Sunday series 1, 1/9 at 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST

Pride and Privilege: How Do We Sensitively Navigate and Appreciate Having More Than Others?

Dena Weiss

One of the enduring truths of human society is that the pie of privilege is not equally distributed. Some of us have economic privilege, some of us racial privilege, some of us social capital, some of us happy partnerships and families, and some of us all of the above and more. We should, of course, feel grateful for what we have, and hopefully we do. But on the other hand, the unequal distribution of privilege often makes us and other people uncomfortable, resentful, or worse. The Covid-19 era has intensified many of these disparities and social media has made it ever easier to put our good fortune on display or experience the pain of watching others succeed where we have not. In this class, we’ll explore some Torah-guided approaches to thinking about and navigating enduring inequality sanely and sensitively. LINK

Dena Weiss is Rosh Beit Midrash and Senior Faculty at Hadar, where she teaches Talmud, Midrash and Hasidut. Dena earned a BA in Religious Studies from New York University and an MA in Theology from Harvard Divinity School. She has studied and taught in a variety of Jewish educational settings including Drisha, Midreshet Lindenbaum, and Pardes. She currently serves as the editor-in-chief of the Mima’amakim journal of Jewish religious art.

Sunday series 2, 1/16 at 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST 

Autonomy, Community, and Everything in Between: Halakhic Sources on Aiding Others in Transgression (“Lifnei Iver”)

Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg

What is my responsibility to avoid participating in other people’s misdeeds? May I sell cigarettes to an addicted smoker? What, if any, culpability do I have for purchasing products made with unethical business practices? And how are these questions affected by our attitudes towards autonomy and community? In this class, we will trace the history of the halakhic concept “lifnei iver,” which deals with if, when, and how a person is allowed to participate in someone else’s violation. Beginning with the Bible and continuing into the 21st century, we will trace a wide range of differing legal views and seek to understand they line up with our own values and concerns. LINK

Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg is faculty at Hadar. He received rabbinic ordination both from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and from his teacher, Rav Elisha Ancselovits. He also holds a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Micha’el has served as associate professor of rabbinics at Hebrew College, and as the rabbi of the Fort Tryon Jewish Center in Washington Heights. He is the author of Signs of Virginity: Testing Virgins and Making Men in Late Antiquity (Oxford University Press, 2018), and with Rabbi Ethan Tucker, he is the co-author of Gender Equality and Prayer in Jewish Law (Ktav, 2017).

Sunday series 3, 1/23 5:00 PM PST/8:00 PM EST

Speaking Up: The Audacity of Prayer

Rabbi Aviva Richman

How do we cultivate the ability to speak up when the moment demands?  What leads to positive and constructive outcomes from speaking up?  We’ll take a close look at the biblical character Chana, who is known as being the model for our “silent amidah,” but actually is an incredible model for the power of speaking up.  Through Talmud and Midrash, we’ll draw lessons for our own interpersonal practice and prayer and explore the relationship between the two. LINK

Rabbi Aviva Richman is a Rosh Yeshiva at Hadar and has been on the faculty since 2010. A graduate of Oberlin College, she studied in the Pardes Kollel and the Drisha Scholars’ Circle and was ordained by Rabbi Danny Landes. She completed a doctorate in Talmud at NYU. Interests include Talmud, Halakhah, Midrash and gender, and also a healthy dose of niggunim.

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 Synagogue (Chelsea, MA)