Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? A Talmudic Teaching
Date: Nov 20, 2023
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Sponsor: Online Learning | Public Lectures and Events
Location: Online
Category: Online Learning Public Lectures & Events Two Are Better Than One
Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? A Talmudic Teaching
November 20, 2023
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Part of our fall learning series, “Two Are Better Than One:” Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life
With Dr. Aaron Koller, Adjunct Professor, JTS, and Professor of Near East Studies, Yeshiva University
What do we owe our neighbors? How much are we obligated to contribute to our cities, our neighborhoods, our streets? How much can we just take of ourselves and let everyone else take care of themselves? These are modern questions, but they are ancient Jewish questions, too. The Talmud speaks in a different language than we do, so it probes these issues through law and narrative. We will read a short passage from the Talmud about what it means to be a good neighbor, and unpack it to see how these questions are broached and what insight the text has to share.
If you have previously registered for another session in this series, “Two Are Better Than One:” Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life, your registration admits you to all sessions in the series, and you may attend as many as you’d like.
ABOUT THE SERIES
“Two Are Better Than One:” Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life
Friendship is a critical component of our daily lives, our mental health, and our Jewish communal experiences. Ecclesiastes (4:9) posits, “Two are better than one,” underscoring the significance of companionship and partnership in Jewish tradition and the role they play in a life well-lived.
In this series, JTS scholars will explore the concept of friendship through Jewish texts, history, and thought. They will examine a range of paradigms for friendship and consider what values emerge from each. Together, we will reflect on friendship in times of joy and times of crisis, both with those in our inner circles and with our neighbors and fellow citizens more broadly.
