- Pacific Time Series
Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan—Readings from the Zohar: Commentary on the Weekly Torah Portion (Zoom only)
Join us on Fridays at noon for a look at the Torah Portion of the week through the portal of the Zohar. The gate pictured here is the entrance to the garden of Moses de Leon, the compiler of the Zohar. He published it as a weekly Torah companion, and that is how we will encounter it.
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- Pacific Time Series
Jehon Grist—Reading the Bible: Josiah’s Three Stories: Kings, Chronicles and Josephus (Zoom only)
Many scholars regard King Josiah of Judah (ca. 640-609 BCE) as the founder of a strict one-G-d religion for his kingdom which previously worshipped YHWH but also allowed for other deities. His revolution was both consequential and violent, and paved the way for one of the key precepts of Judaism: monotheism.
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- Pacific Time Series
Rabbi Sheldon Lewis—The Ground on Which We Stand: Jewish Values Summoning Us To Care For Our Only Home (In person or on Zoom)
In partnership with Congregation Kol Emeth and Congregation Beth Am
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- Pacific Time Series
Rabbi Patricia Karlin-Neumann: Friendship in the Bible and Rabbinic Texts (Zoom only)
“When two sit and study together, the Shechina dwells among them.” (Pirke Avot) Judaism’s unique mode of study is called “chavruta”—from the Hebrew root, “chaver” meaning friend. Friendship is inherently about learning—from another, about oneself, about the world beyond oneself. We will explore what Jewish sources teach about friendship. This course is best experienced when shared with a friend, so bring a friend to be your study partner!
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- Pacific Time
Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan & Rachel Biale—What REALLY Happens on Tu BiShvat: From the Kabbalah to the Kibbutz (Zoom only)
In partnership with Cong. Etz Chayim, Palo Alto
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Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel—The Bible Now: Genesis (Zoom only)
Explore the book of Genesis: major themes, style, character, and authorship. Topics include: Origins, Ancestors, Jacob's Family, and Joseph and His Brothers. We will also consider Genesis within the broader context of ancient Near Eastern literature. The recommended translation is Robert Alter, Genesis: Translation and Commentary.
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Jehon Grist—Reading the Bible: In the Beginning...Biblical and Other Creation Stories
For millennia, we humans have wanted to know how it all began, and why. Within the tradition of the Western world, we need to go back to its earliest civilizations to find the foundations of our own notions of creation. First on our list is the Book of Genesis narrative, actually two creation stories blended into one. While that will be the focus of our class, we’ll also delve into the origin stories of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece to see not only how they differed from each other, but to what extent they contributed to each other and the Biblical account. Sessions will include richly illustrated historical and archaeological background so that students can fully appreciate the process that created the tales of our beginnings. Texts, notes and additional readings will be provided by the instructor.
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- Pacific Time
Dr. Ron Feldman—Why Jewish Holidays Are Always Late or Early: How the Jewish Calendar Evolved (Zoom only)
This class will examine Jewish timekeeping as a way to understand Jewish attitudes toward the natural world. In particular, we will trace the history and differences among ancient Jewish calendars of the Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, and Talmud with particular focus on different ways of incorporating the rhythms of the lunar month (a natural cycle) and Sabbath (a non-natural cycle).
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- Pacific Time Series
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room (Zoom only)
In partnership with the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union
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Daniel Matt: Exploring the Zohar (Virtual on Zoom)
A partnership program of New Lehrhaus
In this course we read and study the Zohar, the masterpiece of Kabbalah. Currently, we are exploring the Zohar on the Book of Genesis. Students can enroll in the current series, held live on Zoom.
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