October 09, 2024 Tamid of Hebrew College Adult Learning GROW Series: The Past & Future of Liberal Zionism (October 9)

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Join us again this academic year for Tamid of Hebrew College Adult Learning’s free, monthly GROW series.  For our second program, we will examine the past and future of liberal zionism. We hope you will spend an hour with us for this and future programs in our series, to gather, reflect, observe, and wrestle with topics that will deepen your Jewish learning.

Program: The Past & Future of Liberal Zionism
Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2024 | 12-1 PM/9-10 AM PST | Zoom
Instructor: Rabbi Dan Judson, PhD
Join us: Register now

Join historian and Hebrew College Provost, Rabbi Dan Judson, Ph.D. for a lecture and discussion on the past and future of liberal Zionism. One of the casualties of the ongoing crisis in Israel has been for some a loss of faith in the possibility of a Zionism rooted in a liberal worldview. We will explore history to define what we mean by liberal Zionism, and then try to discern the pathway forward for those committed to a Jewish state and humanistic values.

Our Instructor

Rabbi Dan Judson is Provost of Hebrew College. Previously, he served as dean of the Rabbinical School from 2018 to 2023. Prior to his appointment as dean, he oversaw the professional development program and served as the placement director for the Rabbinical School. He received his doctorate in Jewish history from Brandeis University where his research focused on the history of American synagogue finances. His book, Pennies for Heaven: A History of American Synagogues and Money, was published in 2018. Rabbi Judson served on the national faculty of the Union for Reform Judaism, consulting to synagogues across the country on financial matters.

His research on synagogues which have eliminated dues was featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, NPR, The New York Jewish Week, and Reform Judaism Magazine. He also served as the rabbi of Temple Beth David in Canton, MA for 10 years and co-authored several books on Jewish rituals for Jewish Lights Publishing, including The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal  and The Jewish Pregnancy Book: A Resource for the Soul, Body and Mind During Pregnancy, Birth and the First Three Months.

save the dates!

Future Free, Monthly GROW Programs

Program: “When Arguing Works, When it Hurts, and How to Tell the Difference”
Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 | 12-1 PM/9-10 AM PST | Zoom
Instructor: Rabbi Natan Margalit
Join us: Register now

In our times of polarization and social fragmentation, we are searching for ways to disagree productively and respectfully. In this we have much that we can learn from the classic Jewish sources ranging from the Talmud to Hasidic mysticism. In this session we’ll explore some examples and discuss how we can apply Jewish insights into our own lives.

Program: Memory & Memory Enhancement in Medieval Ashkenaz
Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | 12-1 PM/9-10 AM PST | Zoom
Instructor: Susan Einbinder
Join us: Register now

Anyone who has crammed for an exam, or left home without whatever you vowed not to forget, has strategies for enhancing memory.  For Late Antique and medieval Jews, an excellent memory was as key to social status as religious authority, and Jewish emphasis on study encouraged the cultivation of memory.  Beginning with a survey of ancient memory enhancement practices, I look at some Jewish responses to the need to memorize and retain quantities of text. Where memory fell short, magic was also an option. Remarkably, elements of early Jewish memory magic survived into medieval Ashkenaz in the rituals that marked a Jewish boy’s first day of school.  What might the persistence of these rituals in Jewish life tell us about Jewish attitudes toward learning and how they may differ from modern emphases?

Program: “Kabbalah, Darkness, and Light — Hanukkah’s Season of Balanced Hope”
Date: Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | 12-1 PM/9-10 AM PST | Zoom
Instructor: Yaakov Ginsberg-Schreck
Join us: Register now

As far back as the Garden of Eden, we humans have feared the dark and yearned for periods of light. This Hanukkah season, for our people’s ancient winter solstice celebration, what darkness are we being asked to release in order to rededicate our lives and communities in the light of eternal hope?

Tamid of Hebrew College is your home for Jewish learning and exploration for your mind, body, heart and soul. The Hebrew word Tamid, which can be translated as “continuous” or “eternal”, links us to our past, honors our present, and connects us to the future. We believe in a continual process of growth and learning and are excited to offer our you a wide array of courses and experiences to expand your thinking, build connection to Jewish tradition and the Jewish people, and nourish your soul. Explore our programs and online course catalog.

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