Min haMuvhar

I can trace the seeds of my abiding interest in the intersection of Jewish/Israeli and Arab culture to two specific events that occurred while I was a high school student on a kibbutz in the eastern Galilee. The first took place when the group of American high school juniors of which I was a part travelled to the nearby Arab town of Daburiyya, at the foot of Mt. Tabor. We met Arab Israeli youth of our age in their classroom, where we bashfully introduced ourselves to each other. From there, our hosts took us to their homes where we were graciously hosted. I also recall our playing soccer on a field of dirt and stones as our Arab peers patiently indulged our feeble footballing skills. Given our total lack of Arabic skills and our fairly basic knowledge of Hebrew, along with the Arab students correspondingly basic level of English, our ability to communicate verbally was minimal, but we felt welcomed and warmed by the exchanges of good will.

Returning to the kibbutz, I was perplexed by the fact that my Israeli peers had no contact and seemingly no interest in the Arab villagers who lived nearby. When I asked my kibbutz family about this, they told me that in the old days things had been different; that they had known and been on good terms with people in the neighboring Arab village of Kafr Misr, and there would be exchanges of visits often around holiday or wedding celebrations, but now the only contact that seemed to exist was that between employer and employed (on kibbutz!), with the Arabs performing the menial or difficult labor that the kibbutzniks preferred to avoid. When we invited the Palestinian youths for a return visit to us on the kibbutz high school, the kibbutz kids all kept their distance and couldn’t understand why we would be interested in making friendships with Arab children.

The second event took place during my senior year, after I had decided to remain in Israel and was invited to join the kibbutz class of my age. As a gift for his parents, my kibbutz brother wanted to construct a rock garden in front of their home. Without receiving much in the way of explanation, I helped hitch up a trailer to a tractor and we rode a couple of kilometers into the kibbutz fields. On the top of a small rise surrounded by gorgeous views of the eastern Galilee, Mt. Tabor, we came upon piles of black stone blocks of basalt; in a few places, parts of walls still stood in place on their foundations, while on some stones there were white markings. Nir explained to me that these were the ruins of the Arab village of Tira, whose inhabitants had fled during the ‘48 War.

Subsequent to their departure, the IDF had razed the buildings to prevent infiltrators from using them, and the white initials I had noticed dated from this destruction. We loaded up the trailer with the hewn blocks, brought them to my kibbutz parents’ home, and built low retaining walls to form flower beds in the front yard.

But the thought of those stones and the homes of which they were built did not leave me: What had the homes looked like? When were they built? Who lived there? Why did they leave? Had they been expelled? Had they fled? How many lost their homes? Where did they go? Why did they never return? Why did the IDF have to destroy the village?

Were there other villages like this? Did the presence of these stones pose any moral quandary for the kibbutzninkim? Was the Jewish presence on this land somehow immoral or illegitimate? These questions troubled me and have continued to do so down to the present, and the images I carry in my mind of the stones both in the fields and transplanted to the kibbutz where they became a decorative garden element retains for me iconic and metaphoric significance.

In what follows, I will provide an example of a pedagogical and scholarly journey by which one person, an American Jew with strong commitments to Jewish tradition and the Jewish state, has searched for small ways to break down walls and build bridges between Arabs and Jews, despite a long and often painful history of disparate and conflicting political and religious identities. My worldview is one indubitably shaped by my own upbringing, my family of origin, my friends, my identity as an American with an abiding sense that “all people are created equal,” and the privileges I have enjoyed from a lifetime in academia that provide me the opportunity and freedom to think, teach and write about these issues in a university setting. I have no illusions that what I have done has had any major tangible impact. I do not actively advocate for rapprochement between Jews and Arabs via institutional involvement or through community organizations but I and others like me attempt through our teaching and research to expose others to examples of the human side of those with whom they may fear or hate, yet whose image is shaped to a large extent by stereotypes and prejudices inculcated by our families, our communities, and the media.

I.
I am a professor at a very large, Midwestern state university, where I serve as core faculty in both the Jewish Studies and Muslim Studies programs, an unusual arrangement in American academia. Among the repertoire of courses I regularly teach is one on Israeli culture and society. This course, enrolling approximately fifty undergraduate students, is one of a limited number through which students may fulfill their humanities breadth requirement. Most faculty at my university assiduously avoid teaching these courses as they have relatively large caps on enrollment, but, more significantly, the students, obliged to take these courses to complete graduation requirements, are mostly unmotivated. Indeed, while some of the students who enroll in my course may have some interest in learning about Israel, many of the students register based primarily on the course’s fit with their schedule. While I am thus compelled to “sell” the students on the topic, I personally enjoy teaching these courses for the opportunity they offer to expose students from a broad spectrum of majors to matters of wide societal import and have them engage with texts in a critical fashion. While among the students signing up for the course is a contingent of Jewish students who have some knowledge of Israel, may have visited on a Birthright trip, or learned a sanitized version of Israeli history from day school or after-school synagogue education, the bulk of the students are of non-Jewish background, and for them, this is the first encounter with Israel beyond that provided by the mainstream communications media. Typically, I am also fortunate to have a small number of American students of Middle Eastern descent, primarily Muslims and Chaldeans, as well as international students, often from the Gulf.

The course is divided into three units: in the first, “An Old-New Nation” (playing off the title of Herzl’s 1902 utopian novel, Altneuland), we establish a theoretical framework through which we structure our investigations: collective memory and (re )constructions of the past. During this part of the course I also provide a basic overview of Jewish history so that students may understand the bonds that connect Jews to each other, to their languages and cultures, and to their land; however, the core of this unit is comprised of the rise of the Zionist movement in its European context and the foundation of the State, and we explore such topics as the Haskalah, emancipation, anti-Semitism, the notion of the New Jew (and its corollary, “the negation of the Diaspora”), the Old Yishuv, waves of aliyah, the revival of Hebrew, etc. In the second unit, “The Dream and the Reality,” we compare the utopian Zionism vision with its actual implementation. Here, we examine the centrifugal tensions within Israel along religious, ethnic, national, and gender lines and why, in spite of these, the society is somehow able to cohere and thrive. In the final unit, ‘Growing Up in Israel/Israel Growing Up,” the students connect their life experiences with those of youth from a variety of Israeli communities and consider what is different about childhood and young adulthood in Israel. We also consider the creative dynamism of its people and economy, the challenges and contributions of recent influxes of immigrants, and the costs of the ongoing violence. We conclude our survey by looking at the ways in which the Zionist revolution is still working itself out, including the revisionist history of its foundations and the shift from a mobilized collectivist society to a more individualistic one.

Given the diverse population of students, the course goals vary for each of the groups involved, but writ large, I see my role as complicating their understanding of Israel. For the majority of students, those who have little or no background, I seek to provide some awareness of the causes that led up to the push for a Jewish state and some insight into the complexities of the society as it exists today. For those Jewish students with some knowledge of Israel, I want to challenge their often simplistic and sometimes chauvinistic notions of the contours of the society. For students of Middle Eastern background, I seek to gain their trust and, by my example, get them to think openly about a country and society that for many of them has primarily negative associations. I make it clear from the outset that all questions are encouraged, nothing is out-of-bounds, and I encourage the students to think critically and “outside the box.” All the students are interested in understanding current events and making some sense of the scenes of violence that emanate from the Middle East as a whole and from Israel in particular, and we of course deal with these issues; but I try to provide a nuanced introduction to Israeli society that takes into account the history and modes of identity that underlie these conflicts. The major work for the course consists of the compiling of a response journal in which students are asked to engage a diverse range of texts—written and filmic—in a critical fashion. The approach is one that views the country as a social laboratory and a work in progress, one in which we have the unique opportunity to observe a revolutionary movement that in large part accomplished its goals: reestablishing Jewish sovereignty, gathering in exiles, and creating a vibrant culture. I believe this openness to critical approaches to Israeli history and the injustices and tragedies that necessarily accompanied a revolutionary movement encourages the students to think critically about their own assumptions. I am particularly gratified by the fact that among the students who seem to get the most from the course are the Arab and Muslim students, who appreciate the openness with which I treat the Arab-Israeli conflict and the tragedy of the Palestinian people.

I also teach a course on the Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that focuses on the similarities and contrasts between the three monotheistic traditions that arose in the Near East. Again, this is a humanities breadth requirement course with similar enrollments in terms of number and ethnic background. After introducing the students to the tools of comparative religion, we examine the basic history and central tenets of each of the three faiths, and then proceed over the remainder of the course to examine each in conjunction within the frameworks of sacred text, sacred beings, sacred space, and sacred time. Among the highlights of the course are the site visits the students conduct to a mosque at the Islamic center, a Chabad synagogue, and the Catholic Newman Center. At each site, they meet with students and leaders of these houses of
worship, observe a prayer service, and submit a visitation report written from the standpoint of an ethnological observer. For the majority of students this is the first visit to a house of worship outside of their own tradition, and for nearly all the non-Muslim students, it is their first visit to a mosque.

Finally, I have the great pleasure of regularly leading a university summer study abroad program in Jerusalem at the Rothberg School for International Students at the Hebrew University. Typically, around half to two-thirds of the students are Jewish; the remainder are Christian or non-identified. The program consists of two courses: a lecture course on “The Emergence of the Modern State of Israel” taught by a Rothberg School faculty member, and my field-based course on the cultural and historical geography of Jerusalem. The pedagogical opportunities offered by such an intensive experience in a new culture are manifold.

In the course on Jerusalem, we take full advantage of our presence there by walking the city and delving into the major events in its history, while considering its significance as a source for tremendous cultural innovation and its status as a bitterly contested locus of contention. During our tours we look at attempts by successive settlers and conquerors to destroy or, alternatively, co-opt the symbols and structures of the preceding civilization. Central to our considerations is the construction of narrative and ritual and sacred time and space within competing ideological, political, and religious systems. In our discussions of the contemporary situation, we cover such topics as religious-secular tensions; poverty and municipal budget constraints; various immigrant subcultures; city planning; the status of the “unified” city (i.e., East and West Jerusalem); and the problem of Jerusalem in final status negotiations. Especially meaningful for the students are the meetings we conduct with a variety of individuals in order to develop a multidimensional understanding of the city and its citizens. For example, in our tour of Silwan we meet with a leader of the local Palestinians who see their homes being threatened by the encroachments of Jewish settlers and archaeologists. We also meet with settlers and try to gain an understanding of their motivations in purchasing property and living at some risk in areas such as Silwan and the Mount of Olives. We meet with a prominent Western journalist who describes the tightrope she must walk in covering Jerusalem. We meet with members of the organization Parents Circle-Families Forum, a grassroots organization of bereaved Palestinians and Israelis whose members seek to promote reconciliation as an alternative to hatred and revenge. We meet with representatives of the Haredi community, and religious leaders from the Muslim and Christian communities. Students undertake a final project on some aspect of Jerusalem that reflects their academic and perhaps future professional interests and for which they are expected to conduct original research and consult experts in the field. These projects have included social protest movements, water rights, home destruction by the Israeli authorities of Palestinian homes, the Separation Barrier, graffiti art, the Haredi lifestyle, journalistic coverage of the city, the history of various Jerusalem institutions, and many others.

For many of the students this is a life changing experience and I derive much pleasure and satisfaction from and observing them learn and grow. Here is the report of one, a non-Jewish student:

Israel was not at all what I anticipated it to be. The few expectations that I had coming in were erased on day one, and I am so glad for this. I really felt that I learned so much more about the history and complexity of Jerusalem by being physically present instead of being taught in a classroom. I cannot even begin to explain what it felt like to stand on Temple Mount, touch the Western Wall, and go inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Our trip truly encompassed aspects of each of the Abrahamic religions, which I deeply appreciated and found to be extremely interesting. Not only did we see and hear about the background of these religions and how each has had some influence in Jerusalem, but we were able to apply our knowledge to current issues through meetings with local Jerusalemites, including an Arab villager, a Jewish settler, a Sufi sheikh, and two men that have each lost a family member in the conflict—one a Palestinian and the other an Israeli. Being able to go into the city and explore, talk to people, and learn about past and present issues was truly an amazing and invaluable experience. Although I learned so much about the history, life, religions, and the formation of the state of Israel, I think the thing that most impressed me was the true complexity of the land. While we were only there for five short weeks, I know that everything I learned, saw, and experienced will stick with me for a lifetime. I really cannot say enough about this experience—as my friends and family who have been forced to hear about it constantly can tell you. Even pictures aren’t enough to convey the incredible wonder of Israel and particularly Jerusalem. Standing on top of Masada and looking across to the sun rising over the Dead Sea and Jordan, looking up at the Dome of Rock, and even wandering the Old City with friends are irreplaceable memories for me. I met people from all over the globe, saw the holiest places in the world, learned an incredible amount, and made lifelong connections to a place that will always remain close to my heart because of the fantastic experience I had there. It was an amazing trip—the highlight of my college career.

II.
One of my primary interests as a scholar is the history and dynamics of the intersection of Jewish with Muslim and Arabic culture. The history of these contacts is a complicated one, but one that in the popular imagination is often viewed as some sort of utopian symbiosis, or, alternatively, as a story of Muslim repression of the Jewish minority culture. Of course, both of these perceptions are simplistic caricatures. In Stories of Joseph: Narrative Migrations Between Judaism and Islam (Wayne State University Press, 2005), I take as my focus a popular and widespread Judeo-Arabic retelling of the story of Joseph known as “The Story of Our Master Joseph the Righteous.” This tale is widely represented in the Genizah materials and manuscript collections of Jewish communities throughout the Muslim world.

Perhaps no richer theme exists for an analysis of cultural competition over sacred figures and the transfer of cultural artifacts than the Joseph story. Claimed as an illustrious progenitor within Islamic and Jewish tradition, Joseph and his tale have a commanding presence in both scriptures; he is the central focus for the final third of the Book of Genesis, while in the Qur’an, Joseph’s tale, comprising the entire twelfth surah which bears his name, is the only instance in which we are provided a ‘complete’ and sequenced story of a biblical protagonist. Each of these scriptural accounts served as a springboard for rich traditions of exegesis and narrative expansion or retelling of the core tales. Within Jewish tradition, the Joseph cycle has come to stand as the prototype of the people’s experience in Exile, while in Islam, Joseph serves as a precursor for the Prophet Muhammad and the difficulties he faced in gaining acceptance for his mission.

There thus arose two distinct bodies of traditions of the story in post-biblical and post-quranic literature typified by the midrash-based retellings of biblical narratives and “The Stories of the Prophets” collections, respectively.

I am able to demonstrate that while “The Story of Our Master Joseph” was intended for a Jewish audience—recorded as it is Judeo-Arabic and employing the Hebrew script—remarkably, it is actually an adaptation of a Muslim tale. What we have then is a dramatic example of the migration of cultural artifacts across multiple cultural borders: a Jewish text has taken its form from an Islamic prototype, which itself is largely based on midrashic works, which in turn draw from Hellenistic literature, ancient Near Eastern material, and so on and so forth, back all the way into the mists of the earliest human stories of parental favoritism, sibling rivalry, separation from loved ones, sexual mores, and the struggles for continued communal existence outside of the homeland. This Judeo-Arabic text, drawing as it does from a shared reservoir of materials, provides a window into the flow of ideas, motifs, and traditions between Jews and Muslims and my work on materials such as these is a way I am able to directly experience and hopefully share the richness of two rich cultures that have much to teach each other.

Recently, I have turned my attention to a contemporary situation involving Arab-Jewish dynamics, this time of an Arab minority within a Jewish majority culture in the State of Israel. In collaboration with an Israeli colleague, Dr. Rivka Bliboim, I am looking at a work of contemporary popular culture: the Israeli sitcom Arab Labor, created and written by the Israeli Arab journalist and writer, Sayed Kashua. The show, which is entering on its fifth season, is broadcast by Channel Two in prime time. Its popularity continues to rise, and it has won multiple broadcasting awards. The flipping of the power relations Arab and Jew is also mirrored in issues of language, and our research explores the linguistic choices made by the writer. In particular, we focus on the linguistic code-switching engaged in by the Arab characters: When and under what circumstances do the characters use Hebrew and when do they opt for Arabic? What factors, such as gender, generation, and ideology, affect these choices? When the Arab characters do use Hebrew, what register do they employ? The show’s primary language is Arabic, and given the dismal state of knowledge of the language among Israeli Jews, this therefore requires almost all Jewish viewers to read subtitles. The fact that despite this the show is at the top of the ratings in its prime-time slot is revolutionary in and of itself.

Although seemingly conforming to the conventions of the sitcom genre, the events and characters are presented in exaggerated stereotyped manner that serves an ultimately subversive role: to question the gap between the State’s commitment to equality of all and the quotidian reality of its Arab citizens. Beyond the humor, what I believe makes the critique of Israeli society palatable to its largely Jewish audience is the willingness of Kashua to lampoon himself through the somewhat autobiographical main character. Amjad is an obsequious Israeli Arab journalist desperate to fit into the WASP (White, Ashkenazi, Sabra with Protektsia) Israeli culture, but is invariably rebuffed in his attempts to do so. At the same time, Kashua doesn’t hesitate to point out the hypocrisy of ostensiby “enlightened” Jewish Israelis. The show is audacious in its taking on such heavy issues and events as the Separation Fence, the 2008 IDF Cast Lead operation and the identification of the show’s characters with the plight of their Gazan brethren, Independence Day or Day of the Catastrophe (al-Nakba), lack of public services provided to the Arab sector, discrimination in housing and the marketplace, forced removal or excision of the Arab population from the boundaries of Israel, kidnappings, settler violence, etc. The show reveals the underlying fears and stereotypes of its characters—and through them, of ourselves, the viewers.

I see Kashua’s project as a model for the ways in which knowledge and education can be used to change attitudes, knock down walls built on stereotypes and ignorance, and build bridges between peoples separated by different and conflicting identities. Not only is the Arabic language more present in the daily lives of Jewish Israelis, but it is also likely that both the status of the language and those citizens for whom it is the mother tongue has risen perceptibly. Moreover, the show has educated Jewish Israelis on the realities of the lives of their fellow citizens who live among them but are largely invisible. I now return to the story I told at the beginning of this piece, and the metaphorical valence of the stones from the razed homes of Tira. In university life, we have the opportunity to engage our students in inquiry about cultural artifacts—language, texts, implements, and, yes, stones to build houses or walls. Sometimes, when we understand our common humanity and look to the needs of others, these same stones can also serve to build bridges between individuals and communities otherwise divided by prejudice and hatred. My work has been a small effort to build such bridges.

The Kosher Bookworm
The Study of Bible Commentary--Fascinating
by Alan Jay Gerber

This past week the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst hosted one of America's
leading interpreters of the Bible text and commentaries, Rabbi Hayyim Angel.
Rabbi Angel's presentments that Shabbat to a total of over 700 attendees was
both impressive as to their attentiveness of the listeners as well as to the
comprehensiveness of the content of his message. As reflected in his literary
output over the past decade Rabbi Angel's message is to parse the inner workings
of the text of the holy writ, to define to "amcha" the methodology of peshat and
derash, so as to enable the average layperson to better understand the basic
content as well as the hidden theological message of the divine text.

This review is intended to serve as a literary followup to Rabbi Angel's message
through bringing to your attention a sample of Rabbi Angel's literary works for
your edification and hopeful use. This review is not intended to be an
analytical study, just a "taste" of the wisdom and gifted thought of Rabbi
Hayyim Angel.

Recently, Kodesh Press published Rabbi Angel's "Peshat Isn't So Simple" Essays
on Developing a Religious Methodology to Bible Study", a collection of twenty
one essays spanning the entire Bible dealing with some of the most interesting
chapter of Bible narrative. Within these pages are reflected Rabbi Angel's
method of analysis wherein we get a first hand up front view of what constitutes
real Bible commentary. Among the commentators whose commentary is given the
"Angel treatment" are Rambam, Abarbanel, Sforno,Moshe Shamah, and Leon Kass.
Rabbi Angel's method in defining parshanut envelops much of this work making for
some interesting and truly informative teachings.

From the very outset, Rabbi Angel defines for us his method for us to
understand and to hopefully ultimately apply in our future study of the Bible.

Consider the following:

"Developing a religious methodology for learning Tanach requires many
ingredients. Foremost, the belief in Revelation, that the sacred words of the
Bible reflect G-d's word speaking directly to us, lies at the very heart of
learning. Tanach shapes our religious worldview, our religious and moral
behavior, and our core values and ideals."

This is as plain and as straight as one can write on a subject that has been the
source of questionable theological takes among our people for over two
centuries. The blunt honesty of the writer is a refreshing change of pace from
those of his more liberal contemporaries who use the Bible as a whipping post
for their questionable beliefs.

Further on in his introduction Rabbi Angel notes the following:

"Although peshat often is translated as the plain or simple sense of the text,
there is nothing plain or simple about it when we take it seriously. Sifting
through many centuries of scholarship and methodology coupled with pursuing
contemporary approaches and research is a life-long endeavor, as we continue our
attempts to refine truth and approach G-d's word through our eternal sacred
texts."

Among the more interesting chapters in this work that relate to the current
Torah readings, you will surely find the following to be of must interest:
"Joseph's Bones: Peshat, Derash, and in Between", and "Learning From and living
our History: Lessons from the Exodus in Tanach".
Both of these two essays will give you a broader understanding as well as
appreciation of the inner meanings and messages of Torah text, as well as the
various nuances of Torah commentaries.

Related to these essays, in a previous work by Rabbi Angel entitled, "Revealed
Texts, Hidden Meanings" [Ktav 2009] we find a short yet fascinating essay, "The
Genesis-Exodus Continuum: What Happens When They Are Viewed As A Larger Unit"
that details the thematic links between the first two books of the Bible that
further enhance their theological as well as literary messages. This chapter
alone would make for some interesting conversation as the Seder table, indeed a
warm thought for this time of year.

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.

October, 2013

To our members and friends: Thanks again for your enthusiastic support and encouragement. Here are a number of updates on my work as National Scholar of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. ·

We have created a new area on our website, jewishideas.org, Online Learning. On this page you can find a list of links to online classes I have given. We expect this area to grow rapidly as we offer new classes through the Institute. Please join in the online learning at jewishideas.org. ·

The Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals is co-sponsoring a nine-part series of weekly classes with Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Book of Judges. This course will be held at Lincoln Square Synagogue, 68th and Amsterdam, New York City. Classes are on Wednesday evenings 7:15-8:15 pm, from October 16-December 18 (except November 27). Classes are free and open to the public. There are sponsorship opportunities available (suggested sponsorship: $360). For more information contact Ms. Elana Stein-Hain, [email protected]. ·

I will be giving a four-part mini-course at the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, Queens: Three classes on Biblical Wisdom (Proverbs, Job,Kohelet), Sunday evenings, 7:30-8:30 pm, October 13, 20, 27. On Sunday, November 17, 7:30-8:30 pm, separate lecture on “The Books of the Maccabees and Rabbinic Thought: Getting to the Roots of Hanukkah.” Classes are free and open to the public. ·

I am lecturing for the Columbia/Barnard Hillel, in conjunction with our University Network program: “Learning Faith from the Text, or Text from Faith: The Challenges of Teaching and Learning the Avraham Narratives and Commentary.” Sunday, October 27, 12:00pm. ·

I am teaching a course course this fall semester on “How to Teach Bible in Synagogues” for the Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Study at Stern College for Women (Yeshiva University). The goal is to train these elite students how to serve more effectively as scholars-in-residence or as future synagogue professionals. This course is open to students in the Graduate Program only. ·

I spoke at the Book Reception for a new commentary by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik on the Torah: Chumash Mesorat HaRav: Chumash with Commentary Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. This project was sponsored by pillars of our Institute, Stephen and Nataly Neuwirth. The event was held at the Young Israel of New Rochelle on October 6. ·

I delivered the Queens College Annual Sephardic Lecture, “A Sephardic Approach to Tradition and Modernity,” on October 9. The lecture was sponsored by our member, Mrs. Elsi Levy. Here are some other projects I have been working on: · Development of a lecture series on the religious philosophy of our Institute.

Through a series of lectures in Manhattan (we are close to determining time and location, and will let you know as soon as we do), and a number of lectures elsewhere, we will explore several central topics that impact on contemporary Jewish life. Our goal is to create a faithful, expansive worldview that incorporates great teachings from throughout the Jewish world. This series, along with my teaching of Bible, will play a major role my work in different communities and campuses throughout the country.

If your community is interested in a lecture/program, please contact me at [email protected] ·

I have prepared a Synagogue Companion with commentary on the Torah, Haftarot, and the Shabbat morning prayer service. This volume will contain short pieces—generally 300-500 words each, to deliver meaningful content to people of all backgrounds. The Institute will publish this volume in January 2014, and will distribute it to Institute members and to synagogues across the country. ·

There will soon be a new revised version of my first collection of biblical studies, Through an Opaque Lens: The Bible Refracted through Eternal Rabbinic Wisdom, as an electronic book (with Kodesh Press). The goal is to bring this project to fruition and then do the same for the next two collections, Revealed Texts, Hidden Meanings and Creating Space between Peshat and Derash. ·

I am working with the Aleph Beta Academy (alephbeta.org) to develop online classes that survey the Bible. Thus far my classes on the Books of Joshua and Lamentations are online, and Judges should follow shortly. I welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

If you are a member of the Institute, I thank you for your support. If you are not yet a member, please join us by making your membership contribution at jewishideas.org.

Israel’s new political reality—with the two main Ultra-Orthodox or Haredi political parties, the Sephardic-based Shas party and the Ashkenazi-based United Torah Judaism, inside the government won’t help the next generation of Haredi young people—in fact, on the contrary, it will perpetuate a broken system. While Shas and United Torah Judaism have negotiated financial windfalls for their constituencies, as well as a pull-back on the demand that Ultra-Orthodox young men serve in the Israeli Defense Force, this old style of conducting business could be harmful to our community’s young people. That’s because the reality is that education—not political power--is the key to the future for the Haredi community in Israel, especially if the government doesn’t put advancing Haredim through education and employment at the core of the agenda.

“Educate each child according to his own path,” the Book of Proverbs teaches us, “and he will not stray from it, even when he is old.” And yet, when it comes to educating Haredi youth in Israel, we still have much to learn. Quite honestly, there is nothing short of an education crisis in our community. Rather than providing real choices, our leaders have traditionally insisted that Haredi students have only one path: a formal, rote curriculum dominated by intensive Talmud study, with no option for students to take general studies or complete an Israeli matriculation certificate. This is the path that is likely to dominate the agenda right now—and it is not the path that our young people need or deserve.

The reality is that in the absence of a meaningful alternative, nearly a third of Haredi teenage boys will continue to become alienated from both mainstream Israeli society and the traditional ways of their community. Many drop out of school, spend their time on the streets, or are lost to the Haredi community altogether. They are unable to build families and successful lives.

Those yeshivas that do offer secular matriculation (and there are only a handful in the entire country) are far too expensive for most Haredi families to afford.

By creating Hachmey Lev Yeshiva High School, my aim is to do nothing short of transforming the Yeshiva model. We offer teens who are under stimulated in classical Yeshiva settings the opportunity to maximize their social, educational, and cognitive potential all while still maintaining a Haredi lifestyle. We are teaching the boys Gemara at the highest standards, in Hebrew and without compromise, and to live a Haredi lifestyle that will also allow them to earn a good living for themselves and their future families.

I was inspired to create Hachmay Lev based on my own family’s experience when our son reached seventh grade and boredom got the better of him. He showed little interest in his traditional yeshiva schooling. As a product of this schooling myself, I know the value of its rigor, but this model simply is outmoded for today’s young people.

Our students combine study of Talmud (32 hours each week) and general studies (20 hours each week), giving them a broader education than any other Haredi institutions in Israel. They study the core curriculum like English, math, history, Bible, civics, computer science, and Hebrew, while also enjoying music and sports. Students sleep in Jerusalem during the week and return home on weekends. Once the model has been fine-tuned, Hachmey Lev will be replicated in other locations across Israel.

I spent ten years putting Haredim into the workforce and that’s why I know that education is the core issue. After spending a lifetime of activism in the Haredi community on a variety of pressing issues, including making sure that our men serve in the IDF, and find gainful employment, I am convinced that unless and until we transform our educational system, there will simply never be the systemic change that we need.

North American and British donors know the necessity of getting the 20% of Israeli society that is Haredi into the workforce—and are supporting efforts to increase employment opportunities in the Haredi community, so that our young people can have new models to emulate. Philanthropists outside of Israel also know that Israel is the global exception, since nowhere else in the world are young people exempt from learning a broad range of studies or from working. But, money for employment without strengthening and expanding serious alternative educational models won’t create the type of workers for a 21st century workforce that Israel needs.

Philanthropists who want to impact the Israeli economy need to invest in educational models that will recast the pattern of poverty in our community. Now, more than ever, those of us who trying to change Haredi society from within need to show that our model can work for a broader segment of our community.

www.kidum-edu.org.il/en/education-campuses/hachmey-lev-yeshiva-high-school

To our members and friends: I extend best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year. Shalom al Yisrael, and shalom on all good people everywhere who promote peace and understanding.

With the holiday season approaching, we consider new beginnings. The newly created position of National Scholar enables the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals to bring classes and special programs to communities, college campuses, and the wider public through publications and the internet. Response thus far from Institute members and from the communities I have visited has been most gratifying. There is a deeply felt sense that the vision represented by our Institute is relevant and necessary for the spiritual health and growth of the Jewish community.

Thank you to those who support the work of the Institute—we are spreading our wings more than ever before and can do so because of the community-wide support of our members. Here is what is coming up for the fall: · We are nearing the final editing stage of a Synagogue Companion with commentary on the Torah, Haftarot, and the Shabbat morning prayer service. This volume will contain short pieces—generally 300-500 words each, to deliver meaningful content to people of all backgrounds.

The Institute will publish this volume in January 2014, and will distribute it to Institute members and to synagogues across the country. If you are interested in contributing toward the publication of this volume, please contact me no later than October 1 for co-sponsorship and dedication opportunities. [email protected]. ·

One of my major projects over the summer has been the development of a lecture series on the religious philosophy of our Institute. Through a series of lectures in Manhattan (we are currently working on time and location, and will let you know), and a number of lectures elsewhere, we will explore several central topics that impact on contemporary Jewish life. Our goal is to create a faithful, expansive worldview that incorporates great rabbinic voices from throughout history and from all over the Jewish world. This series, along with my ongoing teaching of Bible, will play a major role in my teaching in Manhattan and in different communities and campuses throughout the country over the next couple of years.

Here are some upcoming lectures that I will be giving. They are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. ·

Stanley Rudoff Memorial Lecture at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education (37 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan), “Introduction to Kohelet: confronting religious challenges.” Tuesday, September 10, 7:30-9:00 pm. ·

Lecture for a Book Reception for a new commentary by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik on the Torah: Chumash Mesorat HaRav: Chumash with Commentary Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. This project was sponsored by pillars of our Institute, Stephen and Nataly Neuwirth. The event will be held at the Young Israel of New Rochelle, Sunday October 6, 9:30 am. Books will be available for purchase. ·

Queens College Annual Sephardic Lecture, “A Sephardic Approach to Tradition and Modernity: Its Value to Us All,” Wednesday October 9, 7:30-8:30 pm.

Sponsored by our member, Mrs. Elsi Levy. · Scholar-in-Residence, Congregation Chovevei Tzion in Chicago, Shabbat December 6-7. This weekend will combine themes in Bible and a Sephardic philosophy. Reservations are through Cong. Chovevei Tzion. ·

Weekly classes in the Book of Judges at Lincoln Square Synagogue (68th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan).

Wednesdays from 7:15-8:15 pm from October 16-December 18 (except for November 27). There are sponsorship opportunities available (suggested sponsorship: $360). For more information contact Ms. Elana Stein-Hain, [email protected]. ·

A course on “How to Teach Bible in Synagogues” to the Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Study at Stern College for Women (Yeshiva University). The goal is to train these elite students how to serve more effectively as scholars-in-residence or as future synagogue professionals. This is for students in the Graduate Program only.

Here are several other projects that I've been working on: ·

Reprinting my first collection of biblical studies, Through an Opaque Lens, as an electronic book (with Kodesh Press). The goal is to bring this project to fruition and then do the same for the next two collections, Revealed Texts, Hidden Meanings and Creating Space between Peshat and Derash. ·

Working with the Aleph Beta Academy (alephbeta.org) to develop online classes that survey the Bible.

Thank you for your support and encouragement, and I look forward to building this vision with you and the broader community in the coming year and beyond. Shanah tovah.

I welcome your ideas and suggestions. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. To join the Institute, to contribute, or to learn more about our work, please go to our website, www.jewishideas.org.

Hayyim Angel

National Scholar, Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals

Maimonides (d. 1204) tolerated no idea that failed the test of reason. An ancient and robust tradition of superstition among the Jews did not deter him. Maimonides either ignored or rationalized scores of Talmudic halachot based on astrology, demonology, and magic.

Maimonides denounced astrology passionately, despite its popularity, calling the belief “stupidity” and its practitioners “fools.” His argument bears emphasis: Maimonides opposed astrology primarily on scientific rather than religious grounds. The Torah prohibits divination from the sky, he ruled, not because it displays a lack of faith in God, but simply because it is false.

But Nahmanides (d. 1270), pointing to Talmudic sources and consistent with his intellectual milieu, wrote a correspondent that it would be halachically unacceptable to ignore an inauspicious horoscope, because “one should not rely on miracles.”

Though a student of Kabbalah, Nahmanides also worked within the framework of Aristotelian philosophy. He was no anti-rationalist. He was worlds apart from today’s magic-remedy-dispensing “mekubalim” (miracle workers).

Medieval philosophers relied on reason to explain nature, but reason had practical limitations. Even the most confident rationalist could not explain all natural phenomena. Philosophers were forced to distinguish between “manifest” qualities — clearly understood properties such as size, shape, and color — and an “occult” or hidden property unique to a particular object (“segula” in medieval philosophical Hebrew).
The attractive force of the lodestone, a naturally occurring magnet, was the most commonly cited example of an occult quality.

The ancients knew that a magnet draws iron, but the cause of the attraction eluded explanation. Medieval scholastics viewed such “action at a distance” as an occult property; no manifest quality of the lodestone could explain its power. Likewise, the stars and planets were thought to influence the daily affairs of human life by means of emanations penetrating the cosmos — an even more impressive example of action at a distance.

Occult remedies were a problem for halachists and Jewish philosophers. The issue came into sharp focus in the early fourteenth century, during the Maimonidean Controversy.

Rabbi Shlomo Ben Aderet (“Rashba,” d. 1310), a student of Nahmanides, played a major role in this episode. Like many of his contemporaries, Rashba revered both Maimonides and Nahmanides.

Rashba was asked for his decision: Was it permissible to use a medallion engraved with the image of a lion — after the zodiac constellation Leo — to treat kidney stones? (Ironically, the radical Maimonidean rationalists were using this talisman; the anti-Maimonideans objected).

Rashba deliberates carefully, and takes great pains to address Maimonides’ broad prohibition of magic. He notes that Maimonides himself, following the Talmud, allowed for an exception: He permitted any empirically effective remedy, even if it was poorly understood and attributed to an occult virtue. Does this exception, Rashba wonders, cover the Leo medallion?

Rashba ultimately allows the practice. He skillfully argues that the medallion’s healing property, though occult, is as natural as magnetism (the following is the earliest description of a magnetic compass in Hebrew literature):

“Consider the occult property of the magnet, at which iron leaps, and furthermore, the common practice of sailors: They insert a needle into a floating piece of wood and magnetize the needle, which navigates on the water’s surface until it points to the pole. Not a single philosopher comprehends this in terms of natural philosophy. Likewise, all occult properties are natural — in the manner of drugs and herbs — and include no element of paganism.”

This chapter in the history of three intersecting fields — philosophy, science, and halacha — remains relevant today. How should a modern traditional Jew respond to magical cures, astrology, and the variety of “segulot” (talismans, in its current usage) increasingly promoted by Jewish charismatics?

We may be tempted to fall back on the old debate between Maimonides and Nahmanides and decline to take a stand. It would be presumptuous, so the argument goes, to come down on either side.

But there is a better approach, which takes historical context into account. An example from another area of halacha may help disentangle the issue.

Centuries ago, several prominent halachists permitted smoking on non-Sabbath holidays, based on its presumed health benefits. The rationale was that smoking fell into the halachic category of kindling for a universally appreciated pleasure (e.g., a healthful activity), which is permitted on holidays.

No halachist today would tout the health benefits of smoking simply because this (erroneous) idea is part of the halachic record. Thankfully, scientific progress makes such a prospect laughable.

Needless to say, science has evolved considerably since the fourteenth century: The Renaissance, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and the Enlightenment; not to mention Darwin and Einstein.

We have known for some time that magnetism is not an occult force. We also know that astrology is a pseudo-scientific fantasy (on this score, Maimonides was far ahead of his time). Much of what was fact to the medievals may be of interest to historians of science, but is no longer scientific reality.

Nahmanides and Rashba were no fools. If they were active today, they no doubt would mock practitioners of magical cures and those who would read fortunes from molten lead or coffee grinds. Maimonides likewise would abandon his own outdated science.
On scientific questions, religion must follow the very latest science. To settle for anything less is to invite a return to a darker, occult age.

National Scholar One Year Report June 1, 2013—May 31, 2014

Rabbi Hayyim Angel National Scholar, Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals [email protected] jewishideas.org

To our members and friends, I am pleased to report that I now have completed the first year of working as the National Scholar of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals. We have hit the ground running, and it has been an honor and privilege working to promote our vision nationwide primarily through teaching, and also through writing and creating internet classes.This report summarizes my various projects and activities over the past year.

Overall, I gave over 220 classes, spoke in dozens of communities and campuses, published four books (including two through the Institute), and created a series of online classes. I thank the supporters of the Institute, as well as all of the interested communities and campuses, for making this explosion of learning possible.

The major areas of focus are:

• University Students:

o Teaching four courses per semester to undergraduates at Yeshiva University forms the heart of this educational element. Many of my students have gone on to rabbinical school, graduate school in Jewish Studies, and careers in the rabbinate and in Jewish education, and many others form the lay backbone of communities nationwide and in Israel. I remain in touch with a sizable number of former students. More significantly, a growing number of rabbis and educators who were not my students have found an address for their questions at the Institute.

o In conjunction with our University Network, I have given classes at Columbia University, New York University,University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Brandeis University, and University of Chicago. It has been a valuable experience learning together with students on various campuses, exchanging ideas, and connecting them with our vision.

• Community Education:

o There is a serious thirst for the kind of learning represented by our Institute, and a sizable number of communities have invited us. Through a combination of scholar-in-residence programs and lectures in different communities, we reached thousands of interested adults directly in the past year.

o I have developed a series of lectures on the worldview of our Institute. This past year I gave several individual lectures in different communities, and look forward to offering a full series in the New York area in the coming year.

• Teacher Training:

o One of our central goals is to train other rabbis, community leaders, and educators to spread Torah to schools and communities. In this manner we create bridges with many people in the field to work together. o Last year I taught a year-long course in “How to Teach Bible in Synagogues” to honors rabbinical students at Yeshiva University. This past year I taught a one-semester version to the women in the Graduate Program for Advanced Talmudic Studies at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University.

o I participate annually as faculty in Yeshiva University’s graduate program in Experiential Education. o I taught a course to rabbinical students at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in Riverdale, NY, with an emphasis on both content and methodology.

o I gave teacher-training seminars to Bible faculties at the Ida Crown Academy (Chicago) and the Ramaz High School (New York). Given the complexities of Bible and Jewish Studies our graduates are likely to encounter on secular university campuses, our training focuses on how to equip Jewish Studies high school faculties to prepare their students for the University setting.

• Internet Learning: o We have created an Online Learning section on the Institute’s website, jewishideas.org. You can find links to a growing number of classes of mine there.

o I have developed a new kind of onlinevideo class with the Aleph Beta Academy (alephbeta.org). Thus far my classes on the Books of Joshua, Judges, Lamentations, and Esther are online, Samuel and Kings are in process, and more is yet to come.

• Publications:

o The Institute published my Synagogue Companion this past January. It was distributed to Institute members and interested synagogues, educators, and laypeople across the country. This volume makes accessible comments on the Torah, Haftarot, and Shabbat morning prayers. Additional copies are available at the Institute online store and at amazon.com.

o I published a revised second edition of my first collection of essays on Bible, Through an Opaque Lens. It is available at amazon.com.

o I published a new collection of essays on Bible with a focus on methodology, Peshat Isn’t So Simple. It is available at amazon.com.

o I am in the editing stages of a Jewish Holiday Companion that will be published through the Institute. It contains commentary on the holidays and their major themes and readings.

Below is an itemized listing of the various classes and programs over the past year, as well as some upcoming highlights.

• May 31-June 1: Scholar-in-residence, Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, Queens, NY.

• June 10: Teachers’ in-service at the Ida Crown Jewish Academy (High School) in Chicago.

• June 21-22: Scholar-in-residence, Young Israel of Stamford, Connecticut.

• June 26 Lecture in the Experiential Education program by Yeshiva University, “Teaching the Book of Job.”

• July 19-20: Scholar-in-residence, Mashadi Persian community in Great Neck, NY. • July 26-27 Scholar-in-residence, Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan.

• August 16-17 Scholar-in-residence, Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan.

• September 10: Stanley Rudoff Memorial Lecture at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education: “Introduction to Kohelet: confronting religious challenges.”

• October 6: Speaker at Book Reception for new commentary by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik: Chumash Mesorat HaRav: Chumash with Commentary Based on the Teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Young Israel of New Rochelle.

• October 9: Queens College Annual Sephardic Lecture, “A Sephardic Approach to Tradition and Modernity.”

• Oct 13, 20, 27:Young Israel of Jamaica Estates. Three-part series on Biblical Wisdom (Proverbs, Job, Kohelet).

• October 27:Columbia-Barnard Hillel/Institute University Network. “Learning Faith from the Text, or Text from Faith: The Challenges of Teaching and Learning the Avraham Narratives and Commentary.”

• November 17:Young Israel of Jamaica Estates, “The Books of the Maccabees and Rabbinic Thought: Getting to the Roots of Hanukkah.”

• November 21: Teacher training session, Ramaz Bible faculty, New York.

• November 25: Lecture at New York University, “Orthodoxy and Confrontation with Modern Bible Criticism.”

• October 16-December 18: Nine-part series on the Book of Judges at Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan.

• October 2-December 11: An eight-part course on “How to Teach Bible in Synagogues” to the Graduate Program for Women in Advanced Talmudic Study at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva University.

• December 8: Lecture at University of Pennsylvania, “The Book of Chronicles: a window into how the Bible was written.”

• Shabbat December 13-14: Scholar-in-Residence, Congregation Chovevei Tzion in Chicago.

• January 2: Teacher training session, Ramaz Bible faculty, New York.

• Shabbat January 3-4:Scholar-in-Residence, Congregation Keter Torah (Roemer) in Bergenfield, New Jersey.

• January 13: A class on Megillat Esther, at the Yemei Iyyun of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in Riverdale, New York.

• January 29-April 2: Ten-part series on the First Book of Samuel at Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan.

• Shabbat February 7-8:Scholar-in-Residence, Yeshiva University.

• Shabbat Feburary 15: Scholar-in-Residence, Congregation Ohab Shalom in Manhattan.

• Shabbat February 28-March 1: Scholar-in-Residence, Cornell University.

• Shabbat March 7-8: Scholar-in-Residence, Congregation Shaarei Orah in Teaneck. This was a Sephardic-themed Shabbat, and lectures throughout the weekend focused on great Sephardic thinkers and ideas that are good for all Jews.

• Thursday March 20: Book Reception for my books: Vision from the Prophet and Counsel from the Elders, and A Synagogue Companion.

• March: Four-part series in the Book of Jeremiah at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School.

• May-June: Seven-part series on the Book of Samuel at Lincoln Square Synagogue in Manhattan. Coming attractions include:

• Shavuot, June 3-5: Scholar-in-residence, Young Israel of West Hartford, Connecticut.

• Monday, June 16, 7:30 pm: Book Launch for my just-published book, Peshat Isn’t So Simple. At Lincoln Square Synagogue, 68th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. Free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be available at a discounted price.

• Shabbat, June 20-21: Scholar-in-residence, Young Israel of Oceanside.

• Tuesday, June 24: Lecture on the Book of Job, Yeshiva University Graduate Program in Experiential Education (open only to participants in their program).

• Sunday June 29-Monday June 30: Three lectures on Tanakh at the yemei iyyun of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, held this year at Manhattan Day School, 310 West 75th Street in Manhattan. Registration forms and more information at http://www.yctorah.org/content/view/895/17/ All are welcome.

• Wednesdays in July: Five-part series on the Haftarot for Lamdeinu. The classes will be held at Congregation Beth Aaron, 950 Queen Anne Road. The course costs $75 and is open to the entire community. For more information and other offerings, please contact [email protected].

Thank you all for your support and enthusiasm, and I look forward to promoting our Torah vision for many years to come.

Rabbi Hayyim Angel

National Scholar Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals