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Virtual Events
Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Elliot Dorff
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Drawing from Chapter 3 of the book, Ethics at the Center: Jewish Theory and Practice for Living a Moral Life, this session will explore how Western, Christian, and Jewish traditions understand the nature of the human being, and how these differing perspectives shape a wide range of moral issues.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Elliot Dorff, Rabbi (Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1970), Ph.D. in philosophy (Columbia University, 1971), is Rector and Distinguished Service Professor of Philosophy at American Jewish University. From 1974 to 2020, he taught a course on Jewish law at UCLA School of Law. He has served on three United States federal government commissions -- on access to health care, on reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and on research on human subjects -- and he currently serves on the State of California's commission to govern stem cell research within the state. He has chaired four scholarly organization: the Academy of Jewish Philosophy, the Jewish Law Association, the Society of Jewish Ethics, and the Academy of Judaic, Christian, and Muslim Studies. He has served as a member of the Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards since December 1984, as its Vice Chair from 1997 to 2007, and as its Chair from 2007 to 2022, writing 30 responsa approved by the committee and several concurring opinions. In Los Angeles, he is a Past President of Jewish Family Service and remains on its Board, and he is a former member of the Board of the Jewish Federation Council. He has been a member of the Priest-Rabbi Dialogue sponsored by the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since its inception in 1973 and has co-chaired it since 1990. In addition to awards given by several communal organizations in Los Angeles, he has been awarded four honorary doctoral degrees, the Leve Award of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Journal of Law and Religion. He has published over 200 articles on Jewish thought, law, and ethics, and he has written fifteen books on those topics and edited or co-edited fourteen more. Since 1966 he has been married to Marlynn, and they have four children and eight grandchildren, who, he thinks, are more important than anything listed above.
Judaism & Mental Health
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler recently published “Torah for Mental Health: Jewish Wisdom for Psychological Growth.” In this book, the rabbi discusses the depression and mental health epidemics in our families and communities from a uniquely Jewish lens. Please join us for this important and timely discussion.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
TBA
Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Shulamit Reinharz
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Temple Emanuel
ABOUT THE EVENT:
In her book, Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir, Dr. Reinharz offers a unique narrative by collaborating with her father, Max Rothschild, to share personal stories of survival and resistance during the Holocaust. Her insights offer an enriched understanding of history's impact on contemporary Jewish identity.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Shulamit Reinharz was born in Amsterdam and grew up in New Jersey. She has also lived in Israel for numerous one year stays as well as in Utrecht and Oxford for research appointments. She earned her undergraduate degree at Barnard College and her graduate degrees at Brandeis University, followed by a faculty appointment at the University of Michigan from 1972-1982 when she returned to Brandeis as a professor of sociology. Hebrew College has conferred on her an honorary doctorate.
Dr. Reinharz has published widely. Among her 17 books are the prize-winning Feminist Methods in Social Research (1992); American Jewish Women and the Zionist Enterprise (with Mark Raider, 2005); The JGirl's Guide (with Penina Adelman and Ali Feldman, 2005); Jewish Intermarriage around the World (with Sergio Della Pergola, 2009); One Hundred Years of Kibbutz Life (with Michal Palgi, 2011); Today I am a Woman: Stories of Bat Mitzvah around the World (with Barbara Vinick, 2011); One Hundred Jewish Brides (with Barbara Vinick, 2022); and Hiding in Holland: A Resistance Memoir (2024). The Jewish Review of Books invited her to write a piece about Hiding in Holland after it won the prize of finalist in the category of Holocaust Memoirs.
A sought-after lecturer, Shulamit Reinharz is currently working on a book about "gender and the holocaust," focusing on her mother's survival.
The Power of Song: Lifting Our Voices in Praise and Protest
A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz & Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi
ABOUT THE EVENT:
As we approach Shabbat Shirah, the “Shabbat of Song,” and reflect on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we turn our attention to the sacred power of voice. From the Israelites singing at the sea to modern movements for freedom and justice, song has carried the Jewish spirit through moments of triumph, struggle, and hope. Join Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz and Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, for an evening of learning, dialogue, and inspiration. Through text study, reflection, and chevruta, we’ll explore how music and voice lift us—individually and collectively—toward liberation, connection, and praise.
This program marks the official launch of the Cream City Beit Midrash, a partnership between Valley Beit Midrash and Own Your Judaism.
If tuition is a barrier to participation, please email us at learn@valleybeitmidrash.org to discuss available options.
Teens are invited to join for free! Please email us at learn@valleybeitmidrash.org to complete your registration.
Thank you to Milwaukee Jewish Day School for graciously hosting our launch event!
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, writings, and workshops, he continues to influence and lead the conversation on mindful living within and beyond the Jewish community. He also speaks, hosts livestream conversations, and offers Jewish Life Coaching and organizational consultation. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Rabbi Steigmann is a proud father of two children, loves sports, is passionate about living gratefully, and enjoys almost all puzzles and games.
Shmuly Yanklowitz has twice been named one of America’s Top Rabbis by Newsweek and has been named by The Forward as one of the 50 most influential Jews and 28 books on Jewish ethics and his writings have appeared in outlets as diverse as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the Guardian, and the Atlantic among many other secular and religious publications. He has served as speaker at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and a Rothschild Fellow in Cambridge, UK. Rav Shmuly received a Masters from Harvard University, a Masters from Yeshiva University, and his Doctorate from Columbia University. He was ordained as a rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, along with 2 private ordinations in Israel. He serves as the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash (a global Jewish learning and action center). His wife Shoshana, and their four children live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They have also served as foster parents.
How Tu B’Shvat teaches us to reduce, reuse and recycle
A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Sharona Halickman
ABOUT THE EVENT:
You may think that reduce, reuse and recycle are modern concepts for saving the environment but when we delve into the Talmud's insights into the Seven Species of Israel, we will find that these ideas are intrinsic in these Biblical fruits.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Sharona holds a BA in Judaic Studies from Stern College and an MS in Jewish Education from Azrieli Graduate School, Yeshiva University. Sharona was the first Orthodox woman to serve as a clergy member as the first Congregational Intern and first Madricha Ruchanit at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, NY. After making aliya in 2004, Sharona founded Torat Reva Yerushalayim, a nonprofit organization based in Jerusalem that provides Torah study groups for students of all ages and backgrounds.
Praying about the Unspeakable: Liturgy and Ritual as Response to Crisis (VIRTUAL)
A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Dalia Marx
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: BETH EL PHOENIX
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Rabbi Dalia Marx, one of the most respected voices in contemporary Jewish thought and liturgy, will talk about how October 7 and the war since have brought profound and rapid changes to the world of Jewish prayer: the language, the focus, even the urgency. Rabbi Marx will also share her reflections on the Jewish responsibility to bring our hostages home, and the prayers—old and new—that have sustained her through this challenging time.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rabbi Marx is the Rabbi Aaron D. Panken Professor of Liturgy and Midrash at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in Jerusalem. She is the first woman in Israel to hold a professorship in liturgy and is a trailblazer in both academic and spiritual circles. Her work bridges scholarship and lived practice, and she is the author of several books, including When I Sleep and When I Wake: On Prayers Between Dusk and Dawn. She’s also a contributor to the new Israeli Reform prayerbook, and a leading voice in shaping how prayer responds to collective trauma, grief, and hope.
Defining Justice: Do We Want Equity, Equality, or Revolution?
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sarah Mulhern
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi
ABOUT THE EVENT:
When we say we want to work for justice, what do we actually mean? In this class, we will dive into the question of whether a truly just outcome is about equity, equality, or is revolutionary in nature, and try to understand what the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to changemaking are. Through discussion and the study of rabbinic texts which advocate for each of these approaches in relation to economic justice, we will explore how each of us can best focus our work to change the world in our areas of passion.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Rav Sarah Mulhern is a Rabbi, educator, and community builder. She serves as the Rabbi of Silverstein Base Lincoln Park, opening her home and her heart to young adults in Chicago. She passionately believes that Torah matters and that Judaism can enrich human life and better society. Rav Sarah is also a nationally-regarded Torah educator, frequently teaching in a wide variety of Jewish adult education settings, particularly on topics of ethics, gender, and Jewish practice. As a rabbi, some of her areas of focus include grief support, feminist and queer niddah education, and crafting joyful halachic egalitarian life cycle rituals. She is deeply committed to inspiring traditional prayer, and is a passionate shaliach tzibur. Rav Sarah was ordained by the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, where she also earned a Masters in Jewish Education, and received private rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes. She is an alumna of Brandeis University, Yeshivat Hadar, Pardes Institute, Drisha Institute, Beit Midrash Har El, the Wexner Graduate Fellowship, and the David Hartman Center Fellowship. She can be reached at sarahemulhern@gmail.com or @Rav_Sarah.
The Shabbat Effect: Jewish Wisdom for Growth and Transformation (Park City)
A hybrid event presentation (in-person and virtual) by Alan Morinis
EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Temple Har Shalom
ABOUT THE EVENT:
The topic of this session will be the forthcoming book, The Shabbat Effect. The point of the book is to outline how observing Shabbat with an intention to develop certain inner traits that are germane to a Shabbat practice will prove useful all 7 days of the week, and is a step toward the ultimate human purpose of becoming whole and holy.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Alan Morinis received his doctorate from Oxford University which he attended on a Rhodes Scholarship. He is one the leading lights in the revival of the Jewish spiritual tradition of Mussar and is the author of Climbing Jacob’s Ladder (2002), Everyday Holiness (2007), With Heart in Mind (2014) and now The Shabbat Effect (2026).
He is a student of Rabbi Yechiel Yitzchok Perr, zt”l, and in 2004 founded The Mussar Institute which has grown to become the world’s leading provider of contemporary Mussar resources and instruction, offering courses, facilitator training, curricula for congregations and organizations, special events, speakers, and retreats.
Alan is a sought-after speaker and spiritual teacher who will be on tour with The Shabbat Effect in early 2026.