A. The Spiritual Thought and Theology of R. Nahman of Bratzlav

DR. EITAN FISHBANE

We will study a passages from the mystical teachings of Rebbe

Nahman of Bratzlav (c. 1800), exploring R. Nahman's approach to

theological awareness (the encounter of the human mind and heart

with Divine Presence) and spiritual psychology.

B. Elu 'velu divrei elohim chayim hen. These and these are both

the words of the living God: Empathy and Taking Perspective

at the Center of Jewish Identity Formation for the 21st Century

BEN MANN

In a time of divisive politics, vocal anti-Semitism, racial discord, and

a growing divide between American Jews and Israel, there are many

challenges to the development of a healthy and integrated American

Jewish identity. We will present an approach to nurturing positive

Jewish identity in the 21st century, using traditional Jewish texts and

considering the implications for anyone who spends time with

Jewish children.

C. On the Boundaries: Mental Health in the Jewish Community

DR. MICHELLE LUPKIN AND RABBI JOEL PITKOWSKY

Stigma and whispers are what count for real conversation in many

segments of the Jewish community when it comes to mental illness.

Michelle Lupkin, a clinical psychologist, together with Rabbi

Pitkowsky, will work to dispel myths and shed light on what Judaism

has to say about mental health, including but not limited to eating

disorders, substance abuse, suicide, self-harm, depression, and

anxiety.

D. The Flash of Creation Within the Undifferentiated Infinite

RABBI DAVID BOCKMAN

Ein sof is an aspect of God that is without borders or boundaries and

is often translated, therefore, as “no-thing.” But how does substance

arise from non-physicality, something from nothing? And how can

the infinite mind of God relate to the limited and finite human mind?

We will study texts from the Meshech Chochmah by R. Meir Simcha

of Dvinsk (d. 1926), Franz Rosenzweig (Star of Redemption), Rabbi

Isaac Luria, and Stephen Sondheim (Sunday in the Park with

George) for a look into how insight itself works.

E. The Tanakh and Its Neighbors: Bridges and Fences

DR. STEPHEN GARFINKEL

This discussion is an introductory look at ways in which the Tanakh

is informed by other cultures and languages of the ancient Near East.

We will consider some biblical material that appears very much like

literatures of other ancient cultures, some in which the Tanakh

differs from them, and why that might even matter to us.

F. Karaites and Rabbanites: A “Burning” Question

RABBI LEE S. PASKIND

Lighting Shabbat candles may not be as straightforward and

uncontroversial a mitzvah as it might seem. We’ll discover that for

the Karaites, it was actually a scandal. We’ll search for the roots of

this controversy and will discover a blessing you probably never

heard of.

G. Open the Gate—Pithu et Ha-shaar DR. OFRA BACKENROTH

What is the connection between children’s literature and the

establishment of a nation? Who decided on the national “flavor” of

children’s literature? In what ways did Alterman, Bialik, Goldberg,

and others help in the creation of a Jewish/Israeli identity? We will

read pre-1948 texts by these leading authors.

This session will be conducted in Hebrew.

H. Look Who’s Showing Me the Dirty Pictures: How Anti-

Zionism, Anti-Semitism, and BDS Are Shaping the Jewish

Conversation ANDY SILOW CARROLL

In the age of Trump, the alt-right, and the anti-Israel left, we can’t

even agree on how to fight hate. We'll look at recent events and

explore how they defy conventional definitions of anti-Semitism.

J. Honor Your Father and Mother: Connection and Boundaries

in Intergenerational Relationships DR. MONA FISHBANE

The fifth commandment, to honor parents, is often the most difficult

to achieve, and its challenges evolve over the course of life. What

can insights from intergenerational family theory, psychology,

neurobiology, and the Jewish tradition teach us about this most

complex of relationships? We will explore the difficulties and

opportunities of Kibbud av v’em, especially for adults with aging

parents.

K. I Asked for Wonder: The Early Poetry of Abraham Joshua

Heschel RABBI ARYEH MEIR

“I prayed for wonders instead of happiness and You gave them to me.”

We will read and respond to selections from the “God-haunted”

poetry of one of the spiritual giants of our era. (Yiddish poetry in

translation)

L. "Make a Fence Around the Torah" RABBI ISCAH WALDMAN

What are the pitfalls and hazards when you build “your fence” too

high or too far away from the original intent of the Torah? Given the

tensions that exist within segments of the Jewish community, both in

Israel and here at home, this will be a review of classical rabbinic

Midrashim that offer cautionary tales for those who tend to lean

toward ever-stricter rulings.

M. Balfour at 100: A Bridge to Independence?‎

DR. MARK S. SILK

Just what did the Balfour Declaration promise and to whom? What

motivated the British to make this declaration in 1917? Was it good

for the Jews? What role did teenager Dorothy Pinto play in making

the Balfour Declaration possible? We will look at reactions of both

Jewish and non-Jewish residents of Palestine and of Western

officials, and compare four different drafts of the document.

N. Havdalah: In Praise of Separation RABBI JOYCE NEWMARK

At the conclusion of Shabbat, we praise God who separates holy and

profane, light and darkness, Israel and the nations, and Shabbat and

the six days of work. We will explore the current controversy about

Rabbinic officiation at intermarriages (Israel), how an apparently

simple verse was transformed into an important Jewish economic

law (Torah), and the role of separation in Creation (God).

O. Selfishness, Selflessness, Self-Awareness

HARMAN GROSSMAN

How does the Jewish tradition resolve the ethical tension between

acting in our own self-interest and acting in the interests of others?

When should we prioritize our needs over the needs of others? We

will sample the Florence Melton adult education curriculum, with

a look at three perplexing classical texts.

P. Does God Talk Back? Prayer and Prophecy in Sefer Tehillim

PROFESSOR BENJAMIN SOMMER

We will look in various psalms at cases of a sudden shift in the mood of

a person who complains to God, and we will examine evidence from the

ancient Near East suggesting that Levites in the Temple may have issued

a message from God that changes the worshipper’s outlook. People

attending this session should bring their own Tanakh (Bible) to class—

not a Chumash but a Tanakh. The JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh is

especially recommended. This session will be conducted in Hebrew.

Q. It’s Not About Jewish Identity RABBI REBECCA SIRBU

Ninety-four percent of Jews are proud to be Jewish according to the

Pew Center. We need to demonstrate how Jewish wisdom can help

people live more meaningful and flourishing lives. It’s time to

change the conversation. Join me and learn how you, too, can push the

borders of the Jewish world.

R. Just Over the Line—Pauline Christianity, Karaities,

Sabbateans, and Messanic Jews RABBI NED SOLTZ

How close to “the line” can you come as a Jew without crossing it?

We’ll look at some texts showing Paul’s Christianity crossing that

line, Karaites and Sabbateans who crossed over, and now so-called

Messianic Jews and how the Jewish community looks upon them.

S. The Seven Key Verses of the Book of Jonah That You Should Know

RABBI ELLIOT SALO SCHOENBERG

We will examine, from many different prisms, the seven most powerful

and significant verses from this prophetic book, read on Yom Kippur

afternoon, in order to mine their personal significance to each individual.

T. From Temple to Synagogue—What's Next? STU KAPLAN

For over 1,000 years we had the Temple and sacrifices, and for about

2,000 years we have had the synagogue and prayers. Are we heading

for something new or reverting back? We will review the Second

Temple period and how synagogue and prayer emerged and compare

this to what may be happening today.

U. Maimonides on the Boundaries of Intra-communal Jewish

Pluralism RABBI MICHAEL CHERNICK

Maimonides is in many ways the first Orthodox Jew. His famous

Thirteen Principles of Faith, ensconced liturgically in Yigdal, were his

litmus test of who was in and who was out as a Jew. The session will

study Maimonidean sources, examine their implications for Jewish

religious pluralism, and seek to explain the contradiction between

Maimonides’ Code and his responsum.

V. The Bystander PROFESSOR DENNIS KLEIN

This session will consider the contrast between our tradition's

imperative to help in the presence of others in peril with our own

time that seems resigned to a culture of standing by. We will take a

special look at memoirs written by Holocaust survivors condemning

their neighbors' non-intervention, and the 1964 Kitty Genovese

murder case that introduced the term "bystander effect."

W. Does God Talk Back? Prayer and Prophecy in Sefer Tehillim

PROFESSOR BENJAMIN SOMMER

We will look in various psalms at cases of a sudden shift in the mood of

a person who complains to God, and we will examine evidence from the

ancient Near East suggesting that Levites in the Temple may have issued

a message from God that changes the worshipper’s outlook. People

attending this English-language session should bring their own Tanakh

(Bible) to class—not a Chumash but a Tanakh.

Y. Jewish Power and Jewish Responsibility in the Age of Charlottesville

RABBI RACHEL KAHN-TROSTER

The past year has shaken the Jewish sense of stability in contemporary

America: anti-Semitism and white nationalism seemed to reappear

overnight in the corridors of power and in the streets. In this session, we

will reflect on the challenges of Jewish social justice activism in today’s

political and social climate, consider Jewish models for relating to

complicated figures in power, and hear stories from the front lines of

#Jewishresistance.

Am Yisrael Why?: How Mitzvot Became Meaningful, and Jews

Became Optional

PROFESSOR STEVEN M. COHEN

Over the last half century and more, each generation of

non-Orthodox left their imprint on American Judaism. The Boomer

generation (those of “The Jew Within”) essentially made traditional

Jewish norms voluntary, emphasizing meaning-making. The next

generation made Judaism optional—blurring the social boundaries

between Jews and non-Jews. We will examine opportunities to

respond to these challenges, thinking of different responses for

different segments of the Jewish population.

PROFESSOR STEVEN M. COHEN is Research

Professor of Jewish Social Policy at HUC-JIR, and

Director of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive at

Stanford University. In 1992 he made aliyah, and taught

at The Hebrew University, having previously taught at

Queens College and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

גשרים וגבולות ,קירות וגדרות walls and fences, bridges and borders

CLOSING SESSION 5:00-6:00p.m.

SESSION ALEPH 7:30-8:40 p.m.

SESSION BET 1:30-2:40 p.m.

SESSION GIMMEL 3:30-4:40p.m.

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