Drought, famine, established powers on the edge of collapse, mass migrations from failed states to other countries: you may be thinking of the Middle East in 2022. Try 1180 BCE! 

In partnership with Cong. Beth Israel

In partnership with Americans for Ben-Gurion University

Jody Hirsh: Bible, Midrash, Art: The Richness of Bible Narratives (Virtual on Zoom)

Jody Hirsh: Bible, Midrash, Art: The Richness of Bible Narratives (Virtual on Zoom)

3 sessions

Apparently uncomfortable with various portions of the Torah, the rabbis provide interpretations that tend to neutralize the troubling aspects of those texts.  In this class, we will engage in close readings of texts from the Torah and corresponding Talmudic passages.

In partnership with Temple Isaiah, Temple Sinai and Congregation Beth El

Qohelet (or Kohellet, Ecclesiastes) is one of the strangest and most revolutionary books of the Hebrew Bible. We will explore its poetry and philosophy in the context of biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.

Presented by The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Chair in Jewish Studies in partnership with the Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, and the Jewish studies program at UC Berkeley 

FREE program presented by our partners, the Jewish Community Library