Looking Back at Jews and the Civil Rights Movement
Apr 5, 2021
The story of how Jews were key allies to African Americans in the Civil Rights Movement is well known. But when historical narratives become conventional wisdom, it can lead to stagnation. Now, many are asking when it comes to Black-Jewish relations, where do we go from here? In this session, led by Dr. Jason Schulman, we will look back at the story of Jews and the Civil Rights Movement to explore some new directions for the study of the field and new bases for honest dialogue.
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Freedom for Whom?
Mar 22, 2021 By Eliezer B. Diamond z”l | Public Event video | Video Lecture
First and foremost, the traditional Haggadah celebrates our liberation from Egypt. At the same time, it reflects our experience of oppression over the course of many centuries. It is therefore a plea to be redeemed anew that reflects and potentially re-enforces an adversarial relationship with the non-Jewish world. In our own time the Jews of the United States and Israel enjoy unprecedented freedom. How do we honor the voice of tradition while also including the modern voices seeking liberation for all?
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Facing the Other: Moral Dilemmas in Israeli Literature
Mar 1, 2021 By Barbara Mann | Public Event video | Video Lecture
Lyric poetry, with its unique voice and vivid imagery, offers a brief but intense opportunity toenter intothe intimate space of another.鈥疶hrough texts by canonical Israeli authors (Dan Pagis, Yehuda Amichai, and DaliaRavikovitch), we will trace a series of poetic encounters between Self and Other: survivor and perpetrator; mother and child; victim and hero; Jew and Palestinian.鈥�
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Reading the Resisting Woman as 鈥淥ther鈥�
Feb 22, 2021 By Shira D. Epstein | Public Event video | Video Lecture
Who has the right to anger? When is defiance cast as positive in our texts and when is it silenced? We will explore the Vashti narrative through the lens of power dynamics, status shifts, performing of gendered emotions, and as an example of reading the resisting woman as 鈥淥ther.鈥�
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Different But Equal?
The Paradox of Chosenness
Feb 8, 2021 By Alan Cooper | Public Event video | Video Lecture
Jewish conceptions ofchosennessor election鈥攔ooted especially in the language ofExodus 19:5-6鈥攖raditionally were hierarchical, often asserting Jewish superiority over others. Such notions run afoul of modern ideas about social justice, typically anchored in egalitarian values that would have been alien to pre-modern authors. Is it possible to uphold a version of Jewish 鈥渄ifference鈥� that is simultaneously non-hierarchical yet answerable to traditional sources?
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Other Gods: What the Bible Thinks about Other Nations鈥� Deities
Feb 1, 2021 By Benjamin D. Sommer | Public Event video | Video Lecture
The Bible frequently instructs the nation Israel not to worship 鈥渙ther gods鈥� (讗诇讛讬诐讗讞专讬诐).But the Bible never actually states that these other gods do not exist. Praying to other gods would be an act of disloyalty for an Israelite, but not an absurdity鈥攖here are apparently other gods who would hear the prayers in question. In fact, the Bible regards it as perfectly appropriate for other nations to worship them, because the 鈥渙ther gods鈥� are simply the gods of other nations. In this session, we will examine the biblical attitude toward these other gods and what their existence implies about other religions. We will see, paradoxically, that the Bible remains monotheistic, even though it acknowledges the existence of many deities.
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Some Unexpected Stories About Women in the Talmud
Jan 25, 2021 By Judith Hauptman | Public Event video | Video Lecture
Although most Talmudic anecdotes feature men, some feature wives, mothers, and daughters of rabbis. These women learned Jewish law, and even, on occasion, helped formulate it. Join Dr. Judith Hauptman to study several of these short episodes and explore their significance, both historically and through the present day.
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The Challenge of Accepting the 鈥極ther鈥�: Jewish Attitudes Toward Converts
Jan 4, 2021 By David C. Kraemer | Public Event video | Video Lecture
One of the best ways to understand the identity of a community or people is to consider what happens when someone who is originally an 鈥渙ther鈥濃�攁 鈥渇oreigner鈥濃�攁pproaches to become a member of the community. How does the community respond? Does the community permit the 鈥渇oreigner鈥� to become one of its own? What residual attitudes are expressed toward one who began as 鈥渙ther鈥� and part of the community? In the case of Jews and Judaism, all of these questions pertain to the case of the convert. In this session, we will examine how the convert has been viewed and treated in Judaism, from antiquity and through the ages. By doing so, we will gain a more nuanced understanding of who 鈥渨e鈥� are.
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