Wrestling with God Reading Thorny Text

Program: Hebrew College Tamid
Instructor: Meredith Reiches (Read Bio)
Dates: 3 Tuesdays, Spring 2025: 4/22, 4/29 & 5/6
Time: 7:30-9 p.m. EST
Course fee: $120, financial aid is available
Location: Zoom
Hosted by: Hebrew College
Registration:  Click here

Among many contemporary Jews, almost as challenging as theodicy–the question of how to reconcile bad things happening with a loving God–is the very practical question of how to engage with sacred text that runs counter to cherished values. Sometimes it is text that excludes people of particular identity groups from full religious and spiritual practice. Other times, it is text that endorses forms of violence, or an image of God as vengeful and punitive. In this course, each session will focus on a different short textual excerpt and a different set of possible reading strategies. We will experiment with creative translation, redaction, explorations of contemporary and ancient Midrash, historical contextualization, and noticing our own reactions. You will come away from the class with a toolkit that you can bring to text study, divrei Torah, and your own spiritual community.

For additional information or questions, contact the Hebrew College Tamid Team