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The Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus School
 Who Killed Mizrachi? Religious Zionism and Modern Orthodoxy in Israel and AmericaWe will review the genesis and activities of classical Religious Zionism, first in Europe, then in the Yishuv; and track the parallel history of Orthodoxy in Israel and America. We will study the teachings and activities of Mizrachi founder Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Reines and Mizrachi leaders Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, and Rav Kook (and his followers).We will analyze how these texts are studied, and how these leaders shaped the contours of Religious Zionism within the state of Israel, from early settlements to present day. We will explore the radicalization of Orthodoxy as it informed the “Settler Movement,” and the demise of a Religious Zionist “center.” Jerome Chanes Tuesday, November 4, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Thursday, October 30 at noon.  Spiritual Life and Community in the thought of the Aish KodeshRabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira z"l, the Warsaw Ghetto Rabbi, was in many ways the most modern and innovative of the great Chassidic Rebbes in the prewar period. We will explore his ideas on Chassidic practice and learning, as well as some of his groundbreaking thoughts on spiritual education and rethinking spiritual community, many of which have strong resonances more than half a century later. David Almog Tuesday, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. 2-week course: November 25, December 2 Tuition: $90 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, November 21 at noon. Nerot Shabbat, Nerot Chanukah: Lighting our Homes, and Lighting the WorldOn Shabbat we are commanded to bring light into our homes, on Chanukah we are bidden to cast light into the world outside our homes. In this class we will examine sources that explore the meanings of these two "lightings," and seek out ways to deepen our experience of bringing light within and without. Joanna Samuels Tuesday, December 16, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, December 12 at noon. Do You Believe in Magic? Jewish Approaches to Magic, the Supernatural, and the OccultToday, believers in astrology, amulets, psychics, and spells tend to be dismissed as gullible or "superstitious." But many classical, medieval, and even modern Jewish thinkers were preoccupied with such issues as: Does magic work? If so, does it serve to undermine God's power and singularity? If not, how can we interpret biblical and rabbinic stories that seem to describe the effectiveness of magic and magicians? What is the relationship between the natural and the supernatural realms? Is there a difference between "white" and "dark" magic? In this class, we will examine the range of phenomena included in the category of "magic," and look at the ways in which Jewish approaches to them have developed over time. David Shyovitz Tuesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. 5-week course: November 18, 25, December 2, 9, 16 Tuition: $250 The Netziv's approach to Sedom - Pshat or PolemicFor over 40 years Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (the "Netziv") served as the head of the Volozion Yeshiva, arguably the most prominent yeshiva in modern Jewish history. One unique aspect of the Yeshiva was the Netziv's incorporation of the study of the Bible into the standard curriculum of Talmud and Jewish law. Ha'emek Davar, the Netziv's commentary on the Bible, was an outgrowth of this approach, and through analysis of this commentary one can glean insight into the complex world view of this influential modern Jewish personality. In this lecture we will examine the Netziv's approach to the Sedom episode and attempt to analyze the factors which may have impacted the Netziv's approach to this particular episode. Yehuda Halpert Wednesday, November 5, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Monday, November 3 at noon. Learn and Be Transformed! A Study of Chassidic Texts and PracticesChassidut was an 18th century movement that transformed Jewish theology and Jewish practice by introducing a new way of understanding our relationship to God and the world. One of the areas where this change is manifest is the way Chassidut revolutionized the way Jews think about ritual observance, such as tefilah, Shabbat and the Festivals. We will study primary Chassidic texts from a large variety of camps. Each session will focus on a different Jewish practice and explore how the Chassidic texts enhance our understanding of those rituals.. Ysoscher Katz Wednesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. 7-week course: October 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10, 17 Tuition: $300 |
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