January Update from Rabbi Hayyim Angel, National Scholar of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals

January, 2015

To our members and friends, I hope you are enjoying your winter.

We have completed the year’s first semester with a host of programs and classes, and eagerly anticipate our upcoming offerings.

Here are some of the major highlights coming up in January and February:

Sunday, February 22, 10:00am-1:00pm: I am organizing a symposium to be held at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan on the topic of “From the Academy to the Religious Community: How we can gain religious insight from academic Jewish Studies.”

· Dr. Chaviva Levin: “What Medieval Jewish Apostates Can Teach Us about the Mitzvah of Ahavat HaGer”

· Rabbi Hayyim Angel: “Afterlife in Jewish Thought: The Evolution of an Idea and Implications for Religious Life Today”

· Rabbi Dr. Jeremy Wieder: “Berlin in Volozhin? The Relevance of Academic Talmud to the Denizens of the Beit Midrash” Light refreshments will be served. This exciting new program is co-sponsored by The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals and Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun. Free and open to the public.

Kehilath Jeshurun (114 East 85th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan): My next two Shabbatot as part of a monthly Rabbinic Scholar program will be a sermon on the morning of Shabbat January 17 at the Sephardic minyan (services begin at 9:00am), and then a talk on “Coffee and Halakhah” after Kiddush.

On Shabbat February 21, I will give the sermon at the Sephardic minyan, and other classes (to be determined) later in the day. Classes are free and open to the public.

Second Samuel: In-Depth Bible Study: I will continue our in-depth Tanakh learning at Lincoln Square Synagogue (68th Street and Amsterdam in Manhattan). This semester we begin with 2 Samuel chapter 11. Newcomers are always welcome. Classes meet on Wednesday evenings, 7:15-8:15pm. Dates for the spring semester are: Jan 28; Feb 4, 11, 18, 25; March 11, 18, 25 (not March 4, Purim) Classes are co-sponsored by our Institute and Lincoln Square Synagogue. Registration is required, please go to lss.org/RabbiAngel.

On Shabbat February 7, I will give a class on the Ten Commandments after services at Congregation Ohab Shalom, 270 West 84th Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue in Manhattan). Services begin at 9:00am. Free and open to the public.

On Thursday February 12, 8:00pm, I will be speaking on the Book of Esther at the Yeshiva University Sefarim Sale, followed by a book signing and launch of my newest book, Jewish Holiday Companion, published this past November by the Institute.

On Shabbat February 27-28, I will be scholar-in-residence at Congregation Ahavath Torah, 240 Broad Avenue, Englewood, New Jersey. Free and open to the public. This past fall, I taught an eight-week course, entitled Creating Jewish Unity. This series explored and promoted many of our core values at the Institute. You now can hear the entire series on our website jewishideas.org, and go to Online Learning. Continuing with our teacher training program, I will be giving a nine-part series to Honors Rabbinical Students at Yeshiva University on how to teach Bible in synagogues. This course is open to Honors Rabbinical Students at Yeshiva University. Here are some of the highlights from the past two months:

· October 24-25: Scholar-in-residence program, Congregation Anshei Sphard, Memphis, Tennessee.

· November 14-15: Scholar-in-residence program, Young Israel of Hillcrest, Queens.

· November 30: “Modeling the Flood Story: Midrash and Movie”: Panelist discussing interpretations of the Biblical account and the 2014 film Noah

· December 5-6: Scholar-in-residence program, Congregation Beth Israel Abraham and Anshy Voliner, Overland Park, Kansas.

· December 9: Lecture to Yeshiva University Women’s Group.

· December 15: Frisch High School, Paramus New Jersey. Lectures to student body and their parents.

· January 2-3: Scholar-in-residence program, Young Israel of Lawrence-Cedarhurst. · January 5: Lecture at the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah-Maharat Winter Intensive. As always, I thank our members and friends for their support and for enabling us to spread our Institute’s vision through teaching and publications throughout the country and beyond.