fall 2014 public events &learning opportunities

Newt

on C

entre

,M

assa

chus

ettsHebrew

College

ALL EVENTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.HEBREW COLLEGE IS ACCESSIBLE BY WHEELCHAIR.

BUYING AND RESERVING TICKETS

Tickets to all events are general admission. Unless otherwise noted, they can be purchased online at hebrewcollege.edu/tickets or at the door (cash or check) beginning one hour prior to the start of the event. Registration is requested for free events to assist us with planning. Visit hebrewcollege.edu/tickets.

GETTING TO HEBREW COLLEGE

Hebrew College is located in Newton Centre, Massachusetts, adjacent to Andover Newton Theological School. Campus is a short walk from the Newton Centre trolley stop on the Green Line (D branch—Riverside). For more information, visit hebrewcollege.edu/directions.

ABOUT HEBREW COLLEGE

Founded in 1921, Hebrew College promotes excellence in Jewish learning and leadership within a pluralistic environment of open inquiry, intellectual rigor, personal engagement, and spiritual creativity. Its programs include graduate degrees and courses in Jewish studies, Jewish education, and leadership; community education for adult learners; and a supplemental Hebrew high school and middle school. For more information, visit www.hebrewcollege.edu.

ACCESSIBILITY

Calendar of Public EventsFall 2014

Spiritual Preparation for the High Holy DaysThursday, September 187:30 p.m. Berenson HallHebrew College

Join us for an evening of study and reflection with Rabbi Arthur Green, Irving Brudnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion, as we prepare for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Green will weave together classical Jewish mystical sources and insights from his new book Judaism’s Ten Best Ideas: A Brief Guide for Seekers (Jewish Lights). Books will be available for sale after the lecture.

SEPTEMBER

Legal Fiction? Torah Narratives and the Formation of Rabbinic LawTuesday, October 28, 7:30 p.m. / Alumni Dining Hall, Hebrew College

The stories of the Torah are not just stories. In the hands of the rabbis of the Talmud, they become sources of meaning and norms. Join Rabbi Jane Kanarek, associate professor of rabbinics at Hebrew College, and Rabbi Gordon Tucker, rabbi at Temple Israel Center in White Plains, New York, for a discussion of the origins of and future directions in Jewish law. The event is a celebration of Kanarek’s new book Biblical Narrative and the Formation of Rabbinic Law.

Our Communal Conversation About Israel: How Open Is It, and How Open Should It Be?Monday, October 6, 7:30 p.m. / Berenson Hall, Hebrew College

In the aftermath of this summer’s escalation of terrorist violence and military operations in the Middle East, there is heightened tension within the Jewish community about our discourse on Israel and related issues. How open is our tent, and who should be in or out as we discuss the unfolding events? How is the landscape of the Jewish conversation different today as compared to the recent past? $10.

PANELISTS

Jeremy Burton, Executive Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

Rabbi Jonah Steinberg, Executive Director, Harvard Hillel

Rabbi Melissa Weintraub, Co-founder and Director Emerita, Encounter

MODERATOR

Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, President, Hebrew College

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

To mark the twentieth anniversary of Me’ah, the signature adult-learning program of Hebrew College and CJP, Hebrew College will sponsor four lectures during the 2014–15 academic year—two in fall and two in winter—with some of the program’s most popular instructors.

Interpreting Psalms: The Challenge of Writing a Jewish Critical CommentaryThursday, November 13, 7:00 p.m. / Berenson Hall, Hebrew College

Marc Brettler, who is part of a team writing a commentary on the biblical book of Psalms for the Jewish Publication Society Commentary Series, will discuss the many challenges presented by such an undertaking. Brettler is the Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Studies at Brandeis University. He has written several books, including the widely acclaimed How to Read the Bible. $10.

Are Women and Gentiles ‘Persons’? Biblical and Rabbinical PerspectivesWednesday, December 10, 7:00 p.m. / Berenson Hall, Hebrew College

All ancient Jewish texts are androcentric and Judaeocentric—that is, they put men and Jews (and Judaism) at the center of their discourse and thinking. Occasionally, however, our texts allow us to see how the Israelites and their Jewish successors construed women and gentiles, two anomalous categories of human. Rabbi Shaye Cohen leads us on a discussion of this fascinating topic. $10.

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

martin kace lecture series: creativity, innovation,and entrepreneurship

Writing in the Dark: A Meeting with David GrossmanTuesday, December 16, 7:30 p.m. Alumni Dining Hall, Hebrew College

Israeli author and social activist David Grossman delivers the inaugural Martin Kace Lecture, “Writing in the Dark,” in which he reflects on his work as a Jewish writer and public intellectual in contemporary Israeli society. The series honors the late Martin Kace, a successful businessman, teacher, and social entrepreneur who engaged in a variety of innovative social, cultural, and economic projects in Israel and the United States. $10.

Arrangements for the appearance of David Grossman made through Greater Talent Network Inc., New York, N.Y.

CIRCLE Open House and Ribbon-cutting CeremonyTuesday, December 9 7:OO p.m. CIRCLE House Andover Newton Theological School

To mark the opening of the new CIRCLE House for interreligious programming, we will gather for a housewarming celebration, including a presentation by leading interfaith activist and writer Eboo Patel. The Center for Inter-Religious and Community Leadership Education is a joint center of Hebrew College and Andover Newton Theological School.

David Grossman

Eboo Patel

DECEMBER

Fall Learning Programs with Hebrew CollegeAN EYE FOR AN EYE ... OR AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF CASHWednesdays, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. (six sessions between Oct. 1 and Dec. 17)Downtown BostonInstructor: Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg, Assistant Professor of Rabbinics

This course will explore selected passages from the eighth chapter of Tractate Bava Kamma of the Talmud, which deals with compensation for bodily injury. Free.

ANCIENT STORIES FOR TODAY’S JUDAISMThursdays, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. (six sessions between Oct. 2 and Dec. 18)Boston’s Back BayInstructor: Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, President

This course will explore some of the seminal stories from our ancient rabbis that provide a window into the creative culture that has animated Judaism through the millennia. Free.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: KEY RELIGIOUS TERMS IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAMWednesdays, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m (eight sessions between Oct. 22 and Dec. 17)Berenson Hall, Hebrew CollegeInstructors: Rabbi Or Rose, Gregory Mobley, Celene Ayat Lizzio

In this team-taught course, students will explore several fundamental terms at the heart of these three great religious civilizations. $250 for eight sessions.

KABBALAH: WALKING THE JEWISH MYSTICAL PATH Thursdays, 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. (five sessions between Oct. 23 and Nov. 20)The Vilna Shul, BostonInstructor: Rabbi Or Rose, Director, Center for Global Judaism

This course will examine several foundational concepts and symbols from the great mystical traditions of Judaism, including the teachings of the Zohar and early Hasidism.

For more information or to register for any of these programs, visit hebrewcollege.edu/fall-2014-learning-programs.

Hebrew College160 Herrick RoadNewton Centre, MA 02459

617-559-8600www.hebrewcollege.eduinfo@hebrewcollege.edu