Jewish Ideas to Change the World
Valley Beit Midrash 1 051 episodes Nov 6, 2026
This podcast features thought-provoking conversations with leading Jewish thinkers from diverse perspectives. It is produced by Valley Beit Midrash, an organization committed to social justice rooted in Torah ethics. The show aims to enrich listeners with Jewish learning, direct action, and leadership development. Each episode brings fresh insights into contemporary issues through a Jewish lens.
Episodes
The Talmudic Tale of the Toasty Heels: A Debate Over Gendered Giving
A virtual event presentation by Noam ZionThe event was co-sponsored by Temple EmanuelAbout The Event:While standing in the communal oven, Ms Ukba and Mar Ukba had a dispute about how best to give tzedakah. They represent Masculine and Feminine Tzedakah, or the Ethics of Dignity versus the Ethics of Care. Whose approach takes priority?About The Speaker:Noam is now emeritus at the Shalom H
Please Say You Are My Sister
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc GitlerThe event was co-sponsored by Congregation Bonai Shalom.About The Event: When journeying down to Egypt, Abraham makes a startling request of Sarah: "Please say you are my sister." Why would Abraham make such a strange proposal, and what were the far-reaching consequences of this pivotal moment? Examining this perplexing biblical narrative,
Proto-Zionism: Judaism’s Umbilical Connection to the Land of Israel
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Joshua HoloThe event was co-sponsored by Temple Beth Sholom and Temple Har ShalomAbout The Event:Abba Eban, Israel’s great spokesman and diplomat, famously wrote: “Nobody does Israel any service by proclaiming its ‘right to exist’… Israel’s right to exist… is axiomatic and unreserved.” We may grasp Eban’s principle, but in practice it no longer applies.
Martin Luther King III & Rabbi Shmuly: Preserving Our Democracy With an Ethic of Non-Violence
Martin Luther King III in conversation with Rabbi Shmuly about the upcoming elections, the importance of disagreeing with civility, the enduring ethic of nonviolence, and the value of democracy.Mr. King is a distinguished global humanitarian who continues the legacy of human rights advocacy championed by his parents, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
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Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Elie KaunferThe event was co-sponsored by Congregation Ner TamidFunded in part by a grant from the National Center to Encourage JudaismAbout The Event:As Jews, we spend a lot of time praying, but not a lot of time looking at the texts of our prayers for meaning and understanding. In this session, we will explore a method that will aim to deepen your o
Messiah: The Zionist Nobody Wants
A virtual event presentation with Dr. Jonnie SchnytzerEvent was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event:Throughout Jewish history, there have been a series of individual attempts to organize Jewish communities towards conquering the Land of Israel and reinstalling Jewish sovereignty. Time and again, these attempts were turned down and declined by the masses. Why? Learning about the fascinat
When Judaism Began: Understanding Ezra and Nehemiah
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Steven M. BobAbout The Event: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the return to Jerusalem from the first exile in ancient Babylonia. These books contain the foundational ideas for our modern sense of Jewish identity and key elements of our Jewish lives. The public reading of the Torah begins with Ezra reading from the scroll before the co
God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with Mirabai Starr.Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and interspiritual teacher. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching philosophy, world religions, and a lifetime of practice, Mirabai shares her wisdom worldwide on co
Common Ground in Uncommon Times: Denver’s Faith Communities in Dialogue
A hybrid event presentation featuring Reverend Terri Hobart, Imam Muhammad Kolila, and Rabbi Emily Hyatt, moderated by Ariel Nassau of VBM Denver.The event was co-hosted with St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Downtown Denver Islamic Center, and Temple Emanuel Denver.About The Event: Faith leaders from across Denver come together to explore how their traditions guide responses to today's most p
Unfolding: Reflections on the Lessons of the High Holy Days
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Karyn KedarThe class is co-sponsored by Congregation Ner TamidAbout The Event:Join Rabbi Karyn D. Kedar as she explores her award-winning book, Unfolding: A High Holy Day Companion. Drawing from meditations, poetry, reflections, retellings of Talmudic and Hasidic stories, and lyrical encounters with prayer and scripture, Rabbi Kedar will share insight
How to Do Things with Kavanah: J. L. Austin and the Communicative Activity of Performing Mitzvot
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Paul FranksThe event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event:What is kavanah — usually translated as “intention” — in the performance of mitzvot? What, in particular, is kavanah in Jewish prayer? Often used but rarely explained, the term will be illuminated by means of the speech act theory of the great Oxford philosopher and architect of the Norman
What Does the Mishna Teach Us About the People Who Wrote It?
A virtual event presentation by Rabba Aliza Libman BaronofskyThe class was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel. About The Event:The Mishnah was written during a time period that included the destruction of the Second Temple and the Bar Kochba Revolt. The 63 tractates of the Mishnah include the rabbis’ origin story for rabbinic Judaism and many clues about the world it was written in. We’ll exp
Antisemitism, Anti-Zionism, Anti-Israelism
A virtual presentation by Dr. Marc DollingerThe event is co-sponsored by Temple SolelAbout The Event:One of the thorniest questions in contemporary American Jewish life, the boundaries between anti-Israelism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism are now the subject of university policy debates as well as proposed state and federal action. This presentation offers historical background on each c
Smashing Idols: From the Patriarchs to the Present
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: From Abraham shattering his father’s idols to the challenges we face today, the Jewish tradition has always called us to question what our society holds sacred. Rabbi Gitler explores how the ancient practice of “smashing idols” speaks directly to our modern moment: the false certainties, distractions, and misplaced values
A Rashi on the Declaration of Independence
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jack Riemer About The Event: In this class, we will compare and contrast the Declaration of Independence with Jewish statements that are similar to it and explore how Rashi might have interpreted some of the key phrases in the Declaration. About The Speaker: Rabbi Jack Riemer is now retired after serving as the spiritual leader of congregations in Ohi
The World is Informational: Kabbalah and AI
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ About The Event: The 21st-century Kabbalistic approaches to AI offer optimistic, utopian approaches based on the writings of Sefer Yetzirah and Rabbi Isaac Luria. Secular innovators of AI at MIT who see the world as informational and AI as creativity; authors in Jewish thought who see the world as th
Beyond Either/Or: Jewish Nestedness Can Heal a Fractured World
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Natan Margalit About The Event: Either/Or dilemmas such as Universal versus Tribal, Us versus Them, Culture versus Nature, and more only keep us stuck in conflict and confusion. But Judaism’s core mode of thought is not either/or; it’s nested, fractal, and leads us to the kinds of both/and solutions that we need today. We’ll explore the ways that Jewi
The Torah’s Ritual Response to an Unsolved Murder
A virtual class presentation by Rabbi Dr. Martin Lockshin The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: Exploring Deuteronomy 21:1–9 and its rich history of interpretation. This powerful passage appears in that week’s Torah reading, offering a timely opportunity to engage with it more deeply. About The Speaker: Martin Lockshin is a University Professor Emeritus at Y
Order in the Court! Cross-Examining Fate, Forgiveness, and Forever
An event presentation by Rabbi Ian (Haim) PearThe event is co-sponsored by Temple ChaiAbout The Event:What is life’s most important lesson? Is true forgiveness possible? Can humans really change? If God is kind, why terrorize humanity with the fear of death? Join us for a fascinating book talk on The Day the Devil Went on Trial by Rabbi Ian (Haim) Pear. Praised by Dr. Russ Roberts—Preside
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
A virtual class presentation by Dr. Andrew Porwancher About The Event: Professor Porwancher debunks a string of myths about the origins of this founding father to arrive at a startling conclusion: Hamilton was probably raised Jewish in his Caribbean youth. With a detective’s persistence and a historian’s rigor, Porwancher reveals the untold story of our most enigmatic founding father and
Soul Train: Learning the Words of the Jewish Heart
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jeff Salkin The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ About The Event: No, “Soul Train” isn’t just a retro music show—it’s about training our souls to rediscover the sacred power of Jewish prayer. Rabbi Jeff Salkin will help us explore the deeper meaning of the siddur; why prayer can feel distant for modern Jews; and how it can become relevant, moving, and
“AI, Deepfakes, and the Future of Human Trust” — Can We Still Know What’s Real?
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerThe event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJAbout The Event:Session 4: “AI, Deepfakes, and the Future of Human Trust” — Can We Still Know What’s Real?A culminating discussion about artificial intelligence, synthetic media, and epistemic crisis. If images, voices, and texts can all be fabricated convincingly, what happens to testimony, evidence, and trust?
A Cry for Wholeness From the Void: Bridging Zionism and Diasporism
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David Jaffe About The Event: What is at stake in bridging the growing divide in our North American Jewish community between people who feel strongly connected to the project of Jewish self-determination in our ancient homeland, A.K.A “Zionism,” and the growing movement of Diasporism, that decentralizes the role of Jewish statehood in Jewish life. How
Are We Idolaters? Yeshayahu Leibowitz on Jewish Spirituality and Jewish Politics
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Samuel Fleischacker About The Event: We will take a look at some of the religious and political writings of the Israeli chemistry professor, philosopher, Torah-commentator, and gadfly, Yeshayahu Leibowitz. Our focus will be Leibowitz’s conception of idolatry: what idolatry is, for him; how halakha enables us to struggle against it; and the special dange
Nonviolence in a Violent World: Aharon Shmuel Tameres in Conversation With Martin Luther King and James Lawson
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Aryeh CohenAbout The Event: Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Tamares is probably the most passionate Jewish voice against nationalism, militarism, and, most of all, war. A prolific writer in the first four decades of the twentieth century, he articulated an opposition to war and violence rooted in a theological vision which saw war as modern idolatry, or in anothe
“Lashon Hara in the Information Age” — Speech, Gossip, and Viral Culture
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerAbout The Event:Truth, Media, and Propaganda – A timely look at misinformation, lashon hara, and the ethics of communication—especially in an age of social media and AI.Session 2: “Lashon Hara in the Information Age” — Speech, Gossip, and Viral CultureBuilding on the first class, this session applies Jewish laws of speech to modern media ecosystem
Stolen, Saved, or Claimed? The Battle Between Yeshiva University and Dubrovnik’s Jewish Community
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler The event was co-sponsored by Kavod Senior Life About The Event: This class will examine the history of sacred Jewish ritual objects sent from Dubrovnik, Croatia, to Yeshiva University for safekeeping during a time of danger, and the story of what happened to them afterward. We will explore questions of ownership, preservation, and respons
“What Is Truth?” — Torah, Narrative, and the Power of Framing
An event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerAbout The Event:This is the first session in a four-part series. Participants may register for one, multiple, or all four sessions – attendance at every session is not required. Each session relates to the main theme but will stand on its own, allowing participants to join at any point in the series. All sessions will also be recorded and made ava
Righteous Idolaters? A History of Christianity Through Jewish Eyes
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Joshua Garroway About The Event: Jews have viewed Christians alternately as friends and as enemies, as partners in salvation and as pitiable idolaters. Why such contrasts? Learn how Jewish perspectives on Christianity have developed from ancient to medieval to modern times. Hopefully, you’ll come away with some combination of amused, disgusted, an
Rebecca: Between Speech and Silence
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler The event was co-sponsored by Shalom ParkAbout The Event: Rebecca is one of the most active and decisive figures in the Torah — yet her voice is often heard only in fragments. In this class, we will explore the tension between speech and silence in Rebecca’s story: when she speaks boldly, when she remains silent, and what those moments rev
Why Should Jews Care About Christianity, and Why Should Christians Care About Judaism?
A virtual event presentation by Professor Elias Sacks About The Event: What can Jews learn from Christianity, and what can Christians learn from Judaism? What might we gain from interreligious dialogue, and what challenges can such conversations pose? To what extent does a commitment to Judaism or Christianity benefit from—or perhaps even require—learning about the other tradition, and wh
The Jewish Community of Japan: An Interview in Tokyo with Rabbi Scheer
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with the Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Japan, Rabbi Scheer.Rabbi Andrew Scheer was born and raised in Woodmere, New York. He studied at Yeshivat Sha’arei Mevaseret Zion and earned his BA in Jewish History from New York University.Between college and seminary, Andrew taught English in the Japanese countryside and Sunday School at the Jewish Community of
Who’s the Anomaly? American Jews and Israel/Israelis in Contemporary Novels
A virtual event presentation by Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion About The Event: This class will draw on recent American and Israeli novels that portray what it’s like to be a Jew in each country, as well as changing relationships between Jews in America and Jews in Israel, as Jews in both countries feel threatened by unanticipated chall
Building Intentional Spiritual Communities
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sid Schwarz About The Event: America is suffering from a spiritual “deficit”. It has been made worse by social media, ideological polarization, and an erosion of key parts of the American ethos. Rabbi Sid has been at the forefront of the synagogue transformation movement ever since the publication of his groundbreaking book, Finding a Spiritual Home:
Cain’s Children: Mysticism and Monstrosity in the Jewish Tradition
A virtual event presentation by David Shyovitz About The Event: Classical Jewish texts are chock-full of demons, monsters, incantations, and other occult and fantastical contents. But these elements are often treated dismissively or deemed embarrassing or “superstitious” — when they are even acknowledged at all. In this session, we will analyze a cryptic series of texts about the monstrou
Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Imagination
A virtual event presentation by Michael Fishbane About The Event: Primacies begins with the assertion that our earliest preverbal experiences are accompanied by a primary language—tears, cries, and laughter—offered long before we learn our ordinary languages. In this virtual book talk, Michael Fishbane explores how ancient, medieval, and modern literature and poetry express and transform
Pre-Shavout Class Series: Revelation - Event, Experience, or Ongoing Process
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc Gitler and Austin SwaffordAbout The Event:When we study Torah, are we uncovering truths that have always existed—waiting to be discovered like treasures buried in ancient text? Or are we active creators, bringing new meaning into the world through our interpretations and questions? Join Rabbi Marc Gitler and Dr. Austin Swafford for a dynamic Bei
Striving to Be Human
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Rabbi Douglas Kohn About The Event: In his clarion call for ethical behavior, Rabbi Hillel tells us, “In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human.” But what exactly does it mean to be human, especially in an age of rapid transformation? Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges
Jewish Comedy Post October 7th, A Conversation with Benji Lovitt
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with comedian Benji Lovitt. Comedian Benji Lovitt brings a unique and uplifting presentation that blends humor with insight. In this fun and educational presentation, Benji Lovitt explores how Israelis have always turned to humor during even the darkest times, not to be insensitive, but as a coping mechanism. People often say that Hamas celebrates death a
Love Is a Verb: Jewish Wisdom for Building Meaningful Relationships
An event presentation by Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff About The Event: In celebration of Lag Ba’Omer, a day of celebration, music, and weddings, an engaging learning session co-facilitated by Moishe Steigmann – The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shalom. About The Speakers: Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the f
The Audacity of the Rabbis – and How It Saved Judaism
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Moishe SteigmannAbout The Event:The rabbis once made a bold, audacious choice that changed the course of Jewish history and saved Judaism. In this class, we’ll trace that pivotal moment and discover how their courage and ingenuity can still guide and inspire us today.About The Speaker:Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of
The American Jewish Miracle
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Ed Feinstein About The Event: Over 2,000 years of the Jewish diaspora, no place has welcomed us and offered us more opportunities and freedom than America. And in turn, we offered America the gifts of our cultural genius. As we prepare to celebrate the 250th year of America, let’s look back at the wonders of American Jewish life. Source Sheet: https:
We Are Free—Now What?
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerAbout The Event:In this class, we’ll explore the complex reality the Israelites faced after leaving Egypt, when liberation gave way to uncertainty in the wilderness. Drawing on the biblical narrative of their journey through the desert, the class examines how sudden freedom can be disorienting—marked by fear, lack of direction, nostalgia, a
The Seven Questions That Make a Jewish Leader
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Mike Feuer About The Event: The difference between leading yourself and becoming the hero of your story isn't just semantic - it's spiritual. This talk presents seven questions from the Torah of Jewish heroism that transform personal growth into something greater: a journey of moral courage, service, and sacred purpose. They are a guide for those see
Models of Heroism and Independence in Our Time
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Mike Feuer About The Event: On the day after Israel’s Independence Day, this talk explores how certain models of Jewish heroism - the warrior and the public leader - have made sovereignty possible, yet cannot by themselves fulfill its deeper promise. Drawing on the Torah of Jewish heroism, we will ask what fuller independence requires today. The answ
The Questions That Never Go Away
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Ed Feinstein The event was co-sponsored by the United Jewish Federation of Utah and hosted by Temple Har Shalom. About The Event: A child asks innocently, Where is God? Where did Grandma go when she died? Why do bad things happen? The language may be childlike, but the questions are profound. These are the questions that grow from being human. And Ju
Forging White Heat: A Post–October 7 Haiku Journey
A virtual event presentation by Sara Tropper About The Event: In this book talk, I will present the forging of “White Heat” and read select poems from the volume. I will share what spurred me to write the book, define haiku and its interesting history, and discuss the sumi-e (Japanese pen-and-ink) artwork that accompanies the poems. The talk is designed to give the audience time to absorb
Holocaust Testimony Reimagined
A virtual event presentation by Martin Herskovitz About The Event: Eighty years after the Holocaust, a new narrative is taking its place alongside the heretofore trauma-based narratives: the artistic narratives of the Second and Third Generations. It is no longer just the atrocities themselves that are at the center of attention, but also how the heirs of the victims, the Second and Third
Mayim Bialik in Conversation with Rabbi Shmuly
A sit-down conversation with Mayim Bialik and Rabbi Shmuly. Mayim Bialik is best known for her lead role as Blossom Russo in the early-1990s NBC television sitcom Blossom. She played the role of Amy Farrah Fowler on the critically acclaimed CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, for which she received 2 Critics’ Choice Awards, 4 Emmy nominations, and a SAG Award nomination. She served as host of
An Unfinished Freedom: Passover as the Birth of an Ideal
An event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Armin Langer and Rabbi Moishe SteigmannAbout The Event: This year, we explore what freedom meant for the Israelites, who were included—and who were left out—in the Torah’s vision of liberation. We’ll reflect on how the call for freedom is both aspirational and incomplete and consider how its message resonates today. Together, we’ll imagine ways to carry
Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Wendy Zierler About The Event: This class will trace the origin of my feminist Kaddish / COVID memoir and the related Shir Hadash project, as well as the title “Going Out with Knots,” and will cover some thematically related poems. *Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tT11EayuMRuXhgqP7FBTjAePMCHQCWG1/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: W
Religion Meets Spirituality: Rabbi Shmuly in Conversation with Alan Morinis
Rabbi Shmuly has a sit-down interview with the founder of The Mussar Institute, Alan Morinis as they talk about the intersection of religion and spirituality in Judaism.Alan Morinis received his doctorate from Oxford University, which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship. He is one of the leading lights in the revival of the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar and is the author of Climbin
Torah, Tarot, and Trickery: Judaism’s Take on Magic and Divination
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Steven GotlibAbout The Event: What does Judaism REALLY believe about magic and divination? Join Steven Gotlib, an experienced magician/mentalist and former Tarot-reader, to delve into this fascinating and under-appreciated topic.*Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sKlv6niYx2BOjjCQvslDf5mI22PgST3V/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Steven G
The Shabbat Effect
A hybrid event presentation by Alan Morinis The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ About The Event: The topic of this session will be the forthcoming book, The Shabbat Effect. The point of the book is to outline how observing Shabbat with the intention of developing certain inner traits germane to a Shabbat practice will prove useful all seven days of the week and is a step toward the ultim
The Shankbone Redemption: The Inside Story of Passover
A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Ed FeinsteinThe event was co-sponsored by: The Hammerman Family & Congregation Or TzionAbout The Event:Each year we recite the story, with Pharaoh and Moses, frogs here, frogs there, and the splitting sea. It is our story, the foundation of our faith and vision of history. Buried in the story, beneath the songs and symbols of the holiday
Why Is This Passover Different From All Other Passovers? Interview with Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with Rabbi Ed Feinstein to talk about Passover. Rabbi Feinstein serves the Valley Beth Shalom community as a teacher, pastor, and visionary leader. He also serves on the faculty of the Ziegler Rabbinical School of the American Jewish University, the Wexner Heritage Program, and the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and lectures widely across the Unit
A Tradition of Revolution
An event presentation by Rabbi Ed FeinsteinAbout The Event:“Tradition!” sang Tevye, “that’s how we keep our balance!” Tradition is our superpower. We know that the words we say, the rites we practice, and the ethics we embrace have come down through the generations. But there is another source of our power, one not often recognized – our remarkable ability to re-invent, re-imagine, re-int
Stranger In A Strange Land
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc GitlerAbout The Event:Join Rabbi Marc for a thought-provoking exploration of one of Judaism’s most foundational questions. We remember the Exodus from Egypt every single day and celebrate it yearly on Pesach, recounting the story of our people’s liberation from bondage. But this raises a profound theological challenge: why did our ancestors have
The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Benjamin David and Rabbi Lindsey DanzigerAbout The Event:In this session, we will uncover lessons from The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma. This book is a powerful anthology of personal stories, offering a deeply moving exploration of how Jewish wisdom can help us navigate life’s most difficult moments.About The Speakers:Benjamin David is
What Animals Teach Us About Families: Kinship and Species in the Bible and Rabbinic Literature
A virtual event presentation by Professor Beth Berkowitz About The Event: Family separation due to war, migration, and incarceration is a major public concern, but what about the animal families routinely separated by human agriculture and development? What is the impact on them, on us, and on the planet? Moving beyond debates about the ethics of animal consumption to focus instead on ani
Esther: The Whole Ruth, but Nothing like the Ruth
An event presentation by Rabbi Ben GreenfieldThe event was co-sponsored by Jewish NevadaAbout The Event:Reading the Bible’s only two works named after women as belonging to one sustained conversation reveals two vastly different portrayals of heroism, narrative arc and female power. In this comparative study, we argue for — and spell out the implications of — reading Esther and Ruth in li
The Hidden Messages of Purim
A virtual event with Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: In this class, we'll explore the deeper layers of the Purim story that often go unnoticed. Together, we’ll look beyond the costumes, noise, and celebration to uncover subtle themes woven into the Megillah—hidden miracles, quiet acts of courage, and the power of human choice when God seems absent. Through close reading and reflection,
What is the Most Important Mitzvah in the Torah?
A virtual event with Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: Judaism contains 613 mitzvot, each shaping Jewish life in its own way. But are some more central than others? In this lecture, we’ll explore how the Torah and later Jewish thinkers have grappled with the idea of prioritizing commandments. By examining key biblical passages and rabbinic teachings, we’ll ask what it might mean to ident
The Masks We Wear
A virtual event presentation by Melanie Gruenwald About The Event: In this session, we will take a psycho-spiritual, kabbalistic exploration of our multiple masks and identities, and explore the themes connected to the upcoming holiday of Purim. *Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DccDFTg4zbdz7e-SC_wusZRtcEy7NIoH/view?usp=sharingAbout The Speaker: Melanie Gruenwald, Executive
Defining Justice: Do We Want Equity, Equality, or Revolution?
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sarah Mulhern About The Event: When we say we want to work for justice, what do we actually mean? In this class, we will dive into the question of whether a truly just outcome is about equity, equality, or is revolutionary in nature, and try to understand what the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to changemaking are. Through discussion and th
The Sevenfold Path: A Traveler’s Guide to Jewish Wisdom
A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) with Shira Milgrom and David M. Elcott The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Beth Israel About The Event: In this traveler’s guide to spiritual practice, Milgrom and Elcott bring the reader to many paths that seekers of the sacred walk. What is the universal sevenfold path? Recognizing a spark of the divine; honoring the covenant wi
Praying About the Unspeakable: Liturgy and Ritual as Response to Crisis
A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Dalia Marx The event was co-sponsored by Beth El Phoenix About The Event: Rabbi Dalia Marx, one of the most respected voices in contemporary Jewish thought and liturgy, will talk about how October 7 and the war since have brought profound and rapid changes to the world of Jewish prayer: the language, the focus, even the urgency.
The Grown-Up Midrash Says: Five Radical Midrashim Not Taught in Day Schools
A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi Ben Greenfield About The Event: Did God lust after the Matriarchs? Did Jacob think he was Divine? Did Mordechai breastfeed Esther? The Midrash (the 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 radical, imaginative, and philosophically astute readi
How Tu B’Shvat Teaches Us to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Sharona Halickman About The Event: You may think that reduce, reuse, and recycle are modern concepts for saving the environment, but when we delve into the Talmud's insights into the Seven Species of Israel, we will find that these ideas are intrinsic in these Biblical fruits. *Source Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PJE9haKXAMUditgC1dczI
The Power of Song: Lifting Our Voices in Praise and Protest
A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi. About The Event: As we approach Shabbat Shirah, the “Shabbat of Song,” and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we turn our attention to the sacred power of voice. From the Israelites singing at the sea to modern movements for freedom and justice, song has carried the Jewish s
Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir
A virtual event presentation with Dr. Shulamit Reinharz About The Event:In her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir, Dr. Reinharz offers a unique narrative by collaborating with her father, Max Rothschild, to share personal stories of survival and resistance during the Holocaust. Her insights offer an enriched understanding of history's impact on contemporary Jewish identity. Abou
Ivri: The Roots of Anti-semitism
A virtual event presented by Rabbi Marc Gitler About The Event: Anti-semitism has seemingly been around forever. In this lecture, we will explore its earliest expressions through stories in the Book of Genesis, focusing on the figure of the Ivri—the “Hebrew” who stands apart. By examining these foundational narratives, we’ll uncover how difference, otherness, and moral challenge can provo
Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Elliot DorffAbout The Event:Drawing from Chapter 3 of the book, Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life, this session will explore how Western, Christian, and Jewish traditions understand the nature of the human being, and how these differing perspectives shape a wide range of moral issues.*Source Sheet: https://dr
Bal Tashchit: How to Turn an Ancient Law Into a Force for Earth’s Care
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David SeidenbergAbout The Event:The law against wasting or destroying things, Bal Tashchit, is a torch held up by Jewish environmentalists to prove that Judaism cares about the Earth, but the law, as it is codified in halakhah (Jewish law), is that you can destroy anything if you can make a profit doing it. We will delve into the roots and interpretat
How Are These Responsa Different From All Others?
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. David GolinkinAbout The Event:Responsa are written answers by rabbis to halakhic questions. Since 1985, I have written approximately 900 responsa, over 200 of which have been published. In this lecture, I would like to explain my methodology by describing six characteristics of my Responsa, and giving examples, primarily from my most recent volume
Lessons from the Olive Tree for Families, Jewish Unity, and the Social Security System
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jon Greenberg.About The Event:This program will explore the symbolic and halachic significance of the olive tree. The questions we’ll examine include:Neglected agricultural and political reasons that the olive oil Chanukah displaced an earlier symbol of Chanukah,Why the 15th of Av became a day for matchmaking,How the social and technological history of
What We Celebrate When We Celebrate Hanukkah: Four Theories on Unsettled Question
A hybrid event with Rabbi Ben Greenfield. About The Event: Classic Rabbinic sources offer very different answers to a key Hanukkah question: what exactly are we celebrating on this holiday? From Medieval Zionism to Rabbinic Pacifism, we'll explore 5 vital “retellings” of the Hanukkah story with very different takes on these 8 days.Source Sheets:Page 1Page 2Page 3Page 4Page 5About The Spea
Animals as Kabbalistic Masters
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer. About The Event: Animals don’t receive much attention in kabbalistic texts and even less so in scholarship on kabbalah. When they do, it is predominantly to teach humans to be better humans. Howrome anonymous kabbaalist who believed there was a deeper connection between humans and animals, to the point that stories were told about anim
Power and Politics in the Hebrew Bible
A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher. About The Event: The epic narratives in the Books of the Prophets take us on a dramatic journey from the chaotic days of the Judges to the building and breaking of the Israelite monarchy in Samuel and Kings. Along the way, we encounter prophets, priests, and kings locked in a struggle over the meaning of power, justice, and leadership. To
Before Good & Evil: Moral Relativism in Jewish Ethics
A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi David Kasher About The Event: What does it mean to call something “good” or “evil”? Are moral values absolute, or do they depend on culture, context, and perspective? This class explores how Jewish texts across the ages have grappled with questions of moral relativism — examining biblical narratives, rabbinic debates, and modern philosophical reflectio
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