Filter by Category
Our Classes
Twice: A Book Talk With Mitch Albom *IN-PERSON*
A hybrid event presentation by New York Times Best Seller, Mitch Albom
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY CONGREGATION OR TZION
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Mitch will give a book talk on his new book "TWICE" where he takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey through love, second chances, and the choices that define our lives.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have collectively sold 42 million copies worldwide; have been published in 51 territories and in 48 languages around the world; and have been made into Emmy award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies. In 2006, he founded the nonprofit SAY Detroit, which provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need through major health, housing and education initiatives. He also founded a dessert shop and a gourmet popcorn line to help fund it. Albom operates Have Faith Haiti, a home and school for impoverished children and orphans in Port-au-Prince, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan.
Twice: A Book Talk With Mitch Albom *VIRTUAL*
A hybrid event presentation by New York Times Best Seller, Mitch Albom
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Mitch will give a book talk on his new book "TWICE" where he takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey through love, second chances, and the choices that define our lives.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Mitch Albom is an internationally renowned and best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, playwright, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have collectively sold 42 million copies worldwide; have been published in 51 territories and in 48 languages around the world; and have been made into Emmy award-winning and critically-acclaimed television movies. In 2006, he founded the nonprofit SAY Detroit, which provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need through major health, housing and education initiatives. He also founded a dessert shop and a gourmet popcorn line to help fund it. Albom operates Have Faith Haiti, a home and school for impoverished children and orphans in Port-au-Prince, which he visits monthly. He lives with his wife, Janine, in Michigan.
Why Jewish Knowledge Matters: Rethinking Jewish Literacy
A virtual event presentation by Prof. Jon Levisohn
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Jewish educators worry about Jewish literacy. Jewish leaders worry about it. Jewish parents definitely worry about it. And sometimes individual Jews worry about their own Jewish literacy too! “Jewish literacy” gets thrown around a lot, especially when people talk about American Jews being “Jewishly illiterate.” But what does that actually mean? Is there a Jewish pop quiz we all failed? In this thought-provoking session, Jon Levisohn will invite us to look beyond the anxious hand-wringing and ask deeper questions: Why does Jewish knowledge matter? What kinds of knowledge are we really talking about? And how can rethinking our assumptions reshape the way we educate the next generation? Join us for an exploration that challenges familiar narratives and opens up new possibilities for Jewish learning.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Jon A. Levisohn is a philosopher of education at Brandeis University, where he directs a research center that focuses on Jewish education. He has published widely on the teaching of Jewish texts, the teaching of Israel, the teaching of historical narratives, the concept of assimilation, the concept of Jewish identity, and more. Among his recent work is a book chapter titled, “Meeting the Challenges of the Moment: How to Think about the Purposes of Jewish Education after October 7.”
Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Katz
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Some two thousand years ago, the story goes, a rabbi named Yochanan makes the epitome of pragmatic gambles—wagering the entire fate of the Jewish people. His quick thinking inspired generations of subsequent rabbis to navigate their own ethical challenges pragmatically—determining truth, upholding compromise, convincing others, keeping peace with neighbors, avoiding infighting, weighing sinning in hopes of promoting a greater good. In his talk, based on his book Yochanan's Gamble, Rabbi Katz lays out a new Jewish path forward for resolving moral conundrums in our day and breaking the deadlock that exists in our broken political discourse.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi Marc Katz is the rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He is the author of two books: "The Heart of Loneliness: How Jewish Wisdom Can Help You Cope and Find Comfort" which was a finalist for the national book award and his most recent, "Yochanan’s Gamble: Judaism’s Pragmatic Approach to Life" which was chosen as a finalist for the PROSE award, one of chief awards in academic publishing.
Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy
A virtual event presentation by David M. Elcott, PhD
ABOUT THE EVENT:
At a moment when liberal democracy is so deeplythreatened and we search to understand how this can beoccurring at this point in history, a new prize-winninganalysis Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of LiberalDemocracy by David Elcott comes to offer a cogentexploration of the ways religious identity fuels illiberalnationalist and populist democracy across the globe, fromthe United States to Israel, from India to Indonesia. Elcott, a powerful analyst who has taught in Jewish communitiesacross North America and interfaith settings around the world,allows us to better understand the revolts against a political, socialand economic order that values democracy in a global andstrikingly diverse world, while encouraging people of faith topromote foundational support for the institutions and values of thedemocratic enterprise from within their own religious traditionsand to stand against the hostility and cruelty that historically haveresulted when religious zealotry and state power combine.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Born to a Holocaust refugee and growing up poor in semi-rural California, David went on to receive his doctorate from Columbia University, where he now serves as a Senior Fellow at the Center for Justice, teaching in a college degree program for men incarcerated at Green Haven maximum security prison. He was the VP of CLAL, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Interfaith Director at AJC, and the EVP of Israel Policy Forum. He recently retired as the Tasub Professor at the NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Married to Rabbi Shira Milgrom with four married children and ten grandchildren, along with Faith, Nationalism and the Future of Liberal Democracy, he authored A Sacred Journey and co-authored the upcoming Sevenfold Path: A Traveler's Guide to Jewish Wisdom with his wife Shira and On the Significance of Religion in Immigration Policy. David has been a frequent radio, TV, and podcast presenter as well as a popular op-ed columnist for a wide range of written media.
Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging (IN-PERSON)
A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Dr. Jacqueline Schenkein & Dr. Michael Schwimmer, Temple Solel
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Angela Buchdahl was born in Korea and grew up in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and Jewish American father. Profoundly spiritual from a young age, she felt a connection to God when only a child and felt the first stirrings to become a rabbi at age sixteen. Despite the naysayers and periods of self-doubt—would a mixed-race woman ever be seen as authentically Jewish and entitled to lead a congregation—she stayed the course, which took her first to Yale, then to rabbinical school, cantorial school, and finally to the pulpit of one of the largest, most influential congregations in the world, Central Synagogue in New York City.
Today, Angela Buchdahl is revered by Jews and non-Jews alike for her invigorating, joyful approach to worship, and her belief in the power of faith, gratitude, and responsibility for each other, regardless of religion. She does not shy away from challenging topics, be it racism within the Jewish community to sexism she confronted when she aspired to the top job. Buchdahl has also been a sought-after leader and voice through some of the most challenging moments in recent history, from the murder of George Floyd to the hostage standoff in Colleyville, Texas to the horrors of October 7th. Buchdahl's consistent message is that it is up to us to strive for a world of more humanity, especially in today’s challenging times.
Heart of a Stranger is a stirring account of one woman’s journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, the first woman to lead this flagship congregation in its 185 year history. Under her leadership, Central Synagogue has grown to become one of the largest synagogues in the world, including congregants attending via livestream in more than one hundred countries. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, she is the first Asian-American to be ordained as a rabbi in North America. Rabbi Buchdahl was invited by President Barack Obama in 2014 and President Joe Biden in 2023 to share blessings for the White House Hanukah Party. She has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the Today Show, NPR, Wall Street Journal, PBS and Newsweek's Most Influential Rabbis. Rabbi Buchdahl and her husband, Jacob Buchdahl, live in New York City and have three children.
Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging (VIRTUAL)
A hybrid event presentation by Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Dr. Jacqueline Schenkein & Dr. Michael Schwimmer, Temple Solel
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Angela Buchdahl was born in Korea and grew up in Tacoma, Washington, the daughter of a Korean Buddhist mother and Jewish American father. Profoundly spiritual from a young age, she felt a connection to God when only a child and felt the first stirrings to become a rabbi at age sixteen. Despite the naysayers and periods of self-doubt—would a mixed-race woman ever be seen as authentically Jewish and entitled to lead a congregation—she stayed the course, which took her first to Yale, then to rabbinical school, cantorial school, and finally to the pulpit of one of the largest, most influential congregations in the world, Central Synagogue in New York City.
Today, Angela Buchdahl is revered by Jews and non-Jews alike for her invigorating, joyful approach to worship, and her belief in the power of faith, gratitude, and responsibility for each other, regardless of religion. She does not shy away from challenging topics, be it racism within the Jewish community to sexism she confronted when she aspired to the top job. Buchdahl has also been a sought-after leader and voice through some of the most challenging moments in recent history, from the murder of George Floyd to the hostage standoff in Colleyville, Texas to the horrors of October 7th. Buchdahl's consistent message is that it is up to us to strive for a world of more humanity, especially in today’s challenging times.
Heart of a Stranger is a stirring account of one woman’s journey from feeling like an outsider to becoming one of the most admired religious leaders in the world.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl serves as the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City, the first woman to lead this flagship congregation in its 185 year history. Under her leadership, Central Synagogue has grown to become one of the largest synagogues in the world, including congregants attending via livestream in more than one hundred countries. Born in Korea to a Jewish American father and a Korean Buddhist mother, she is the first Asian-American to be ordained as a rabbi in North America. Rabbi Buchdahl was invited by President Barack Obama in 2014 and President Joe Biden in 2023 to share blessings for the White House Hanukah Party. She has been featured in dozens of news outlets including the Today Show, NPR, Wall Street Journal, PBS and Newsweek's Most Influential Rabbis. Rabbi Buchdahl and her husband, Jacob Buchdahl, live in New York City and have three children.
Power & Politics in the Hebrew Bible
A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi David Kasher
EVENT CO-HOSTED BY: Congregation Kol Ami, United Jewish Federation of Utah
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The epic narratives in the Books of the Prophets take us on a dramatic journey from the chaotic days of the Judges to the building and breaking of the Israelite monarchy in Samuel and Kings. Along the way, we encounter prophets, priests, and kings locked in a struggle over the meaning of power, justice, and leadership. Together we’ll explore how these stories reflect the political theory of the Hebrew Bible, and ask what wisdom these books might hold for us as we wade through the political chaos of our own day.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi David Kasher is the Director of Hadar West, based in Los Angeles. He grew up bouncing back and forth between the Bay Area and Brooklyn, hippies and Hassidim – and has been trying to synthesize these two worlds ever since. He received rabbinic ordination at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and a doctorate in legal studies from Berkeley Law. He has served as Senior Jewish Educator at Berkeley Hillel, Director of Education at Kevah, and Associate Rabbi at IKAR. He is the author of ParshaNut: 54 Journeys into the World of Torah Commentary, and the host of the Torah podcast, Best Book Ever.