Valley Beit Midrash

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Animals don’t receive much attention in kabbalistic texts and even less so scholarship on kabbalah. When they do, it is predominantly to teach humans to be better humans. However, there were some anonymous kabbalists that believed there was a deeper connection between humans and animals, to the point that stories were told about animals that shared kabbalistic secrets. What can they teach us today about animal, humans and a shared future?

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.