A virtual event presentation by Dr. Steven Windmueller

The event was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel 

About The Event: 

This session will examine the history of Jewish political engagement, explore the types of Jewish political actors, and analyze why American politics has such significant meaning and impact on the Jewish community. As we approach one of this nation’s most critical elections, what should we know about this election and its specific importance to Jewish Americans?

About The Speaker: 

Dr. Steven Windmueller is an Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Studies at the Jack H. Skirball Campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Before coming to HUC, Dr. Windmueller had served on the staff of the American Jewish Committee (1969-1972), directed the Albany (NY) Jewish Federation (1973-1985), and the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Committee) of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation (1985-1995).

During his tenure at the College, Dr. Windmueller served for ten years as the Director of its School of Jewish Nonprofit Management and, in 2005, was named to the deanship of the LA campus (2006-2010).  In 2009, he was named to an endowed chair, and in 2014 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hebrew Union College.

The author of four books and numerous articles, Professor Windmueller holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.  His research has been primarily focused on Jewish communal trends, Anti-Semitism, and Jewish political behavior. His articles have appeared in several secular and Jewish publications.

Currently, Dr. Windmueller is consulting with national agencies, federations, synagogues, and foundations in connection with his current studies on virtual and privatized Judaism, the impact of COVID, and the broader social, economic, and political trends reshaping American Jewish life. 

In 2014, he had occasion to teach in China, offering lectures on American Jewry, Israel, and Zionism at various universities in the Peoples Republic.

He recently served as guest editor for USC’s Casden Institute, producing The Impact of Donald Trump’s Presidency on American Jews and Israel (2021)and is now focused on producing a volume analyzing 21st Century American Judaism and continues to write on Jewish political behavior for the Times of Israel and other publications in advance of the November 2024 elections.

Dr. Windmueller serves as a Fellow of the Jerusalem Institute of Public Affairs and as a Board Member of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State, Los Angeles.  For the past eight years, he has been on the faculty of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, teaching across the globe.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe

The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ

About the Event: 

A Journey from Peshat to Derash

Follow the story of Serach, the daughter of Asher. There is a mountain of Midrashim written about her, yet only six words are written in the Torah! We will follow the breadcrumbs and piece together the story of her life as imagined by our sages while finding a textual basis for each piece.

About the Speaker: 

Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe serves as the Associate Rabba at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in Bronx, NY. She is grateful for the opportunity to teach Torah classes, instruct the conversion program, answer Halachic questions, facilitate tefillot, offer pastoral guidance, craft lifecycle events, and connect with families and singles, young and old. She has taught many to learn, and her voice is featured on the JOFA website reading four Megillot and selected Torah portions. In HIR, the children know her as the rabbi who sings Israeli children’s songs and gives out stickers! Rabbanit Bracha is passionate about bringing mental illness out of the shadows and has spoken about it in different settings. She loves connecting people and encouraging them to be their best selves.  Some of her favorite pastimes are kickboxing and reading books to her grandchildren. Rabbanit Bracha lives in Riverdale, NY, with her husband, Martin.

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Jonnie Schnytzer 

The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion. 

About The Event: We all know that way back when the Torah was given to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai. But was it only given to the Israelites? Was it an event that already happened, or is it an event constantly in the making? Learning from texts spanning across geographies and historical periods, we come to rediscover Mt. Sinai. 

About The Speaker: Jonnie Schnytzer is probably the only PhD in Jewish Philosophy focusing on medieval kabbalah, who can say that he once beat the head of Israeli Naval Commandos in a swimming race? His dissertation focused on the scientific kabbalah of Rabbi Joseph ben Shalom Ashkenazi. Jonnie’s forthcoming book is about Ashkenazi’s Kabbalah as well as a critical edition of the kabbalist’s majestic commentary on Sefer Yesira. Jonnie’s also the author of Mossad thriller, The Way Back, which paints a picture of contemporary Israel. Jonnie also orchestrated the publishing of an English edition of ‘The Hitler Haggadah,’ an important piece of Moroccan Jewish history from the Holocaust. Jonnie has also taken on several leadership roles in the Jewish world, including advisor to the CEO of Birthright and executive manager with StandWithUs. He lectures on a wide variety of topics relating to Judaism and Israel, especially about the untold stories and unspoken heroes of Jewish history. Jonnie is happily married with four gorgeous little kids, lives in Israel, and thinks that Australian Rules Football is the greatest sport ever invented.

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Steven Windmueller 

The Event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ. 

About The Event: The Gaza Conflict has no doubt changed the landscape of the Middle East, redefined Israeli society and culture, and impacted American Jewry. In this presentation, we will be examining these key transformative factors, evaluating the long-term implications of this moment on Zionism, Jewish history, and the Jewish people. 

About The Speaker Dr. Steven Windmueller is an Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Studies at the Jack H. Skirball Campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Before coming to HUC, Dr. Windmueller had served on the staff of the American Jewish Committee (1969-1972), directed the Albany (NY) Jewish Federation (1973-1985), and the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Committee) of the Los Angeles Jewish Federation (1985-1995). 

During his tenure at the College, Dr. Windmueller served for ten years as the Director of its School of Jewish Nonprofit Management and, in 2005, was named to the deanship of the LA campus (2006-2010). In 2009, he was named to an endowed chair, and in 2014 was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hebrew Union College. 

The author of four books and numerous articles, Professor Windmueller holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania. His research has been primarily focused on Jewish communal trends, Anti-Semitism, and Jewish political behavior. His articles have appeared in several secular and Jewish publications. 

Currently, Dr. Windmueller is consulting with national agencies, federations, synagogues, and foundations in connection with his current studies on virtual and privatized Judaism, the impact of COVID, and the broader social, economic, and political trends reshaping American Jewish life. In 2014, he had to teach in China, offering lectures on American Jewry, Israel, and Zionism at various universities in the People's Republic. 

He recently served as guest editor for USC’s Casden Institute, producing The Impact of Donald Trump’s Presidency on American Jews and Israel (2021) and is now focused on producing a volume analyzing 21st Century American Judaism and continues to write on Jewish political behavior for the Times of Israel and other publications in advance of the November 2024 elections. 

Dr. Windmueller serves as a Fellow of the Jerusalem Institute of Public Affairs and as a Board Member of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State, Los Angeles. For the past eight years, he has been on the faculty of the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture, teaching across the globe.

A hybrid event (in-person and virtual) by Rabbi Jonah Pesner

The event was co-hosted by Temple Chai and the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Phoenix 

About The Event: 

Kol Kolot – Every Voice, Every Vote – Why the American Jewish Community and our society more broadly needs to work for an Inclusive Democracy, in which all voices are heard and every vote is counted – and what you can do to make it happen.

About The Speaker: 

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner serves as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism.  Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, he is dedicated to building bridges to collectively confront anti-Semitism, racism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate and bigotry.

Rabbi Pesner organizes Jewish communities to reach across lines of race, class, and faith in campaigns for social justice. He has led efforts to expand healthcare access, restore voting rights, and for LGBTQ equality, among others.  Rabbi Pesner is widely published, including “Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority: Our Jewish Obligation to Justice.” He teaches all over the world including at Harvard University where he has served as a visiting scholar. He sits on various boards including the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council for the Department of Homeland Security, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Solidarity Council on Racial Equity, among others.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Rabbi Jonah Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner serves as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Senior Vice President of the Union for Reform Judaism.  Named one of the most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine, he is dedicated to building bridges to collectively confront anti-Semitism, racism, Islamophobia, and other forms of hate and bigotry.

Rabbi Pesner organizes Jewish communities to reach across lines of race, class, and faith in campaigns for social justice. He has led efforts to expand healthcare access, restore voting rights, and for LGBTQ equality, among others.  Rabbi Pesner is widely published, including “Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority: Our Jewish Obligation to Justice.” He teaches all over the world, including at Harvard University, where he has served as a visiting scholar. He sits on various boards, including the NAACP, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council for the Department of Homeland Security, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation Solidarity Council on Racial Equity, among others.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz has a conversation with Rabbis Elie Feder and Aaron Zimmer, hosts of the "Physics to God" podcast.

Elie Feder earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and received Rabbinic ordination from his rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Chait. Since 2004, Elie has been a mathematics professor at Kingsborough Community College and a maggid shiur at Yeshiva Bnei Torah. He has published many papers and delivered numerous talks on graph theory, his mathematical research field. As a teacher, Elie has a passion for simplifying complex topics for his students. Recently, he authored a book, “Gematria Refigured,” which presents a rational, nonmystical approach to gematria to uncover the significance of quantity and fine-tuning in the Torah, life, and the universe. Elie hosts the Gematria Refigured+ and the Physics to God podcasts. He resides in Far Rockaway, New York, with his wife and their four children.

After earning a physics degree and receiving rabbinical ordination from his rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Chait, Aaron Zimmer considered furthering his education through graduate school. However, his intellectual curiosity extended far beyond the realm of physics, encompassing a diverse array of fields, including philosophy, mathematics, and psychology. Capitalizing on his blend of analytical and philosophical skills, Aaron utilized his resources to venture into commodity futures trading. This endeavor involved oil, natural gas, cotton, sugar, and coffee.

His strategic approach was deeply rooted in the conceptual frameworks of physics and the intricate Brisker Method for Talmudic analysis. After an eleven-year career marked by success in commodity trading, Aaron decided to retire. In his retirement, Aaron channels his intellectual energy into studying various branches of knowledge, including the Talmud, philosophy, and physics. He co-hosts the Physics to God podcast and resides in Lawrence, New York, along with his wife and their five children.

Podcast: https://www.physicstogod.com/3-proofs-of-god-from-science; https://www.physicstogod.com/podcast-episodes
Facebook: Physics to God
X/Twitter: PhysicsToGod
Instagram: physics_to_god

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Josh Feigelson, PhD

The event was co-sponsored by Temple Emanuel and BMH-BJ

About The Event: 

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jewish spiritual practices like Jewish meditation, Jewish yoga, and contemplative Torah study were becoming increasingly mainstream. The pandemic only accelerated these trends, as record numbers of people sought meaningful Jewish spiritual practices to engage alongside others while remaining at home. What has driven this boom? How is it impacting the present and future of Jewish life?

About The Speaker: 

Josh was appointed Executive Director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality in January 2020 and became President & CEO in April 2022. He received ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in 2005. He served for six years as the Hillel Rabbi at Northwestern University, where he also earned a PhD in Religious Studies. In 2011, Josh helped found and served as Executive Director of Ask Big Questions, an initiative of Hillel International, which won the inaugural Lippman-Kanfer Prize for Applied Jewish Wisdom. Josh has also been a consultant and Senior Fellow at The iCenter for Israel Education. Most recently he served as Dean of Students at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Josh is a Wexner Graduate Fellow and was the founding co-chair of the Wexner Fellowship Alumni Committee. Author of Eternal Questions: Reflections, Conversations, and Jewish Mindfulness Practices for the Weekly Torah Portion (Ben Yehuda Press, 2022). Josh lives with his wife Natalie and their three sons in Skokie, IL.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Avidan Freedman

About The Event: 

The ideology espoused by the elected representatives of the party called “Religious Zionism” is, understandably, seen to represent Religious Zionist philosophy and the philosophy of the Religious Zionist community. But this is far from accurate, both from an ideological perspective and a historical sociological perspective. In this class, we will encounter texts from various Religious Zionist thinkers that are at odds with what is seen as the current mainstream philosophy, and discuss the nature and significance of the change, and what it means for Religious Zionism and Israeli society.

About the Speaker: 

Rabbi Avidan Freedman completed a Masters Degree in Jewish Education at the Azrieli Graduate School, and received rabbinical ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and the Israeli Rabbinate. He is an educator at the Shalom Hartman Institute’s high school and post-high school program and an activist who founded Yanshoof, an organization dedicated to establishing moral limits for Israeli weapons exports. Learn more at www.yanshoof.org

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Ariel Evan Mayse

The event was co-hosted by Temple Solel

About The Event: 

Explore the full range of Jewish literature connected to environmental consciousness and action, from Tanakh, Talmud, and halakhah to mysticism, poetry, and philosophy. We aim to grapple with some of the pressing ecological, social, and theological issues facing us today. Please join us in diving deeply into Jewish sources while putting them in conversation with contemporary questions and the possibilities of communal response.

About The Speaker: 

Ariel Evan Mayse is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University, rabbi-in-residence at Atiq: Jewish Maker Institute, and the senior scholar-in-residence at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and Society where he is the founder of Nahara: Beit Midrash for Environmental Renewal. He holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Studies from Harvard University and rabbinic ordination from Beit Midrash Har’el in Israel. His publications include Speaking Infinities: God and Language in the Teachings of Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritsh (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020), the two-volume A New Hasidism: Roots and A New Hasidism: Branches, with Arthur Green (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society and University of Nebraska Press, 2019), and Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2024). He is currently working on a book about Jewish mysticism and environmental ethics, and another exploring how Jewish spirituality can help us rethink the purpose, aims, and practice of higher education.

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Elias Sacks

The event was co-sponsored by BMH-BJ

About The Event: 

For centuries, it has been common for Jews to tell the following story about ancient Jewish and Christian history: while Jesus was a Jew who never intended to break from Judaism, one of his followers, the apostle Paul, was born Jewish but had a conversion experience, abandoned Judaism, and created a new religion known as Christianity. However, in recent decades, a wide range of Jewish thinkers, Christian theologians, and academic historians have challenged this narrative, insisting that Paul was a profoundly Jewish figure who never meant to leave Judaism—and one who offered a vision of Jewish life that is strikingly relevant to contemporary conversations about religion, ethics, and politics. In this session, we will explore these issues, wrestling with questions such as: What did Paul think about Judaism? How did Paul fit into the ancient Jewish world? And what—if anything—do his writings offer twenty-first-century Jews?

*Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z1uI0ZRwbYJXQ8uZsVMHSYOeP0G36jDc/view

About The Speaker: 

Elias Sacks is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Jewish Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he studies Jewish thought, philosophy of religion, Jewish-Christian relations, religious ethics, and religion and politics. He is the author of Moses Mendelssohn’s Living Script: Philosophy, Practice, History, Judaism (2017), as well as articles on medieval and modern thinkers including Mendelssohn, Moses Maimonides, Baruch Spinoza, Nachman Krochmal, Hermann Cohen, Franz Rosenzweig, and Jacob Taubes. Previously, Sacks served as Director of The Jewish Publication Society.