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50 Transformative Psychology Studies & Theories and Jewish perspectives on them
A virtual class series hosted by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
ABOUT THE CLASS:
In this class series, Rabbi Shmuly will explore the Torah of the mind. Examining thinkers like Freud, Piaget, Maslow, Frankl, and so many others, over 50 interactive sessions, we will explore how Jewish thought intersects with modern psychological studies and theories. Looking at consciousness, moral reasoning, ego, love, learning, and evil, how can we better understand why humans act as they do? Considering our relationships, traumas, memories, conflicts, and self-esteem, how can reflecting on the deep complexity of our minds, help us live more meaningful lives? Further, how might Jewish ethics and Jewish philosophy help us ask not just “how do we live” but “how might we live?” Join us for a deep dive into the collective mind, the individual mind, and the Jewish mind.
All are held over Zoom every Tuesday at 10am PT (1pm ET).
Cost: $18/individual class, free for VBM Members
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash.
The Social Aspect of Reincarnation
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Why do certain people appear in our lives? And how can certain kabbalistic contemplations deepen our relationships with our family, friends and day-to-day encounters? In this class, we learn about a beautiful secret relating to the tree of life, reincarnation and their relevance to our day to day lives.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy, focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race. His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s magestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah’, an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married, with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented.
Chamber in the Chapel: A Hoshana Rabbah Lecture-Performance
A hybrid event presentation by Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: the Center for Jewish Philanthropy of Greater Phoenix, ASU Jewish Studies, and the Beth El “Chamber in the Chapel Series”
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Hoshana Rabbah, the seventh and final day of the fall Sukkot festival, is one of the most fascinating and least appreciated dates on the Jewish calendar. Traditionally regarded as the holiday season’s final opportunity for teshuvah (repentance) it was also the setting for concerts in early modern Italy. Come join us for a lecture by Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin exploring the significance and unique practices of Hoshana Rabbah and a performance of “Elyon, Melits Umastin” (“God, Defender and Accuser”), vocal and instrumental music composed especially for the occasion in Italy in 1733.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Dr. Daniel Stein Kokin is an adjunct member of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies faculty at Arizona State University. He has lectured and published widely on both Jewish and Israeli cultural history.
Featured Musicians:
Dio - Chad Millar
Clemenza - Sarah Bollt
Rigore - Todd Herzog
Violin - Jim Apperson
Oboe - Mary Simon
Continuo - John Massaro
This page will register you for the online (Zoom) program.
Click here to register for the in-person option, held at Beth El.
Jews, Animals, and Jewish Animals in the Middle Ages
A virtual event presentation by Professor David Shyovitz
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Is Judaism—and by extension, religious identity—a category applicable only to human beings? Or might non-human animals also, in some sense, have religious standing and status? This session will explore some classical Jewish perspectives on this question, surveying medieval rabbinic debates over whether animals have immortal souls and are eligible for heavenly reward; whether they can—or must—perform religious commandments; how and when humans can transform into animals, and vice versa; and so on. While these subjects may seem fanciful, they were of obsessive interest to medieval Jewish thinkers and had important implications for both Jewish self-understanding as well as debates between Jews and their Christian and Muslim neighbors.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
David Shyovitz is Associate Professor of Jewish History at Northwestern University and Director of NU's Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He is the author of the award-winning A Remembrance of His Wonders: Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz.
Conscious AI - The New Golems?
A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) presentation by Dr. Mois Navon
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: ASU Jewish Studies, Congregation Or Tzion
ABOUT THE EVENT:
While hard to imagine, scientists are working on building robots (and chatbots) with human-level consciousness. Is this something to look forward to? Join Dr. Mois Navon for a surprisingly relevant talk that will make you think about life, love and humanity.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Mois Navon is one of the founding engineers of Mobileye, where he designed the EyeQ family of SoC (System On a Chip) – the chip powering the autonomous vehicle revolution. Mois is also an ordained rabbi who has published numerous articles on Jewish law and lore. Working at the intersection of Torah U’Madda, he received his PhD from the department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University wherein his dissertation applies Jewish philosophy to address the ethical questions arising in the field of artificial intelligence.
Jews and Biblical Criticism
A virtual presentation by Dr. Marc Brettler
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The belief that the Torah is a composite book written by people over a long period of time, that the Hebrew Bible text that we use contains errors, and that the Bible was influenced by ancient Near Eastern texts, are main elements of the historical-critical analysis of the Bible. What are the variety of reactions to these developments of the last few centuries within the Jewish community? To what extent have Jews of different types accepted these scholarly claims, and can they play a constructive role within Judaism?
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Marc Zvi Brettler is the Bernice and Morton Lerner Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies in the Dept. of Religious Studies at Duke University, and the Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Literature Emeritus at Brandeis University. His books How to Read the Jewish Bible; The Jewish Study Bible (edited with Adele Berlin); and The Bible and the Believer (with Peter Enns and Daniel Harrington). He co-edited The Jewish Annotated New Testament, and co-authored The Bible With and Without Jesus: How Jews and Christians Read the Same Stories Differently, both with Amy-Jill Levine. He is deeply committed to making the Jewish community more aware of the richness of Jewish literature from the past, including the New testament, and to introducing academic biblical study to the broader community, as reflected in TheTorah.com, which he co-founded.
And She Arose: Jewish Women Leaders for Our Troubled Times
A virtual event presentation by Professor Sylvia Barack Fishman
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY:
BMH-BJ
ABOUT THE EVENT:
And She Arose: Jewish Women Leaders for Our Troubled Times will document and analyze important public leadership roles played by Jewish women, leading up to and in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war. This discussion will paint detailed pictures of Jewish women courageously filling leadership lacunae during troubled and troubling times, drawing on their passionate attachments to traditional Jewish values and culture. Concluding analyses will focus on Jewish women leaders’ impact on the quality and vitality of contemporary Jewish life, based on my interviews with notable key informants.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
TBA
Great Jewish Heretics
A hybrid (in-person and virtual) event presentation by Dr. Elias Sacks
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY:
BMH-BJ
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Is it offensive and blasphemous to say that God love us? Is Judaism nothing more than the laws of an ancient kingdom that have been mistaken for a religion? Does God have body parts, romantic relationships, and other human-like characteristics? We will explore ancient, medieval, and modern Jewish thinkers who have answered “yes” to these questions, as well as other Jewish thinkers who have deemed such ideas to be heretical. Throughout, we will wrestle both with diverse voices from the Jewish tradition, and with this overarching question: is there anything that Jews aren’t allowed to believe?
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Elias Sacks is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studies Jewish thought, philosophy of religion, Jewish-Christian relations, religious ethics, and religion and politics. He is the author of Moses Mendelssohn’s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism (2017), as well as articles on medieval and modern thinkers including Mendelssohn, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Nachman Krochmal, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, and Jacob Taubes. Previously, Sacks served as Director of The Jewish Publication Society.