.orotcenter.org) where she teaches a variety of classes and workshops blending text study with other intentional practices. Jane is a graduate of Princeton University and has a doctorate from the Jewish Theological... Read More →
A detailed look at findings from the first-ever National Study of Jewish Grandparents in the US, designed, fielded and analyzed by Impact:NPO. We will explore the demographics, attitudes, and behaviors of today’s Jewish American grandparents, their relationships with their grandchildren, and the potential implications for families, communities, and organizations.
David Raphael is the co-founder and CEO of the Jewish Grandparents Network, (JGN). David has spent virtually all his professional career in Jewish communal service. A graduate of Albany University and the Columbia University School of Social Work, he spent 30 years in Hillel including... Read More →
Karen Radkowsky is the founder and CEO of Impact:NPO. Her firm specializes in research, measurement and brand positioning designed to help nonprofit organizations achieve greater impact among the constituencies they serve. She recently conducted the first-ever National Study of Jewish... Read More →
Times of collective disruption and uncertainty reveal the impermanent and ever-changing nature of our lives so clearly. It can feel like riding a horse backwards! How do we find balance and grounding when we don’t know what is in front of us? In this session we will explore through the embodied Jewish spiritual practice of Torah Yoga how we might learn to find grounding in the present moment in all of its uncertainty and mystery. As we practice embodying a posture of friendly openness to what is not yet revealed, even in the very next breath—we can cultivate the capacity to find our footing in the constantly changing nature of our experience. Suitable for all levels of yoga. Wear comfortable clothes you can stretch in.
Rabbi Myriam Klotz is a yoga teacher and spiritual director. She is on faculty with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality teaching yoga and embodied practices, and currently offers Torah Yoga sessions with IJS’s new Online Jewish Yoga Studio. Myriam has taught Torah Yoga at congregations... Read More →
We often feel torn between the vastness of Jewish tradition and the creative impulses of our unique souls and times. But what if the tradition itself offered a surprising, hopeful way out of this conflict – a path that holds out hope of uniting creativity and authenticity? Our learning will focus on a single midrash that uses the image of bread-baking as the paradigm for Torah study – with an eye towards Shavuot, with its pairing of the grain harvest and the giving of the Torah. All sources will be in English and Hebrew, and personal reflection will be our ultimate goal.
Jason Rubenstein is the Howard M. Holtzmann Jewish Chaplain at Yale, where he serves a sprawling, diverse Jewish community that matches his own life: a childhood at Temple Micah in Washington DC, formative years studying at Yeshivat Ma’ale Gilboa in northern Israel, and rabbinic... Read More →
Over the centuries, the Guide for the Perplexed has been banned and burned, shockingly, by other Jews. Learn what Maimonides says about God, science, law, and suffering and see how the greatest Jewish mind of the Middle Ages turned everything we thought we knew about Judaism upside-down.
Vice President for Jewish Engagement, American Jewish University
Rabbi Adam Greenwald is Vice President for Jewish Engagement at American Jewish University, where he oversees the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys and the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program. Rabbi Greenwald is also a Lecturer in Rabbinics at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies... Read More →
Join Debbie Kornberg for a live cooking class where you are in your kitchen and Debbie is in hers and together you cook together in real time. Learn how to cook with spices, discover some new recipes, pick up a few new cooking tips and the best part is you will have a complete meal ready to serve by the end of the class. Menu includes: Za’atar Baked Salmon with Tzatziki Dip, Pistachio Rice and Roasted Vegetables. This course includes 30 minutes of prep time where we will chop, dice and prep all of our ingredients together followed by a one hour live cooking class. Total class time is 1.5 hrs.
Debbie is an educator at heart. Holding a master’s degree in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary, she spent the first 20 years of her career working for Jewish organizations, including the San Diego Jewish Academy and Jewish Federation of San Diego County. In 2014... Read More →
