Dates: Wed., July 21, 28, and August 4 2021 @ 10:00am-11:30am

Has the polarization of American politics impacted your relationships? Do you have relatives or friends you can’t talk to about politics? Have these relationships been strained? Are you frustrated by filibustering and the lack of cooperation and compromise between Democrats and Republicans for the sake of the American people?

This class will explore some of the rabbinic wisdom about how to engage in conversations “for the sake of heaven” with people you disagree with. The rabbis were, in the words of Micah Goodman, “masters of conversation.” We’ll learn some of the principles they believed in that enabled them to debate and even remain friendly with people they strongly disagreed with.

Session 2 (July 28th) will feature a guest speaker: Ambassador Daniel Taub “Difficult Conversations”

Ambassador Taub will teach from stories in the Tanach that record difficult conversations. He will relate these stories too difficult conversations in our lives, including, for example, intergenerational conversations about Israel. He will share stories from his life as a diplomat and ambassador that illustrate the some of the points raised by the biblical stories.

Daniel Taub is an Israeli diplomat and international lawyer. He served as the Israeli Ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2011 until 2015 and is currently Director of Strategy and Planning of the Yad Hanadiv (Rothschild) foundation. he was a member of Israel’s negotiation teams in the Israeli-Syrian and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and has taught negotiation theory and mediation in foreign ministries, and universities and business around the world.  Daniel is the author of Parasha Diplomatit, a book of diplomatic insights on biblical texts,  and created and wrote a popular Israeli drama series, HeChatzer, set in an ultra-orthodox Hasidic sect. Taub holds degrees from the universities of Oxford, London and Harvard. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife Zehava and their six children.

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is presented 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.