Limmud NY 2016: Full Schedule

2:45pm EST

When Christianity Defines Judaism: Martin Buber on Jesus and the Baal Shem Tov

We are often taught that Judaism precedes Christianity, yet scholars of ancient Judaism often argue that both religions emerge simultaneously. Some even suggest that Judaism as we know it arises in part as a response to Christianity. We will look at the writings of Martin Buber on Jesus and his work on Hasidism to suggest that Buber views Jesus as the true antecedent to the figure of the Baal Shem Tov, and Jesus helps us understand the religious critique that is embedded in the Hasidic movement.

Presenters

Shaul Magid

Shaul Magid is the Jay and Jeanie Schotenstein Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of Religion at Indiana University and rabbi of the Fire island Synagogue, Sea View New York.

Friday February 12, 2016 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Waterside

History, Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

2:45pm EST

Charting the Four Amot: Toward a New Theology of Halakhah

Contemporary Jewish discourse generally seeks to erect a sturdy wall between spirituality on one hand, and Jewish law (and legal reasoning) on the other. Drawing on mystical and legal sources both medieval and modern, our goal is to reconsider the interface between theology and halakhah, exploring the ways in which these two realms actually enrich and challenge each other in terms of conceptual process, communal experience and the personal devotional life.

Presenters

Ariel Mayse

Ariel Evan Mayse is a Research Fellow at the Frankel Institute for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies from Harvard University and rabbinic ordination from Beit Midrash Har’el. He is a co-editor of the two-volume collection... Read More →

Friday February 12, 2016 2:45pm - 4:00pm EST
Westover

Theology & Spirituality, Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

8:45pm EST

Meet 'n' Learn: Make a Friend Through Learning!

Come meet someone new! LimmudNY is partnering with Project Zug to connect you with someone new through learning facilitated by Project Zug. There is no better way to get to know a fellow Limmudnik than sitting together to explore a text. With Project Zug you will learn more about Judaism, yourself, and your havruta (learning partner). Join us!

Project Zug is powered by Mechon Hadar.

Presenters

Avi Killip

Avi Killip serves as Director of Project Zug at Mechon Hadar. Avi was ordained from Hebrew College's pluralistic Rabbinical School in Boston. She is a Wexner Graduate Fellow and holds a Bachelors and Masters from Brandeis University in Jewish Studies and Women & Gender Studies. Avi... Read More →

Friday February 12, 2016 8:45pm - 10:00pm EST
Belltown

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

10:30pm EST

Power to the Artist: Does Judaism Support the Visual Arts?

What does Judaism have to say about the visual arts? With the prohibition against molten images, does Judaism have a place for visual artists? We will attempt to answer this question through Biblical, Mishnaic and liturgical sources. Knowledge of Hebrew helpful, though not required.

Presenters

Jennifer Gersch

An awesome artist, Judaic scholar, Francophile. A lover of Broadway, running, Judaism and exploring both NYC and international destinations. A past Steering Committee member, Jennifer has volunteered at every Limmud NY conference, and she was a presenter at Limmud Colorado 2010. She... Read More →

Friday February 12, 2016 10:30pm - 11:45pm EST
Long Ridge

Arts & Performance Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

10:30pm EST

Religious Belief and Make-Belief

What do you have to believe to be frum? What do you have to believe to be religious? But, more importantly, what do you have to imagine? What do you have to make-believe? What's more important to a religious life: belief or imagination? And, if imagination is key to the religious life, doesn't that prove that the religious life is irrational?
Together, we'll explore some answers to these questions through some classical Jewish texts.

Presenters

Samuel Lebens

Samuel Lebens is a philosopher at the University of Haifa, and an Orthodox rabbi. He works on the philosophy of fiction, the writings of Bertrand Russell, and the philosophy of Judaism. He is the co-founder of the Association for the Philosophy of Judaism, and the author of the "Principles... Read More →

Friday February 12, 2016 10:30pm - 11:45pm EST
Belltown

Orthodoxy Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

7:30am EST

Daf Yomi Saturday

Every day (yomi) people across the Jewish world are learning a page of Talmud (daf) with the aim of completng the entire Talmud in seven years. This global movement started in 1923 and has captured the imaginations of thousands. Everyone is encouraged to attend, from first timers to those following the current Daf Yomi cycle.

Presenters

Avi Killip

Saturday February 13, 2016 7:30am - 8:45am EST
High Ridge

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

11:30am EST

The Grown-Up Midrash Says: 5 Radical Midrashim They Don't Teach in Day School

Did God lust after the matriarchs? Did Jacob think he was divine? Did Mordechai breastfeed Esther? The midrash (rabbinic expansion on biblical stories) is too often read as a set of fables or children's stories. But in truth, the midrash contains some of the most imaginative, radical, twisted and philosophically astute readings of the Bible in our tradition. Together we will explore five midrashim that have yet to enter the popular Jewish conscience, but probably should.

Presenters

Ben Greenfield

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

Ben Greenfield is organizing and leading the Jewish community of waterfront North Brooklyn. As Rabbi of the Greenpoint Shul, an inclusive Orthodox shul in historic/hipster/Hasidic-adjacent Greenpoint, Ben creates Jewish spaces that are inviting, warm, and rooted in exceptional Torah... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 11:30am - 12:45pm EST
Westover

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

11:30am EST

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream: Rabbinic Approaches to the Interpretation of Dreams

Dreams are one of the most perplexing aspects of human experience; they are frustratingly inscrutable and at the same time feel vaguely portentous. Together we will explore some of the different ways that the Rabbis have approached the roles of the dream, the dreamer, and the dream interpreter in creating a meaningful reality out of a confusing slumber.

Presenters

Dena Weiss

Rosh Beit Midrash, Mechon Hadar

Dena Weiss is the Rosh Beit Midrash at Mechon Hadar, an institution for higher Jewish learning based in NYC. Dena earned her BA in Religious Studies from NYU and a MA in Theology from Harvard Divinity School. She has also studied at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Drisha, and Pardes and is... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 11:30am - 12:45pm EST
Elm

Theology & Spirituality, Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:15pm EST

Sacred Speech — How so?

Is Hebrew the only Holy Tongue? Is it possible for other languages to become sanctified, and can Hebrew truly be secularized? Can holiness be conveyed in translation? What is the relationship between human and divine language? Our session will explore these issues by journeying through rabbinic, philosophical, mystical, and contemporary Jewish sources on the nature of language, the boundaries of holiness, and the definition of “sacred speech.”

Presenters

Ariel Mayse

Saturday February 13, 2016 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST
Willow

Language Philosophy Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

1:45pm EST

Children of Jethro: Models for Redemptive Interfaith Relationship

Jews who engage in social justice efforts on behalf of non-Jews sometimes feel the need to justify their actions as "authentically" Jewish. Other Jews who do so see their work as "just being good people." But there are textual precedents for such cooperation. Join us as we look at models of interfaith love and justice from both Torah and Talmud.

Presenters

Mike Rothbaum

Rabbi Michael Rothbaum serves as rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton, MA, and lives with his husband, Yiddish singer Anthony Russell, in Concord. Rabbi Mike has received accolades for his achievements in religious school, B'nai Mitzvah, youth group, and camp settings. He has... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Waterside

Textual Perspectives, Social Justice

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

1:45pm EST

I'll Just Sit Here in the Dark: Rabbinic Perspectives on Suffering

There are several stories in the Talmud where the rabbis praise, extol, and even request physical pain in order to prevent some sort of greater punishment. Is this a Jewish attitude?!? We will analyze these stories and attempt to understand what they can teach us about our own suffering in 2016.
All sources will be in the original and in English, and no prior text experience is necessary.

Presenters

Yaffa Epstein

Yaffa serves as the director of education, North America for the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Yaffa received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Maharat and holds a law degree from Bar-Ilan University. Rabbah Epstein has been a teacher of Talmud, Jewish law, and liturgy at Pardes... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Aspen

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

3:30pm EST

Crowdsourcing as Leadership

What is the relationship between a people and their leader? When do we seek our own empowerment and when do we need an expert to guide us? We will explore these questions through an ancient Talmudic story about crowdsourcing.

Presenters

Avi Killip

Saturday February 13, 2016 3:30pm - 4:45pm EST
Springdale

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

3:30pm EST

How to Read a Talmudic Story: Structure, Narrative Art and Symbolism

In this session we will learn how to study Talmudic stories as literature, with close attention to the structure and narrative art, wordplay, irony, and figurative language. We will explore how the Talmudic storytellers communicated their didactic messages and how stories relate to their Talmudic contexts, including the relationship between Talmudic law and story.

Presenters

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Jeffrey L. Rubenstein is Skirball Professor of Talmud at New York University. He received his B.A. in Religion from Oberlin College, his M.A. in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he also received rabbinic ordination, and his Ph.D. from the Department of Religion of... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 3:30pm - 4:45pm EST
Westover

Textual Perspectives, Arts & Culture

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

5:15pm EST

What Is Our Obligation to the Stranger? A Text Salon

Curious what the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and the Passover Haggadah have in common? In this fully guided, immersive text study, we will use Jewish wisdom and secular literature alike to answer this question and more as we discover what Jewish tradition says about our obligation to the stranger. Explore how we can contribute to maintaining a healthy and ethical public discourse around refugees and create deeper understanding in our own communities. All levels of experience (including none!) are welcome – all texts provided in translation.

Presenters

Rachel Grant Meyer

Education Director, Community Engagement, HIAS

A graduate of Columbia University, Rabbi Rachel Grant Meyer was ordained by HUC-JIR. She currently serves as the Director of Education for Community Engagement at HIAS, where she develops educational materials, resources, and programs that educate American Jews about refugee issues... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 5:15pm - 6:15pm EST
Long Ridge

Philosophy Social Justice Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

5:15pm EST

The Land in Relationship

In the Torah, land is not just an inanimate object, but rather a living force like human beings. Like human beings, the land has a covenantal relationship with God, a sacred Sabbath for rest, and rights that cannot be violated. In this session we will look at the Torah's unique theology of the land and consider its implications for Jewish spirituality, environmental ethics, and social justice.

Presenters

Bill Plevan

Bill Plevan holds rabbinic ordination from JTS and recently completed his doctorate in Religion at Princeton University on the thought of German-Jewish philosopher Martin Buber. He currently teaches Jewish thought at HUC and JTS. Bill also served as President of the Board of Matan... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 5:15pm - 6:15pm EST
Cove

Textual Perspectives Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

7:30pm EST

From the Jerusalem Talmud to the Babylonian Talmud: The Reworking of Stories and the Talmudic Ethic of Shame

Many stories appear in multiple versions in rabbinic compilations, often with minor, yet significant, variations. Comparing parallel versions in the two Talmuds reveals differences in the values, cultures, and beliefs of the two rabbinic centers. Stories of shame and honor are important examples of this process, which appear overwhelmingly in the Babylonian Talmud. Here, we will study how the Babylonian Talmudic storytellers changed earlier stories to emphasize this ethic.

Presenters

Jeffrey Rubenstein

Professor, New York University

Saturday February 13, 2016 7:30pm - 8:45pm EST
Willow

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

9:45pm EST

Redemption through Sin?: Kabbalah and Ritual Violation of Halakha

Kabbalah’s stance toward halakha is paradoxical. Most texts demand strict observance, if we would avoid cosmic disaster. Other texts seem to call for transgression, whether only for the holiest people or for a large-scale movement, as in Sabbateanism. This explosive potential obsessed Gershom Scholem, kabbalah’s leading scholar. We will look at key texts, from the Zohar, Lurianic sources, and Sabbateanism. Are there “times when the nullification of the Torah is its foundation” (Talmud Menakhot)?

Presenters

Nathaniel Berman

Nathaniel is the Rahel Varnhagen Professor of International Affairs, Law, and Modern Culture at Brown University. He also teaches kabbalah in a wide range of settings in NYC. He is currently completing a book, entitled, The 'Other Side' of Kabbalah: Divine and Demonic in the Zohar... Read More →

Saturday February 13, 2016 9:45pm - 11:00pm EST
Glenbrook

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

8:30am EST

What's the Talmud Got to do With It: Rabbinic Perspectives on Love

We will examine one of the most romantic stories in the entire Bablyonian Talmud - that of Akiva and his wife. At first glance, it seems to be a deep story of understanding, but as we look closer, we will uncover some important questions and struggles that the rabbis face regarding love. Come explore the question of - what is love? And why should I care what the Talmud has to say about it? All sources will be in the original and in english, and no prior text experience is necessary.

Presenters

Yaffa Epstein

Sunday February 14, 2016 8:30am - 9:45am EST
Elm

Love Relationships & Sexuality Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

10:15am EST

Disability-Informed Torah for an Accessible Community

Moses was significantly disabled. He was also the greatest leader of all time. Today, many Jews with disabilities face barriers to participation in Jewish community. What can we do about this? How can we make it possible for more potential disabled leaders to access our communities? A combination of text learning and experiential exploration.

Presenters

Ruti Regan

Ruti Regan is a fourth-year rabbinical student at JTS and the author of realsocialskills.org, a blog about the disability-informed approach to interpersonal interactions. She is a co-founder of Anachnu, an organization led by Jews with disabilities promoting disability-informed Torah... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Springdale

Textual Perspectives, Diversity & Identity, Social Justice

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study, Interactive

12:00pm EST

The Jewish 'Satan': The Devil We Know

This session will trace the evolution of Judaism's "Satan" (yes, we have one) – from merciful angel of divine redirection, to God's loyal prosecutor, to manifestations of duality, to angelic personification of evil. Along the way, we'll observe how Jewish legend and liturgy are porous to other faiths' historical and doctrinal influences, and consider the spiritual implications for us 21st century moderns. Come for text study, history, philosophy, and maybe a few spiritual surprises.

Presenters

David Evan Markus

Co-Chair, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal

David Markus is co-chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El of City Island (New York, NY), and Faculty in Spiritual Direction and Rabbinics for the ALEPH Ordination Program. He is a syndicated blogger for My Jewish Learning, Rabbis Without Borders... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Grove

Philosophy Textual Perspectives Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

Ferguson/Fargesn: Racism, Jewishness, and the Struggle for Criminal Justice Reform

In 1902, in a stuffy room on the Lower East Side, countless Jews testified to a local "Indignation Committee" about abuses suffered at the hands of New York City police. In our day, for perhaps the first time, many Americans are coming to terms with the abuses suffered by African-Americans at the hands our nation's criminal justice system. Are these experiences similar? Different? Join us as we explore Jewish approaches to our critical American moment, both via Jewish text and history.

Presenters

Mike Rothbaum

Sunday February 14, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Aspen

Social Justice, Diversity & Identity

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

An Astrologer, Rabbi, Bride, Snake & Pauper Walk into a Garden: An Amazing Talmudic Story – Eden Redux

“Tzedakah averts death”: Rich in literary, ontological, human & sexual overtones, we will explore a story from Tractate Shabbat 156B that challenges us to undo destiny, our status quo, our gravitational pull; to energize ourselves against the fall from Eden. Our story turns the biblical tale: the snake dies; woman is hero; man is absent; life, not death, prevails; the quiet but desperate voice heard; the good deed acted upon; transitioning from taker to giver; enabling life; happily ever after.

Presenters

Joe Septimus

Joe Septimus is CFO of a NYC based mortgage bank, teaches Torah at various adult education venues including Darkhei Noam, Central Synagogue, the JCC Tikkun, & Limmud NY. Joe has an MBA from NYU, a BA in Philosophy, studied at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin & Kerem B’Yavneh, is a Wexner Heritage... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Westover

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

1:45pm EST

The Prophet and the Prostitute

Come and enjoy a bilbiodrama, where, from the comfort of our chairs, we'll try to bring a Biblical metaphor to life, using improvisation and imagination. What is the book of Hosea all about, and what does it have to teach us today? This class is not for the young or the faint of heart.

Presenters

Samuel Lebens

Sunday February 14, 2016 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Glenbrook

Arts & Performance Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

1:45pm EST

Toward a Non-Delusional Religious Zionism: Charting a Way Forward

The late Israeli religious thinker Yosef Ahituv emphasized the desperate need for what he called a "non-delusional religious Zionism." This session will explore the roots of religious Zionism and ask how and why things changed so dramatically after 1967. We will explore the ways in which the messianic fervor elicited by the Six-Day War led religious Zionism astray, and ask whether and how things can be repaired and transformed.

Presenters

Shai Held

Co-Founder, Dean and Chair in Jewish Thought, Mechon Hadar

Shai Held, a leading Jewish theologian, scholar, and educator, is Co-Founder and Dean of Mechon Hadar. He is a 2011 recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education. Rabbi Held's first book, Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence, was hailed... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Grove

Israel, Philosohpy, Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

1:45pm EST

'And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning;' When Does the Day Start in the Torah?

A careful reading of select verses in the Torah, e.g. Genesis 1:5, Exodus 12:8/10, Exodus 16:23, Levitucs 15:16, with traditional and modern commentaries. We will try to determine whether a lunar or a solar calendar was used in the Biblical period.

Presenters

Seth Cohen

Seth grew up unaffiliated in Cambridge, MA as a fifth-generation American Jew. He has spent the 35 years trying to understand what it means to be a Jew. Seth studies all things Jewish, but his primary interest lies in Biblical and Rabbinic text, specifically the development of Halakha... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Belltown

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

3:30pm EST

Pikuach Nefesh,' 'Salus Animarum,' 'Darura,' and 'Apaddharma' Jewish, Catholic, Islamic, and Hindu Religio-Legal Approaches to Priorities in Extenuating Circumstances

Similar to the notion of Pikuach Nefesh, or, the overarching principle of saving life and limb, as trumping all other halakhic requirements when such competing thoughts arise, other religio-legal systems have similar concerns. In our session, we will read texts in juxtaposition discussing Catholic Salus Animarum, Islamic Darura, Hindu Apad-Dharma alongside the Jewish concept of Pikuach Nefesh, as we compare and contrast approaches to ritual priorities in extenuating circumstances.

Presenters

Shoshana Razel Gordon Guedalia

Doctoral Candidate & Teaching Fellow, Harvard University

Shoshana Razel Gordon Guedalia is mother-of-five, scholar, teacher, writer, poet, activist, aspiring rabbi and doctoral candidate in comparative theology and law. Her work appears in Jewish papers, literary journals, academic publications, and in her online Torah. Her poetry book... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 3:30pm - 4:45pm EST
Long Ridge

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

3:30pm EST

Reading the Chofetz Chayim on the Torah

While many know of the Chofetz Chayim for his work on mitzvot and careful speech, fewer have focused on his commentary to the Torah. We will read sections of his commentary together, focusing on his ethical reading of text, understanding the commentary as a reflection of his time, and appreciating the important mussar (instruction) in his words. English translations of texts will be provided.

Presenters

Ora Horn Prouser

Executive VP and Academic Dean, Academy for Jewish Religion

Dr. Ora Horn Prouser is CEO and Academic Dean at The Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic rabbinical, cantorial and graduate school. She has worked with educational institutions to develop Bible curricula and pedagogical materials for all levels and learning styles. Her book... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 3:30pm - 4:45pm EST
Westover

Textual Perspectives, Philosohpy, Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

5:15pm EST

Why Jeremiah Hated Religion (and Maybe We Should, Too)

The prophet Jeremiah had some rather caustic things to say about religious people in his day-- about their moral bankruptcy and lack of religious integrity. In this session, we will do two things: read the text of Jeremiah chapter 7 closely to understand what Jeremiah said (and how he said it), and talk openly about the ways his words remain a goad and a challenge to us if we open ourselves to them.

Presenters

Shai Held

Co-Founder, Dean and Chair in Jewish Thought, Mechon Hadar

Sunday February 14, 2016 5:15pm - 6:30pm EST
Grove

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

7:00pm EST

Problematizing Charity: How the Bavli Works Its Magic to Create Subversion

In this session we will look at a suite of narratives in the Talmud Bavli about supererogatory charity giving. Through a close reading of the text we will discover that these tales which seem to be about meritorious acts of piety, in fact, work to subvert the inherent norms of charity giving.

Presenters

Dov Kahane

Dov Kahane recently completed a Master's degree in Jewish Studies at Columbia University, where he focused on narratives in the Talmud. He is also a practicing dentist, father and grandfather. He lives in New York City.

Sunday February 14, 2016 7:00pm - 8:15pm EST
Westover

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

7:00pm EST

Schluffing: Judaism and Sleep

What does Judaism have to say about how we spend 8 (or 6...) hours a night? Come learn what the Bible, the rabbis, and others think about the wee hours. Insomniacs as well as the well-rested are encouraged to attend.

Presenters

Ellen Flax

Ellen Flax is a philanthropy consultant based in NYC. She received her rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Sunday February 14, 2016 7:00pm - 8:15pm EST
Waterside

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

7:00pm EST

Moses, Maimonides, and Mindfulness

Many people believe that mindfulness is a Buddhist invention, found only in Buddhist teaching and practice. This session will explore some Jewish mindfulness texts and practices, focusing particularly on biblical passages about Moses' experiences with God, and some passages from the work of Moses Maimonides, the Rambam, that are clearly well within the fold of mindfulness teachings. No previous knowledge of Moses, Maimonides, or mindfulness are needed for this session.

Presenters

Molly Karp

Molly Karp is a passionate teacher of many facets of Judaism. She serves as the rabbi of Temple Beth El in Oneonta, NY, and is the Director of Student Life at the Ivry Prozdor High School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Her training in Mindfulness Practice and Jewish Spirituality... Read More →

Sunday February 14, 2016 7:00pm - 8:15pm EST
Long Ridge

Textual Perspectives Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

10:15am EST

Praying To/For/With God?: Three Talmudic Alternatives to Traditional Prayer

Must prayer be directed to God? Join us in debating three Talmudic invitations to alternative and deeply personal modes of tefilla (prayer).

Presenters

Ben Greenfield

Yeshivat Chovevei Torah

Monday February 15, 2016 10:15am - 11:30am EST
Springdale

Textual Perspectives Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

Cultivating Meaningful Spaces Workshop

Are you a parent, a sister, a teacher, an artist, an accountant, a friend? Do you aspire to live and/or teach Torah? This session is for those who aspire to cultivate meaningful spaces--at home, at school, and at work, as well as with family, with friends, with students, and alone. We will engage content and methodology that sheds light on how spaces you nurture can be both content-rich and meaningful to participants.

Presenters

Joshua Krug

Joshua Krug is an NYU Steinhardt Fellow in Education and Jewish Studies. A Yale Honors BA, Harvard MDiv, and seasoned educator, his work testifies to how traditional and contemporary Jewish sources can animate and inform the lives of diverse adults. He facilitates counter/cultural... Read More →

Monday February 15, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Aspen

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

Faith in Sinai

A number of medieval Jewish philosophers tried to prove that there was a revelation at Sinai. Together, we'll explore those arguments, critically, and discover their strengths and their weaknesses. In the wake of this investigation, learn an argument that doesn't justify belief in all that much, but it might justify a certain sort of faith, in a certain sort of something!

Presenters

Samuel Lebens

Monday February 15, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Belltown

Textual Perspectives, Philosohpy, Theology & Spirituality

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

In Pursuit of Perfection: Examining Plastic Surgery

In this session, we'll examine some of the Halakhic and philosophical dimensions of surgical modification of our bodies. What are the risks and benefits to altering our appearance? Are our bodies ours to change as we wish, or are they vessels that God owns and have been entrusted to our care?

Presenters

Dena Weiss

Rosh Beit Midrash, Mechon Hadar

Monday February 15, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Waterside

Textual Perspectives, Diversity & Identity

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

Is There an Afterlife? Three Jewish Answers

What are you hoping for in the afterlife? Would you prefer an all-you-can-eat buffet? Unlimited learning? Are you hoping for peace and quiet? We will explore this fundamental question through three very different answers offered to us by our tradition. Come with a willingness to dream of the world to come.

Presenters

Avi Killip

Monday February 15, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
High Ridge

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study

12:00pm EST

The Missing Blessing - Abraham's Servant as a Key for Understanding the Book of Genesis

The Torah describes several important scenes where fathers bless their sons, but we never see Abraham give Isaac a blessing. In this session, we will look at the story of Abraham's servant searching for Isaac's wife as a stand-in for the missing blessing. What does this story tell us about the relationship between these characters and the important role of Rebecca in passing on the blessing to the next generation?

Presenters

Bill Plevan

Monday February 15, 2016 12:00pm - 1:15pm EST
Cove

Textual Perspectives

Learning Modality Chavruta-Text Study