Daytime Learning at JTS
Daytime Learning at JTS
Join adult learners for stimulating text study and discussion with the outstanding scholars of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Take one course or both.
Seven Wednesdays
February 27; March 6, 13, 20, 27; April 3, 10
Hasidic Mystics on Shabbat and the Holidays: An Exploration of Sacred Time
Dr. Eitan Fishbane, Associate Professor of Jewish Thought, JTS
11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Since Hasidism’s emergence in Eastern Europe in the 18th century, this movement of spiritual revival and mystical thought has radically transformed Judaism. We will study the fascinating evolution of Hasidic thinking on the meaning and practice of sacred time (Shabbat and holidays). We will explore how Hasidic mystics understood experiences of holy time as pathways into the presence of God and the transformation of spiritual awareness. The course will feature lecture and class discussion based on texts from Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav; Rabbi Moshe Hayim Efrayim of Sudilkov (grandson of the Ba’al Shem Tov), Rabbi Yehudah Leib of Ger, and Rabbi Tzadok ha-Kohen of Lublin.
Can the Talmud Be an Ethical Guide?
Dr. Marjorie Lehman, Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS
1:30–3:00 p.m.
Our contemporary moment calls out for us to think about how to act ethically, but when we turn to the Talmud for guidance, we face many moments that challenge our contemporary ethical sensibilities. Do the rabbis have anything to teach us about how to be responsible members of the Jewish community and broader world? We’ll enter their courtrooms and neighborhoods to confront their struggles with how to relate ethically to parents, colleagues, wives, and children. Together we’ll explore how ancient Jewish texts can nurture a sense of empathy and foster the spiritual longing to be connected to something larger than oneself. The course will feature lecture and class discussion based on the close reading of Talmudic texts in translation.
Cost:
$185 for one course
$360 for both courses
$335 for Women’s League members before February 13
Advance registration is required.
Presented in partnership with the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism.
