Category: Events

How the Bible, Talmud, Kabbalah, and Hasidism open our eyes to the wondrous nature of the cosmos and our role within it.

Please join us for Hebrew College Virtual Early Morning Drop-In Study with Rabbi Nehemia Polen, PhD, Hebrew College Professor of Jewish Thought. Generously sponsored by Susan Miron.

When: 7:30 a.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024
What: 30-minute talk followed by Q&A
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Instructor: Rabbi Nehemia Polen, PhD

A miracle need not be as dramatic as the splitting of the Sea of Reeds in the book of Exodus to reveal the hidden grace and beauty that surround us.  The practice of blessing is but one way Judaism attempts to break routine, reverse expectations, and remind us that every word spoken in friendship and kindness, every smile, every breathtaking vista, is precious and holy.  If we look and listen, the hints of transcendence and the whispers of sacredness are always available to sustain and inspire us.

Rabbi Nehemia Polen, PhD

Nehemia Polen is a leading expert in Hasidism and Jewish thought. A widely published author, his books include The Holy Fire: The Teachings of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto; a translation of Malkah Shapiro’s The Rebbe’s Daughter: Memoir of a Hasidic Childhood, a project that originated in Polen’s research as a National Endowment for the Humanities fellow and recipient of a National Jewish Book Award; Filling Words With Light: Hasidic and Mystical Reflections on Jewish Prayer; and From Tiberias, With Love: A Collection of Tiberian Hasidism, Volume I: Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. His most recent book, Stop, Look, Listen: Celebrating Shabbos Through a Spiritual Lens (Maggid 2022), was named a finalist for the 72nd Jewish Book Council’s Myra H. Kraft memorial Award for Contemporary Jewish Life & Practice. In 2024, he received Hadar’s Ateret Tzvi essay award second prize.

Hebrew College is excited to again co-sponsor Temple Israel of Boston’s annual Tikkun Zoom Shavuot on June 11-12. Offerings include learning sessions, discussions, and a tiny desk series with musicians. We’ll begin at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11 and the last learning session will end at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12.

Schedule

Visit the Temple Israel website for details and the schedule.

Questions

Email Brigid Gogginat education@tisrael.org

Hebrew College’s Adult Learning Travel Program Presents:

The Etgar 36 Civil Rights Journey to the American South

Trip Dates: Sunday, November 10 – Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Information Session Date: Monday, May 20, 8-8:45 pm ET | 5-5:45pm PT on Zoom
Information Session Registration: Register here

This Civil Rights journey is not just a tour, but a unique educational experience. It uses the history, sites, and current issues as a springboard to highlight the relationship, and at times, the tension, of the Jewish and American identity. The journey is a mix of fun, sightseeing, and in-depth education, including meetings with organizations and people who have been and are still involved in creating America.

During the information session, we will share a trip itinerary and cover trip logistics, including travel, costs, meals, and more!).

In conjunction with this trip, but not a pre-requisite, we are offering a class with Marc Dollinger, How did we get here? Civil Rights, Social Justice, and Race in American Jewish History.

Learn more information about the course and Marc’s biography.

We invite you to join us for an in-person “Taste” of Me’ah Classic on Tuesday evening, June 4, 2024, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Lehrhaus Tavern and House of Learning, 425 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143.  Learn more about the amazing two-year journey through Jewish history that provides adults of all backgrounds with a foundation in Jewish culture and civilization. Year 1 of this 2-year program will begin this coming Fall 2024.

During the “Taste of Me’ah” you will learn with Rav Rachel Adelman, Ph.D, with one of our stellar instructors, enjoy a sample lesson, and learn how to join the Me’ah journey. Rav Adelman is also an Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible in Hebrew College’s Rabbinical School.

If you know of others who may be interested in this program, feel free to invite them to join us for this Taste of Me’ah session.

If you are unable to attend this upcoming Taste of Me’ah but would like additional information, we invite you to watch a recording of a previous Taste session from earlier this year that is found on the Me’ah Classic home page.

For the next program in Hebrew College Adult Learning’s free, monthly GROW series, we examine social justice and the the fight against racism. 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.

Date: June 18, 2024 | 12-1 PM EST/9-10 AM PST | Zoom
Program: Jews and the Call for Social Justice: Lessons Learned in The Fight Against Racism 
Instructor: Marc L Dollinger 

As the nation’s racial reckoning continues, more American Jews are eager to explore important, yet challenging, questions and issues around Jews, whiteness, privilege, and racial justice.  Join Professor Marc Dollinger , author of the upcoming revised edition of  Black Power, Jewish Politics, as he shares his experience as a white male scholar writing and teaching in 2024 about Jews and social justice. Hear about the perspective and understanding Professor Dollinger gained in his own steep learning curve between the publication of the first edition of the book in 2018 and today.  How does Professor Dollinger’s personal journey reflect our own learning process when it comes to race and the meaning of equity? On the eve of Juneteenth, join us for this important conversation.

ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTOR

Marc Dollinger is the Goldman Research Chair in Jewish Studies and Social Responsibility at San Francisco State University, gifting him the platform to talk about his passion for Jewish social justice. He is a past board president of both Brandeis-Hillel Day School and the Jewish Community High School of the Bay, and has served on the board of Jewish LearningWorks, URJ Camp Newman, Brandeis Marin Jewish Day School, the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center, and Ha-maqom. Currently, he serves on the board of the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Community Federation in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dollinger was named the volunteer of the year in 2008 by the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco. In 2015, the Jewish Community Relations Council awarded him the year’s Courageous Leader for his work at San Francisco State University, a sometimes-hostile campus for Jews. He has appeared in a PBS television show, American Jerusalem, offering insights into the history of San Francisco Jews, and then enjoyed 8 minutes of fame on NBC’s prime-time “Who Do You Think You Are?” teaching academy-award winning actress Helen Hunt about her San Francisco Jewish roots.

Dollinger is the author of Black Power, Jewish Politics: Reinventing the Alliance in the 1960’s, American Jewish History, Quest for Inclusion and California Jews.

DEDICATE A SESSION

You can dedicate a GROW session in memory or in honor of a dear one and you and your name will be shared with gratitude in the session. Simply click the link below, fill in the secure form, and indicate in the text box that this is your GROW sponsorship [suggested minimum gift of $180].

>> Dedicate a session