Study Sessions

Revisiting the Sources: Writings on Civil Rights from Heschel to Martin Luther King Jr. with Tema Smith   Through an exploration of Civil Rights texts and the biblical sources that inspired a movement.   Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89225987346?pwd=VTQzS2txRHEzQlUxM3RySEF3Nys1UT09   Meeting ID: 892 2598 7346 Passcode: 576864 One tap mobile +12042727920,,89225987346#,,,,*576864# Canada +14388097799,,89225987346#,,,,*576864# Canada Dial by […]

In Hannah’s Circle: Reflections on Infertility and Fertility with Alex Johnston, Dr. Heather Shapiro, and Devon Spier Moderated by Sharoni Sibony   On Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate the birthday of the world with the words, “Hayom Harat Olam” – today the infinite is born. We also read the biblical story of Hannah, who is grief-stricken […]

Competitive Suffering: Is the Holocaust’s Uniqueness Beyond Comparison? With Professor Mark Webber The use of Holocaust analogies (examples: the assertion that anti-vaxxers are the “new Jews” and the recent attempt to discredit the evidence and memorialization of Indigenous children’s graves by invoking the 1941 massacre of Jews in Jedwabne) raises many questions. How can we […]

What a Brilliant Irish Catholic Teaches about the Discontents of the Jews: Reflections on John Murray Cuddihy and “The Ordeal of Civility” with Rabbi John Moscowitz How exactly did most of our grandparents or great grandparents lurch from a Yiddish speaking (and thinking!) tribal, East European culture to a mannered Protestant one in but a […]

Secrets and Sources of Holy Blossom’s Stained-Glass Windows (Part 2) with Holy Blossom’s Archives Committee Join Holy Blossom’s Archives Committee members for a follow-up session on the synagogue’s historic stained-glass windows. Last Shavuot, our presentation focused on the window’s narratives and the people who inspired them. This time, the committee will take you on a […]

When to Apologize? When to Forgive? Why it Might Matter with Jack Kugelmass Most of us have been confronted with a dilemma that approximates the following scenarios: You had an interaction with someone; you sensed by their reaction to you that they felt hurt by your words; yet you had no intention of causing any […]