Thursdays, June 2, 9, 16, 2022, 10:00 am-11:30 am

Series Fee: $30; Beth Israel Member Series Fee $25

What does it mean to be an American Jew? Dozens of talented, engaging writers and poets, from Philip Roth, Cynthia Ozick, Art Spiegelman to Allegra Goodman have grappled with these questions, along with filmmakers, screenwriters, bloggers, and stand-up comics. Is Jewish identity a religion? An ethnicity? A set of moral ideas? An accident of birth? How do American Jews think of their immigrant parents or grandparents? What is our attitude toward Israel? Are we part of the white majority, or the non-white minority? We’ll struggle through these questions while studying mostly short stories, but also sections from novels, and possibly film clips.

Rabbi Philip Graubart has served pulpits in New York City, Massachusetts, and, for fifteen years, La Jolla. He’s also had leadership positions at the National Yiddish Book Center, the Shalom Hartman Institute, and the San Diego Jewish Academy. He’s currently writing and teaching part-time at various synagogues and the Academy.

This series is presented in Diverse Access and takes place on campus at Beth Israel as well as simultaneously on Zoom. Zoom link for registered participants will be sent prior to class.

For more information, contact Program Director Ilene Tatro at itatro@cbisd.org.