Tamar Biala co-edited the first ever volume of midrash written by Israeli women. This collection, titled “Dirshuni”, has already taken a place on the Jewish bookshelf and is being cited, taught and argued over in yeshivot, high schools, synagogues, the press alternative batei midrash, universities and even Army educational programs. The Midrashim deal head on with issues of social justice and the treatment of women by Jewish law and rabbinic authority, and offer deep and wide-ranging discussions of Biblical personalities, women’s religious roles, sexuality and fertility, prayer, the meaning of Torah study, and more.  Join us on Wednesday February 23rd at 10:00 AM PST/1:00 PM EST when Tamar Biala will share her story and teach two midrashim. Rabbi Avi Killip will moderate this session.

Tamar Biala is engaged with Jewish feminism as a writer and lecturer. She received her BA in Jewish studies and in literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and her MA in Women’s Studies and Jewish Studies at the Schechter Institute. Ms. Biala has taught at IASA, Jerusalem’s high school for gifted students, at the Hartman Institute’s teacher training program, in pluralistic batei midrash in Israel and for the IsraelDefense Forces. She also served for several years on the board of Kolech, the Religious Women’s Forum, under whose auspices she developed high school curricula for the empowerment of young women in which she trained teachers, and curricula for sex and family education for both young men and young women. She is the co-editor of Dirshuni: Midrashei Nashim (Yediot Acharonot and the Jewish Agency for Israel, 2009), the first-ever collection of Midrashim written by contemporary Israeli women. While at the HBI, Ms. Biala edited the second volume of Dirshuni, which contains dozens of new Midrashim, written by a wide and changing range of authors.

Rabbi Avi Killip  is the Executive Vice President at Hadar. A graduate of Hebrew College Rabbinical School, Avi also holds Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from Brandeis University. She was a Wexner Graduate Fellow and a Schusterman Fellowship. Avi teaches as part of Hadar’s Faculty and is host of the Responsa Radio podcast. Avi lives in Riverdale, NY with her husband and three young children.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event. For more information, contact Program Director Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org.

CSP Partners: Beth Israel (San Diego, CA), Brotherhood Synagogue (Gramercy Park, NYC), Congregation Beth Shalom (Seattle, WA), Congregation B’nai Tzedek (Fountain Valley, CA), Congregation B’nai Israel (Tustin, CA), Jewish Collaborative of Orange County, CA, Shomrei Torah Synagogue (San Fernando Valley, CA), Temple Bat Yahm (Newport Beach, CA), Temple Beth El of South Orange County (Aliso Viejo, CA), Temple Beth Emet (Anaheim, CA), Temple Beth Ohr (La Mirada, CA), Temple Beth Tikvah (Fullerton, CA), Temple Beth Shalom (Needham, MA), Temple Beth Sholom (Santa Ana, CA), Temple Emanuel (Newton, MA), Town & Village Synagogue (NYC, NY), University Synagogue (Irvine, CA), Valley Beth Shalom (Encino, CA) & Walnut Street S