The French Revolution: Was It Good for the Jews?
Prof. Jeremy Popkin, 7/14/24
The French Revolution offered Jews the opportunity to become citizens, but at the cost of abandoning their communal autonomy. Was it a good deal?
”The World to Begin Againe:” Jews and the American Revolution
Prof. Michael Hoberman, 7/1/24
Fewer than two thousand Jews lived in North America during the American Revolution. Some were Tories, some sided with the rebellion, and a significant number couldn’t make up their minds whose side they were on. Whether they took part in the fighting, held down the homefront, or tried to steer clear of all the trouble, they couldn’t help but be implicated by the war’s turmoil and outcome.
By the Waters of Babylon: Jews & Music In Iraq
John Erlich, 4/18/24
In 1947, Baghdad’s Jewish community comprised about 25% of the city’s population, and Iraq’s 130,000 Jews comprised almost 3% of the total population (higher than the Jewish population in the USA today). From 1948 to 1951, nearly the entire Jewish population of Iraq emigrated under extreme duress. This presentation, with performed musical examples, describes the place of Iraqi Jews within the larger Iraqi culture, the function of music in Iraqi Jewish life, and the role played by Jews in Iraqi music.
Without Jews There Would Be No (Comic Book) Superheroes
Rabbi Harry Manhoff, 6/20/24
Superman, Batman and the Fantastic Four were all created by Jewish men. In fact, almost all of the original DC and Marvel superheroes, except Wonder Woman, were created by Jewish writers and artists. Rabbi Harry Manhoff considers why this may be true. He also discusses why, until five or ten years ago, the comic book industry was dominated by Jews as writers, artists, pencilers and publishers. We will also look at the Jewish roots for some of these superheroes and supervillains, and the characters who are identified as Jewish today.
Sex and Furniture in Jewish Tradition
Rachel Biale, 5/23/24
Sex and furniture, really? Really! Beds (of course), tables, lamps, and ornaments: rabbinic texts illuminate attitudes towards sexuality in key texts where furniture appears—either as literal objects or as metaphors.
October 7th & the Israel-Gaza War: Behind and Beyond the News, part...
Bradley Burston, 5/19/24
October 7th and the subsequent war in Gaza have deeply shaken the Haredi community in Israel and upended the long-simmering hostility between the Haredim and secular Israelis. Prof. Benjamin Brown, an expert on the Haredi community, will describe the response to October 7th and the war by a community that is often seen—erroneously—as insular and disconnected from Israel’s security and political arenas.
The Holocaust and the Yishuv (The Jewish Community in Palestine)
Prof. Eran Kaplan, 5/2/24
While members of the Jewish Yishuv were not in a position to impact the course of the Second World War, the war and the Sho’ah had a profound impact on the Yishuv (and the young state of Israel). In this talk, we will explore the way the Yishuv and its leadership reacted to the War, the way political and ideological divisions shaped the attitudes of members of the Yishuv towards the events in Europe, and how these differences helped define some of the core political divisions in the immediate aftermath of Israeli independence.
Multiple Presenters: Walking in the Valley of the Shadow, part 5
Rabbi Dan Goldbaltt & Zoe Goldblatt, 4/4/24
The Art of Comforting: the Dying, Family & Friends, Mourning Rituals
Jewish ways in death and dying: traditional and contemporary concepts and practices, the approach of death, dying and burial, grief and comforting the bereaved.
What REALLY Happened on Purim
Jehon Grist, 3/24/24
Esther’s story is exciting, romantic and disturbing. Set in the imaginary lavish court of the Persian king 2,400 years ago, it is an early example of anti-Semitism. Is there actual history here? Why did many Jews oppose its addition to the Biblical Canon? We will explore key parts of the text of the Book of Esther and its world, then fast forward to its ‘movie midrash’ – how Hollywood has interpreted the story.
Multiple Presenters: Walking in the Valley of the Shadow, part 4
Rabbi Me’irah Illinsky, 3/21/24
Mapping the Journey: the Mourner & the Soul
Jewish ways in death and dying: traditional and contemporary concepts and practices, the approach of death, dying and burial, grief and comforting the bereaved.
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room, part 5
Prof. Naomi Seidman: “Off the Derekh” in Contemporary Orthodoxy, 3/19/24
Heresy is as old as Orthodoxy; we already find it in the Bible! It then continues as a thread, sometimes subterranean, others front and center, throughout Jewish history and thought. This course will take you on a journey from the Bible to today, stopping to consider heresy from the Talmud and Spinoza to the false messiah Shabbatai Zvi and the antinomian thinker Jacob Frank, all the way to the complex paths of those who leave Orthodoxy today.
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room, part 4
Prof. Ariel Mayse—Modern Antinomianism: Shabbatai Zvi and Jacob Frank, 3/12/24
Heresy is as old as Orthodoxy; we already find it in the Bible! It then continues as a thread, sometimes subterranean, others front and center, throughout Jewish history and thought. This course will take you on a journey from the Bible to today, stopping to consider heresy from the Talmud and Spinoza to the false messiah Shabbatai Zvi and the antinomian thinker Jacob Frank, all the way to the complex paths of those who leave Orthodoxy today.
Zelda Popkin: A Jewish Woman Ahead of Her Time
Prof. Jeremy Popkin, 3/10/24
Before there was feminism, there was Zelda Popkin. Before there was a Jewish women’s movement, there was Zelda Popkin. Before Leon Uris’ Exodus, there was her 1951 novel Quiet Street about Israel’s struggle for independence. From the Roaring ‘20s to the romanticization of the immigrant experience in the 1960s, Zelda Popkin lived through it all and wrote about all the issues that affected American Jews.
Why Jewish Holidays Are Always Late or Early: How the Jewish Calendar Evolved
Ron Feldman, 3/6/24
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).
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room, part 3
Profs. Hannah Ginsborg & Sam Berrin Shonkoff—Modern Europe: Spinoza, 3/5/24
Heresy is as old as Orthodoxy; we already find it in the Bible! It then continues as a thread, sometimes subterranean, others front and center, throughout Jewish history and thought. This course will take you on a journey from the Bible to today, stopping to consider heresy from the Talmud and Spinoza to the false messiah Shabbatai Zvi and the antinomian thinker Jacob Frank, all the way to the complex paths of those who leave Orthodoxy today.
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room, part 2—Talmud: “The Other,”...
Prof. Charlotte Fonrobert, 2/27/24
Heresy is as old as Orthodoxy; we already find it in the Bible! It then continues as a thread, sometimes subterranean, others front and center, throughout Jewish history and thought. This course will take you on a journey from the Bible to today, stopping to consider heresy from the Talmud and Spinoza to the false messiah Shabbatai Zvi and the antinomian thinker Jacob Frank, all the way to the complex paths of those who leave Orthodoxy today.
Walking in the Valley of the Shadow, part 2
Liz Orlin & Sam Salkin, 2/22/24
Advanced Planning—Practicalities: Tahara, Shmira, Burial Plans, Cemetery Options, Insurance
Jewish ways in death and dying: traditional and contemporary concepts and practices, the approach of death, dying and burial, grief and comforting the bereaved.
Multiple presenters: The Heretic in the Room, part 1—The Korach Rebellion
Prof. David Biale, 2/20/24
Heresy is as old as Orthodoxy; we already find it in the Bible! It then continues as a thread, sometimes subterranean, others front and center, throughout Jewish history and thought. This course will take you on a journey from the Bible to today, stopping to consider heresy from the Talmud and Spinoza to the false messiah Shabbatai Zvi and the antinomian thinker Jacob Frank, all the way to the complex paths of those who leave Orthodoxy today.
Walking in the Valley of the Shadow, part 1
Sam Salkin, Liz Orlin, Edna Stewart, Rabbi Me’irah Illinsky & Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, 2/8/24
Jewish ways in death and dying: traditional and contemporary concepts and practices, the approach of death, dying and burial, grief and comforting the bereaved. Part 1: The (Difficult) Family Conversation—End of Life Issues & Options: DNR, Medical Directives, Palliative Care, Medical Aid in Dying
The Bible Now: Genesis, part 4
Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel,, 2/6/24
Joseph and His Brothers: Genesis 37-50
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.
Exploring Hasidism, part 2
Prof. Ariel Mayse, 1/31/24
Explore the spiritual legacy and theology of Hasidism, a movement of mystical renewal founded in the 18th century whose fire continues into the present day. We’ll pay special attention to teachings on devotion, prayer, community, ecology, and the possibility of finding the sacred in ordinary moments.
The Bible Now: Genesis, part 3
Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel,, 1/30/24
Jacob’s Family: Genesis 25-36
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.
Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel—The Bible Now: Genesis, part 2
Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel, 1/23/24
Session 2: Ancestors: Genesis 12-25
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.
The Bible Now: Genesis, part 1
Profs. Robert Alter & Ron Hendel, 1/16/24
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.
Session 1: Origins: Genesis Chapters 1-11
Exploring Hasidism
Prof. Ariel Evan Mayse, 1/10/2024
Explore the spiritual legacy and theology of Hasidism, a movement of mystical renewal founded in the 18th century whose fire continues into the present day. We’ll pay special attention to teachings on devotion, prayer, community, ecology, and the possibility of finding the sacred in ordinary moments.
Judeo-Arabic and the Jews of North Africa, part 2
Rabbi Tsipora Gabai in conversation with Jim Mavrikios, 11/20/23
Since Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are located on the westernmost part of the Arabic-speaking world, Jews (and non-Jews) from the region are known as Maghrebi, “western.” Interesting, when one considers that Moroccan Jews are generally included under the banner of the eidot hamizrach, “communities of the east”. In this session Rabbi Gabai discusses her experience as a Moroccan Jew and rabbi.
Judeo-Arabic and the Jews of North Africa, part 1
Rabbi Tsipora Gabai & Jim Mavrikios, 11/13/23
Since Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia are located on the westernmost part of the Arabic-speaking world, Jews (and non-Jews) from the region are known as Maghrebi, “western.” Interesting, when one considers that Moroccan Jews are generally included under the banner of the eidot hamizrach, “communities of the east”. This session addresses the Arabic language among Jews, the varieties of Arabic and its “dialects,” Arabic in Israel, etc.
Buber and Heschel: Encountering the I-Thou and Articulating the Ineffable, part...
Rabbi Molly Karp
This course explores Buber’s and Heschel’s key theological teachings. For Buber, our relationship with the Divine and with each other should be I-Thou rather than I-It relationships. Heschel explores the ways Judaism allows us to encounter the ineffable with “radical amazement”. Heschel was a great champion of the Civil Rights Movement; marching to Selma with Martin Luther King, he said, “my feet were praying.”
Buber and Heschel: Encountering the I-Thou and Articulating the Ineffable, part...
Rabbi Molly Karp
This course explores Buber’s and Heschel’s key theological teachings. For Buber, our relationship with the Divine and with each other should be I-Thou rather than I-It relationships. Heschel explores the ways Judaism allows us to encounter the ineffable with “radical amazement”. Heschel was a great champion of the Civil Rights Movement; marching to Selma with Martin Luther King, he said, “my feet were praying.”
The Jews of Spain: Their Story, part 3
Dr. Jehon Grist
After searching out the beginnings of Jewish Spain over 2,000 years ago we’ll focus on the Muslim invasion and the Golden Age that followed. From there, we’ll chronicle the slow but steady advance of Christian armies, finally leading to the Expulsion of Jews (and Muslims) from Spain in 1492 and later years. We’ll close with a look at the fate of Sephardic Jews after the Expulsion as well as the fate of Spain in those centuries right up to today.
Buber and Heschel: Encountering the I-Thou and Articulating the Ineffable, part...
Rabbi Molly Karp
This course explores Buber’s and Heschel’s key theological teachings. For Buber, our relationship with the Divine and with each other should be I-Thou rather than I-It relationships. Heschel explores the ways Judaism allows us to encounter the ineffable with “radical amazement”. Heschel was a great champion of the Civil Rights Movement; marching to Selma with Martin Luther King, he said, “my feet were praying.”
The Jews of Spain: Their Story, part 2
Dr. Jehon Grist
After searching out the beginnings of Jewish Spain over 2,000 years ago we’ll focus on the Muslim invasion and the Golden Age that followed. From there, we’ll chronicle the slow but steady advance of Christian armies, finally leading to the Expulsion of Jews (and Muslims) from Spain in 1492 and later years. We’ll close with a look at the fate of Sephardic Jews after the Expulsion as well as the fate of Spain in those centuries right up to today.
From Animosity to Solidarity: Jews and Chinese in San Francisco from the Gold...
Fred Rosenbaum & Prof. Yong Chen
No group was more oppressed during San Francisco’s first century than its large, vibrant Chinese community. Jews, by contrast, were among the city’s most prominent corporate and civic leaders—and part of the dominant white society that persecuted Asian Americans. There were also, however, beneficial interactions between the groups. The relationship between the Chinese and Jews, ancient civilizations with many shared values, evolved in San Francisco’s second century to one of mutual support.
The Jews of Spain: Their Story
Dr. Jehon Grist
After searching out the beginnings of Jewish Spain over 2,000 years ago we’ll focus on the Muslim invasion and the Golden Age that followed. From there, we’ll chronicle the slow but steady advance of Christian armies, finally leading to the Expulsion of Jews (and Muslims) from Spain in 1492 and later years. We’ll close with a look at the fate of Sephardic Jews after the Expulsion as well as the fate of Spain in those centuries right up to today.
Buber and Heschel: Encountering the I-Thou and Articulating the Ineffable
Rabbi Molly Karp
This course explores Buber’s and Heschel’s key theological teachings. For Buber, our relationship with the Divine and with each other should be I-Thou rather than I-It relationships. Heschel explores the ways Judaism allows us to encounter the ineffable with “radical amazement”. Heschel was a great champion of the Civil Rights Movement; marching to Selma with Martin Luther King, he said, “my feet were praying.”
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
Andrew Porwancher
After debunking myths about Hamilton’s origins, Prof. Porwancher arrives at a startling conclusion—Hamilton was, in all likelihood, born and raised Jewish. While he did not identify as a Jew in his American adulthood, Hamilton emerged as an important advocate for Jewry in the United States. This story offers a fresh insight into a young republic, torn between New World promises and Old World prejudices.
Breads of the Jews
Aliza Grayevsky Somekh
Wheat pancakes, matzah, challah, bagels, rye and pumpernickel bread and pita are all breads associated with Jewish life and culture. After a bird’s-eye view of Jewish breads, we bake some samples in the Urban Adamah kitchen.
Heritage and Memory: The Jews of Greece, part 2
Jim Mavrikios—Greek Jewry and the Little Shul that Could
Neither Ashkenazic nor Sephardic, the Romaniote Jews of Greece were there to welcome the Sephardim who fled Spain in the fifteenth century. Learn about the history and customs of the Romaniote Jews, and discover the only Romaniote synagogue in the western hemisphere, Kehila Kedosha Janina in New York City.
Heritage and Memory: The Jews of Greece, part 1
Jehon Grist—Genesis: Jews in Ancient Greece
Spanning back to at least the 4th century BCE, our ancestors built a distinctive culture that blended Biblical tradition with Greek ideas that helped forge our emergence into Classical Judaism. We’ll explore both text and archaeology to discover the world of the Jews of Greece through the centuries of antiquity.
“Old Boys” at the New Lehrhaus: The Rosenzweig-Buber-Scholem Debate...
Sam Shonkoff, Naomi Seidman & David Biale
What if Franz Rosenzweig, Martin Buber and Gershom Scholem were transported to 2023 Berkeley and asked to teach at New Lehrhaus? How would the passing of over a century since they established and taught at Lehrhaus Judaica in Frankfurt in 1920 change their debates about God and the Commandments, Zionism and Messianism, and Adult Jewish Learning?
Smiling through Tears? Jewish Humor in Antiquity, part 4
Prof. Erich Gruen
This program considers a number of texts composed by Jews dwelling under imperial rule in antiquity in order to understand how the humor in those texts reflects the experience and attitudes of a subordinate people. The topic of this lecture is “Jonah: Prophecy or Parody?”
What REALLY Happened at Sinai?
Dr. Jehon Grist & Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan
Shavuot celebrates Matan Torah – the giving of the Torah at Sinai. But what really happened there? Jewish tradition holds that every Jew throughout all time was present at Sinai. What do we “remember” from it? And what does archeology tell us about it: was there a mass gathering? a golden calf? tablets inscribed with ten commandments? Or did something even more earthshaking happen in the Sinai desert?
The Bible on the Couch: A Rabbi and Psychiatrist Analyze Sacred Texts, part 1
Rabbi Judy Shanks & Dr. James Gracer
The presenters join forces to bring a psychological lens to our Biblical ancestors. We explore hidden motivations, possible diagnoses, and complicated relationships between siblings, spouses, G-d, and humans. Teachings draw on midrashic texts and modern psychological theories.
Smiling through Tears? Jewish Humor in Antiquity, part 3
Prof. Erich Gruen
This program considers a number of texts composed by Jews dwelling under imperial rule in antiquity in order to understand how the humor in those texts reflects the experience and attitudes of a subordinate people. The topic of this lecture is “Jonah: Prophecy or Parody?”
Blood Libel: On the Trail of An Antisemitic Myth
Magda Teter
Annual Pell Lecture presented by the UC Berkeley Center for Jewish Studies and The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life
The talk explores how a medieval anti-Jewish lie became rooted in Christian imagination to persist into the twenty first century US and lead to a horrific crime in California.
Smiling through Tears? Jewish Humor in Antiquity, part 2
Prof. Erich Gruen
This program considers a number of texts composed by Jews dwelling under imperial rule in antiquity in order to understand how the humor in those texts reflects the experience and attitudes of a subordinate people. The topic of this lecture is “Judith and Susanna: Feminist Heroines?”
Smiling through Tears? Jewish Humor in Antiquity, part 1
Prof. Erich Gruen
This program considers a number of texts composed by Jews dwelling under imperial rule in antiquity in order to understand how the humor in those texts reflects the experience and attitudes of a subordinate people. The topic of this lecture is “Esther: Triumph or Travesty?”
Soil to Soul: People of the Cookbook
Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett in conversation with Yoel Raviv of the Jewish Food Society
Read as a genre of literature, each recipe a poem, cookbooks and recipe collections offer a unique perspective on the history and diversity of Jewish life. This conversation will draw on Barbara’s collection and highlights from the Jewish Food Society archive of stories and recipes.
The Promiscuous World of Jewish Music, part 4
Josh Horowitz
Explore Jewish musical themes in wedding music, the synthesis of “Gypsy” and Jewish music, the case of a 19th-century traveling Hasidic musician, an analysis of the only surviving pre-war Yiddish opera, and an instrument that previously defined klezmer music but has since been forgotten.
Judaism in a Bottle: The Manischewitz Story
Jhos Singer
How did this Manischewitz wine—which transgresses oenophilic culture, defies epicurean standards of excellence, and is loved by winos and children everywhere‚—come to define Kosher wine and, in some ways, Jewish identity, in the 20th century?
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