永利国际app

October 7 to Simchat Torah 5785

On the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2024 attacks in Israel, 听we built a bridge of memory, mourning, and love between October 7 and Simchat Torah
marking the days with a series of poems, prayers, and personal reflections. Read all the offerings here.

Speaking Torah Podcast

In 永利国际app’s podcast “Speaking Torah,” Jewish leaders from around the world read essays from 永利国际app faculty, rabbinical alumni, and leaders about how Torah can help us navigate the most pressing issues of our time. After listening to the podcast, we hope that you will be left feeling inspired, uplifted, and excited to engage with Torah in a modern, transformative way.

Writing

Our On Torah page includes a collection of holiday and parshiot commentary and publications written by 永利国际app faculty, alumni and students.

Seventy Faces of Torah听

How can the weekly听parashah听inform our current busy and complicated lives? Each week in our Seventy Faces of Torah blog , 永利国际app faculty and alumni reflect on the weekly听parashah听in light of major news events, ongoing social or political issues, or individual or communal concerns in the world like poverty, climate change, spiritual unrest and illness and healing. This weekly series appears on the 永利国际app blog and .

Elul Together
Preparing for the High Holidays in a Time of Upheaval

Elul, the month leading up to the High Holy Days, is traditionally an opportunity for introspection, reflection, and self growth. In response to the isolation of the pandemic, 永利国际app has launched. The project brings teachings, music, and the sound of the shofar into the homes of our broader community during this time of isolation.

Each week of Elul, we post videos, art and journal prompts to accompany you through the next week of High Holy Day preparation. Watch, listen, write, make art, and share your reflections on social media with #ElulTogether. We鈥檙e in it together.

Spiritual Resources for Contemporary Life

On 永利国际app’s The Book of Psalms: Calling Out from the Depths website, a unique collection of contemporary interreligious reflections on the psalms, clergy, scholars, poets, musicians, activists, and visual artists offer personal reflections on these ancient and time-honored texts in light of contemporary events and mores, building on the wisdom of the past. The website provides a timely spiritual anthology that includes multimedia resources and new pathways into the biblical texts and stirring meditations on life.

The Psalms is that this site听is听intentionally interreligious. While it is true that for centuries Jews and Christians have turned to this collection for guidance and inspiration, there have been far fewer opportunities for members of these two communities and others to explore the sources听together听as fellow seekers. What do we share in common? Where do we differ? How might reading these texts through the lens of the 鈥渙ther鈥� impact our understanding of life and our celebrations and struggles of what it means to be human?

Hiddushim: Celebrating 永利国际app’s Centennial

Hiddushim, 永利国际app鈥檚 special centennial book, was commissioned by the College for its 100th year in 2021-2022.

The book contains a compilation of essays on Jewish studies alongside powerful personal memoirs from the College鈥檚 earliest years until today.

>> Order Now

永利国际app High Holiday Companion

Jewish tradition teaches that as we traverse the winding path of听teshuvah听(return and renewal) each year during the High Holy Day season, it is wise to do so with fellow seekers. To help guide your steps, the faculty, alumni, and students of 永利国际app created a High Holiday Companion鈥攁 collection of reflections on the prayers, scriptural readings, and sacred practices of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Featuring original essays, poetry, and visual artwork, this booklet will help illuminate the way into the High Holiday liturgy and these sacred days of return and renewal.

永利国际app Passover Companion

Published in March 2020, the 永利国际app Passover Companion is a collection of essays that temerged out of a desire to honor our friend and colleague, Dr. Judith Kates. Professor, author, teacher, and scholar, Kates stands among the pioneers of contemporary Jewish women reclaiming their Jewish literary heritage by bringing a feminist perspective to the interpretation of classical Jewish texts. The听Passover Companion represents a unique collaboration among faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of 永利国际app. Following after the 永利国际app High Holiday Companion, it offers a pathway into another of our central ritual moments鈥攖he Passover seder. 鈥� Rachel Adelman, Jane L. Kanarek, and Gail Twersky Reimer, Editors.

Music for Healing

At the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks, 永利国际app ordination students offered this rendition of Psalm 23.

During the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, 永利国际app offered opportunities for prayer by singing nigunim together in community. Through events like “Nigun and Nehama (Song & Comfort),” members of the Greater Boston community join the 永利国际app community to create an hour of healing and hope.

Responding to COVID-19

永利国际app faculty, students, and alumni, have responded to the pandemic with words of Torah and art for this moment. In addition, Rabbinical School alumna Rabbi Suzanne Offit`09 created the online event “Time to Mourn: Grieving in the Time of COVID, where听we paused to mourn those lost during the COVID pandemic thus far. The event was aired on the 17 of Tammuz, Shivah Asar B鈥橳ammuz. Visit our response web page and watch the event below.

Music & Prayer Leadership

At 永利国际app, our students and alumni are using music in innovative and creative ways for their prayer leadership 鈥� infusing traditional Jewish liturgy and prayer forms, as well as contemporary, experimental, and world music to create meaningful听tefilah and learning for their communities.

We also launched a new Prayer Leader Certificate in Tefillah: Shabbat with credit or non-credit/professional development options.

Big Bold Jewish Climate Fest

永利国际app has been a co-sponsor of the ,听a virtual and collaborative annual winter festival by and for people who want to activate Jewish values to move the needle on climate change. I永利国际app faculty and alumni have presented at several online sessions鈥攆rom “Rabbinical Training and Jewish Leadership in an Era of Climate Crisis” with 永利国际app President Sharon Cohen Anisfeld to “Songs to Sustain Us in the Struggle: A听Motzei Shabbat Sing” with 永利国际app alumni Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman `14, and Rabbi Micah Shapiro `15.

A playlist of the 2021 永利国际app session may be viewed on the College’s YouTube channel

Global Climate Strike

永利国际app students, faculty, and staff joined the 2019 Climate Strike in Boston, part of the , some marching from earth-themed morning davening at the Boston Synagogue

Sustainability Committee

Led by rabbinical and cantorial students, Admat Kodesh, the 永利国际app Sustainability Committee organizes a number of green initiatives, including College-wide composting and carpooling, and helped the College attain the .

永利国际app in Israel

As part of our newly-enhanced Year-in-Israel program for rabbinical students, funded by generous support from the Germanacos Foundation, students will be spending several days at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies on Kibbutz Ketura, learning with students from throughout the Middle East who are preparing to meet the region鈥檚 environmental challenges.

Teens Supporting Sustainability

Teen Students from the Jewish Teen Foundation of Greater Boston, a 永利国际app program that teaches local high school students about fundraising, civic leadership, and grant-making, gave $17,548 of the $60,265 they raised in 2018-2019 to environmental organizations 鈥渢o preserve the environment for future generations.鈥�

Prayer for interfaith vigil at Tornillo Detention Camp听鈥� 永利国际app President Rabbi Anisfeld joined a national delegation of labor, educational, and faith leaders organized by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) at the Texas border calling for an end to the inhumane policy of family separations and detentions and the violations of the basic rights of asylum seekers. President Anisfeld offered this prayer during an interfaith vigil at the Tornillo Detention Center where children are still being held.

听– At this special 永利国际app event, guests Reverands Mariama White-Hammond and Fred Small, and Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman`14, share their thoughts on hope, optimism and the yearning for goodness.

Something of Redemption听鈥� Rabbi Dan Judson, Dean of the Rabbinical School of 永利国际app, relates听Parashat Balak听and the famous verse 鈥淗ow goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places O Israel!/Mah tovu ohalekha Yaakov, mishkanotekha Yisrael鈥� and the theme of redemption to the immigration and family separation struggles in America during the summer of 2018.

#WeToo听– President Sharon Cohen Anisfeld addresses the Jewish response to the #MeToo movement.

State of Formation

Founded as an offshoot of the Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS), the is a blog sponsored by听the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership at 永利国际app and Boston University School of Theology.

Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS)

听provides a vehicle for academic discourse to effect practical change in the field of inter-religious dialogue.听The Journal of Interreligious Studies听seeks to bring together religious, civic, academic, and non-profit leaders of all ages and backgrounds to ensure that lessons derived from scholarship are directly applied through practical programming for religious communities through peer-reviewed content.

JIRS is a publication of the ,听永利国际app听and听.

COVID Youth Commission

In March 2021, 永利国际app鈥檚 听and 听听teamed up to start the听. The commission is composed of a diverse group of youth (26 + mentors) from Greater Boston who are passionate about addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, including some longstanding justice issues that this health crisis has brought to light or exacerbated. The students work on three project teams鈥擳he Advocacy Team, The Direct Service Team, and The Multimedia Team鈥攁nd with local partner organizations on food sustainability issues, creating COVID kits for homeless shelters, and on communicating the work of the project to local and national experts. .

PsalmSeason

In response to the unfolding global pandemic and upheaval over racial injustice, on June 8, 2020听听and听听launched a new digital initiative on the Book of Psalms entitled听. The multifaceted project seeks to provide people with a creative context in which to explore their swirling thoughts and feelings through the prism of this ancient and beloved collection of prayer-poems. The project began with an online 听 followed by the launch of the听PsalmSeason digital platform鈥攁n 18-week exploration of the Psalms focusing one psalm each week.

永利国际app Arts Exhibits

In 2021, 永利国际app established its Arts Initiative in keeping with the College鈥檚 long-standing mission of fostering love of Torah, social justice, pluralism, and creativity. Our exhibitions are open to the public, providing access to learning and on-going conversation. Learn more.

Glitz, Glam, and God

永利国际app alumna and entrepreneur Rabbi Adina Allen`14, co-founder of the Jewish Studio Project – an arts-based nonprofit in Berkeley, CA that blends traditional Jewish learning with a creative arts studio – infuses creative art and writing into her interpretation of Torah.听Read more in Glitz, Glam and God.

On Being Caught in the Thicket听鈥� 永利国际app President, Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, infuses poetry with Torah in this piece about Rosh Hashanah.

– Watch Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire, a pioneer in the creative field of Jewish education, use the creative “Godly Play” storytelling method to bring Torah to children.

• • 鈥� In this bonus podcast episode of 鈥淛udaism Unbound,鈥� recorded live at 永利国际app, host Lex Rofeberg, MJEd`18 (holding microphone below) enters into conversation with 永利国际app alumni Rabbi David Fainsilber, Rab`14, rabbi of The Jewish Community of Greater Stowe, and Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer, Rab`14, rabbi and chazzan of The Kitchen in San Francisco (pictured below). The panel was part of a 永利国际app conference entitled 鈥淭he Past and Future of Synagogues.鈥�

Rethinking Synagogue Dues

Rabbinical School Dean Rabbi Dan Judson,听an expert on synagogue dues, was the featured guest on two December 2018 episodes of the podcast Judaism Unbound: 听鈥溾�� and 听鈥淗is book Pennies for Heaven: The History of American Synagogues and Money was named a finalist for the 听in January 2019.

• , co-edited by Rabbi Or Rose, Director of the , won first place in the 鈥淓cumenism or Interfaith Relations鈥� category of the Catholic Media Association鈥檚听.
• by Dr. Devora Steinmetz is a book of essays, each of which weaves together biblical and rabbinic texts, inviting the reader into a thick experience of reading and of imagining themselves into our stories, prayers, and practices.
• (2022) by Rabbi Nehemia Polen examines the three stages of a full day of uninterrupted practice, tied to the natural cycle of the sun’s setting, rising, and setting again.
• 听(2018) co-edited by Rabbi Or Rose and Rev. Soren Hessler of 永利国际app鈥檚 Miller Center for Interreligious Learning & Leadership, and Dr. Homayra Ziad of the Institute for Islamic, Christian , and Jewish Studies.
• 听(2018) by Rabbi Dan Judson, Dean of the Rabbinical School of 永利国际app, and expert on synagogue dues. Synopsis: In the annals of American Jewish history, synagogue financial records have been largely overlooked. But as Rabbi Judson shows in his examination of synagogue ledgers from 1728 to the present, these records provide an array of new insights into the development of American synagogues and the values of the Jews who worshipped in them. Looking at the history of American synagogues through an economic lens, Judson examines how synagogues raised funds, financed buildings, and paid clergy. By 鈥渇ollowing the money,鈥� he reveals the priorities of the Jewish community at a given time.
• 听(2017) co-edited by Rabbi Jane Kanarek, Rabbinical School Associate Professor of Rabbinics and Marjorie Lehman. Synopsis:听Learning to Read Talmud听is the first book-length study of how teachers teach and how students learn to read Talmud. Through a series of studies conducted by scholars of Talmud in classrooms that range from seminaries to secular universities and with students from novice to advanced, this book elucidates a broad range of ideas about what it means to learn to read Talmud and tools for how to achieve that goal. Bridging the study of Talmud and the study of pedagogy, this book is an essential resource for scholars, curriculum writers, and classroom teachers of Talmud.
• (2020) by Rabbi Or N. Rose (Editor), Netanel Miles-Y茅pez (Editor), Orbis Books. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (1924-2014) was one of the most creative and influential Jewish spiritual teachers in the late twentieth-century. Reb Zalman (as he is known) made several distinctive and lasting contributions to Jewish and interreligious life in North America and beyond. Originally trained as a Hasidic rabbi within the Chabad-Lubavitch community, he became one of the great teachers and translators of Jewish mystical tradition.
• (2020), edited by Aubrey Glazer and Nehemia Polen, Fons Vitae Press. A journey to rediscovering the magic and mystery, the intimacy and depth of a lost moment in the history of a remarkably relevant, and conscious community in the Galilee that still has much to teach us.