Limmud Seattle 2019: Full Schedule

7:30pm PST

Judaism through Illumination

Artist David Moss will guide us on a dazzling journey of color, form, design and meaning as he shares his lifetime mission of expressing Jewish texts, ideas and values though art. From his revival of the hand-make Ketubah, to his Haggadah, artist books and prints this presentation will focus on his graphic works.

Speakers

David Moss

co-founder, Kol HaOt in Jerusalem and The Teachers Institute for the Arts

David Moss is a renowned Judaic artist who began his career by reviving the art of the illuminated Ketubah. He is most famous for the Moss Haggadah originally created as an unique private commission that took three years to complete. With Noah Greenberg he created the exquisitely... Read More →

Saturday January 19, 2019 7:30pm - 8:45pm PST
B104

Arts & Culture Lecture

9:00pm PST

Toward a New Stage of Partnership in the Jewish Covenant: Projecting a New Era in Judaism

At Judaism’s core is tikkun olam, facilitated through the covenant/brit between God and humanity and between the generations to carry on the repair until Earth is made into a paradise. This partnership has been renewed twice (biblical and rabbinic Judaism), and each time the Divine self-limits and calls humans to take more responsibility for the outcome. We are beginning a third stage of partnership, ushered in by the Holocaust and creation of the state of Israel. God is totally present but completely hidden and calls humans to take full responsibility for realizing messianic goals. What will Judaism look like in the next millennium? We will explore an expanded holiness found mainly in the secular realm and new institutions that appear secular but hold hidden holiness. Classic structures (synagogue and family) will survive, even flourish, but will expand their parameters and bring in new leadership and levels of participation.

Speakers

Blu Greenberg

Blu Greenberg has been active in Jewish feminism since the early 1970s. She is founder and first president of JOFA (Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance), has participated extensively in interfaith work, and has long addressed injustice in Jewish divorce law. She serves on the board... Read More →

Yitz Greenberg

Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg has served in the Orthodox Rabbinate, academia, and Jewish communal life. A pioneer in Holocaust education and commemoration as well as in the Jewish Christian dialogue which sought to revise theology in light of the Shoah, he has written extensively... Read More →

Saturday January 19, 2019 9:00pm - 10:15pm PST
B104

Community & Identity Theology Lecture

8:45am PST

Turn It and Turn It: A Musical Conversation with Challenging Biblical Personalities

Turn It And Turn It presents learners with the stories of challenging biblical personalities, in song, and raises questions that encourage learners to push past the text and explore how they can create their own forms of Midrash.

Speakers

Ilan Speizer

Ilan Speizer is a Seattle-based songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist whose style combines bluesy, folk-rock grooves with a wry sense of humor and an ability to be profound and whimsical in the same breath. Raised in a home steeped in Jewish rituals, values, and stories... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R306

Arts & Culture Torah & Text Study Discussion Lecture Performance

8:45am PST

Melodies for Martin

To honor the memory & legacy of Dr. King, we will lift every voice and sing together the tunes that he loved & those that constitute the soundtrack of his life of activism & commitment— Songs of the Civil Rights movement, of protest & dissent, of labor unions [He was shot in Memphis while supporting striking sanitation workers], anti-war anthems, and traditional Spirituals. Song sheets provided. Bring your joyful lungs & musical instruments to help create this melodic tribute.

Speakers

Jon Wolf

Community organizer & adult Jewish educator, YASHAR: the institute for Jewish Activism

Jonathan Wolf was a founder of CAJE and is executive director of YASHAR, the Institute for Jewish Activism. He served as chair of Orthodox Jews for Obama, as Social Policy Director of the Synagogue Council of America, and as Jewish community liaison to Cesar Chavez and the United... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R106C

Arts & Culture Social Justice & Ethics History & Philosophy Performance Lecture Text Study

8:45am PST

Philosophers Café: Portals of our Jewish Heritage

A common contemporary thought is that the Jewish People have been kept alive by religion. Does this fit today’s reality? How does religious practice fit into our sense of Jewishness today? What about the “gastronomical Jew?” Is belief in God foundational to being Jewish? Can you be spiritual and secular? In this "Philosopher's Cafe" you’ll hear about six points of entry to our Jewish heritage, and discuss how that applies to each of us for a meaningful Jewish identity.

Speakers

Judi Gladstone

Judi is a founding member of the Secular Jewish Circle of Puget Sound (SJC), a Humanistic Jewish community affiliated with the Society for Humanistic Judaism. She served as President of the SJC Board for ten years, as well as other Board positions for another five years. Prior to... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R203

Community & Identity Holidays & Prayer Discussion Lecture

8:45am PST

Taking Power: A Mid-Course Correction in Jewish History

For 2000 years Jews lived in exile as an excluded minority. They were sustained by “an ethic of powerlessness,” consisting of reliance on God to save them, a sense of Chosenness, a strong internal culture, and an idealist ethics. In the past century, Jews re-created Israel and assumed some power in diaspora, developing an ethic of power that included taking responsibility for their actions (and not counting on divine intervention or superior ideals to assure success). The growing gap in understanding between diaspora Jews and Israel reflects that both sides are in different stages of developing their ethic of power. How can we assure not only joint cooperation but constructive arguments with each other?

Speakers

Yitz Greenberg

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST

Community & Identity History & Philosophy Lecture

8:45am PST

Single Jewish Parents Throughout History

This session will provide an overview of single Jewish parents and single Jewish parenting throughout history, including both Biblical/Talmudic and modern-day figures and trends. The presentation will be followed by an open discussion about single parenting in the Jewish community.

Speakers

Shoshana Billik

Technical Writer II, cPanel, L.L.C.

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R308

Community & Identity History & Philosophy Lifecycle Discussion Lecture

8:45am PST

The Penultimate and Peculiar Connection Between the Nordic and Jewish Cultures

Speaking to the similarities of the Scandinavian and Jewish Cultures, we'll explore through visuals and hands-on artifacts the history, art, culinary, and cultural traditions of both cultures. We will touch on the empathic support Scandinavian countries provided during the Holocaust, which I attribute personally to the similarities of culture, and perhaps even how peoples in these two cultures have lived in the diaspora: Wandering Vikings? Wandering Jews?

Speakers

Phyllis Rosen

Phyllis Rosen was born Jewish in the rioting city of Detroit, Michigan. Those two formative years set in place a sense of intense urban life which was later balanced out by five years in the splendor of the Hawaiian Islands. She then spent years living in the pastoral hills of Northern... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R206

Ethnicities & Languages Arts & Culture Hands-on Activity Lecture

8:45am PST

Successfully Bridging the Secular-Religious Divide

The role of the Haredim in Israel is a complex issue that cuts to the heart of Israel’s character as a Jewish state. As the economic, educational and social needs of the Haredi community grow, positive grassroots efforts have begun to successfully integrate Haredim into Israeli society with mutual respect and shared interests and values. This session will explore promising initiatives among secular and religious Israelis to bridge the social, economic and political divide and the more complex issues of education, workplace integration and military service.

Speakers

Jason Feld

Administrator, Northwest Yeshiva High School

Jason Feld is Head of School at the Northwest Yeshiva High School since 2017. Before moving to Seattle, he worked for 12 years at Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles, most recently as the Dean of Students. Jason is known for his cutting-edge pedagogy and for creating a nationally... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R210

Israel Lecture

8:45am PST

Transforming Ourselves, Transforming the World

We find ourselves at a critical juncture in what Joanna Macy calls "The Great Turning," a time that could usher in a new era of creativity and blossoming or a drastic unfolding of destruction on a global scale. What is our role as spiritual Jews at this time? We will explore how Jewish spiritual practice can help us find our part in the potential of healing for ourselves, our communities and our planet.

Speakers

Lisa Goldstein

Rabbi Lisa Goldstein is executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She studied history at Brown, was ordained at Hebrew Union College, and was assistant rabbi at Congregation Shaare Emeth (St. Louis) and executive director of Hillel–San Diego. She has led Jewish... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R204

Theology Wellness Lecture

8:45am PST

Science and Torah: Dichotomy or Magnificent Harmony?

For many, Torah and science may seem at odds. This outlook has been a part of our world for centuries, but is it actually a Jewish outlook? Is it indeed possible to reconcile Torah and science or are they intractable antagonists? In this session we will look at ancient, traditional, authentic Jewish sources in an effort to answer those questions and to demonstrate illuminating correlations with modern outlooks in anthropology, physics (quantum and astro) and linguistics. Whereas Torah may answer the "why", science tries to answer the “how”. Can both avenues of understanding creation dovetail with each other? Let’s see whether we can shatter any false paradigms!

Speakers

Lloyd Tucker

Dr. Lloyd Tucker hails from Pittsburgh, PA. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in chemistry and minored in German, then graduated from U Penn dental school and completed a general practice residency at the Jewish General Hospital of Montreal. Lloyd earned... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R101

Torah & Text Study History & Philosophy Innovation & Technology Lecture Text Study

8:45am PST

The Ethic of Truthtelling and Lying: A Text Study

To what extent is "honesty always the best policy?" Under what circumstances might it be justifiable, or even preferred, to manipulate the truth? Do the ends (sometimes) justify the means? This text-based class will closely analyze Yaakov/Jacob's life and choices to explore the Biblical and Rabbinic perspectives on whether Jacob was a man of truth or deception. The text of the Torah itself gives ambiguous answers to these questions and the Midrashim are polarized. How are we meant to respond to the breakdown of this prototypical covenantal family caused by deception and parents playing favorites? What are we to learn about the ever important issue on the ethic of truth-telling and lying.

Speakers

Malka Popper

Malka Popper is the Assistant Head of School at the Northwest Yeshiva High School. She received her Masters in Biblical and Talmud Interpretation from Yeshiva University and was a Senior Fellow in the Graduate Program in Advanced Talmud Study. Malka is a veteran educator who has taught... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 8:45am - 10:00am PST
R102

Torah & Text Study Social Justice & Ethics Discussion Lecture Text Study

10:15am PST

Jewish Scribal Arts

Practice your Hebrew calligraphy skills with this hands on "safrut" workshop. Learn about the intricacies and beauty of Jewish Scribal arts from the Ketuba to the Mezuzah, and from the texts we use to the mystical secrets hidden within each Hebrew letter. Participants will be able to touch and feel real artifacts and try their hand at writing the holy Hebrew letters with both a standard calligraphy pen and a hand-carved feather pen. Everyone is welcome!

Speakers

Scott Emlen

Rabbi Shimon Emlen is a Jewish educator with a passion for hands-on learning. Both as a teacher in his classroom and in the broader Seattle community, he is known for interactive programs like the Model Matzah Bakery and the Shofar Factory. Rabbi Emlen was raised both in the Northwest... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R308

Arts & Culture Hands-on Activity Lecture Text Study

10:15am PST

Understanding Jewishness & Whiteness

“Are Jews White?” What do people mean when they ask that question, what does it assume, and what is it missing? This workshop will develop our understanding of Whiteness & White Supremacy by addressing the complexities of Jewish identities and experiences in the US - empowering us to be more effective learners and collaborators in multi-racial, multi-cultural spaces. We’ll build a common language, learn historical context and new ways of thinking, and practice having courageous conversations about ourselves and our communities. We invite Jews of all racial identities to bring their experiences to this multi-generational community discussion.

Speakers

Cecily Kaplan

Cecily Kaplan is a member of Temple Beth Am and works for the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA). Cecily has been on a personal journey of understanding racism and what it means to be White. Her journey has prompted her to prioritize anti-racist learning, participate in an intergenerational... Read More →

Rachel Zerrell

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R203

Community & Identity Social Justice & Ethics Chavrutah (Partnered Study) Discussion Lecture

10:15am PST

From Cairo to Kindle: Jewish Identity, Values, and Books

David Naggar’s parents came to this country via Europe from Egypt, living in residences that now house ambassadors. The world they lived in ended in 1956 when the Jews were expelled by Nasser, with no choice but to restart their lives elsewhere. In many ways a typical Jewish story, from his upbringing in New York City to a career in publishing to the past eight years at Amazon, where he now leads the global Kindle Books team, David will share his story, how it shaped him as a person and a Jew, and explore the common threads in many Jewish families.

Speakers

David Naggar

David Naggar was born in NYC to Jewish immigrant parents who were both born in Egypt, but whose families no longer found themselves welcome there after the events of Suez in 1956. He grew up in New York and began a career in book publishing at Warner Books in 1986. In 2009, David... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R204

Community & Identity History & Philosophy Lecture

10:15am PST

Choosing to be Chosen

A seeker all his life, Joe found out that his wife was Jewish after 13 years of marriage and it changed everything. In this workshop/lecture, Joe tells the wild story of his conversion to Judaism and how the discovery of his wife's Jewish identity led their family on a journey of powerful change. He'll also discuss how the conversion process inspired his music and some of the reasons that large numbers of people are being drawn to Judaism. This workshop includes plenty of Q&A and a few songs from his album as well.

Speakers

Joe Buchanan

Joe Buchanan discovered that his wife was Jewish after 13 years of marriage, and the exploration that followed changed everything for their family. Since his conversion six years ago, he has released an album and toured the US leading his original Americana Shabbat service, concerts... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R106C

Community & Identity Lecture

10:15am PST

Ending the Agony of Agunot: Once and Forever

The plight of the aguna, a woman trapped in a failed marriage with a husband who refuses to issue a gett (Jewish bill of divorce), has become more visible today. As divorce grows, so does abuse of control over the gett that Jewish law gives to husbands. Rather than be trapped, many women pay extortion fees, concede financial assets, and accept lesser alimony and child custody arrangements than due them. Only new rabbinic court policies, such as those utilized by the International Beit Din, and serious pressure from the Jewish community can eliminate this gross violation of women’s human rights which is a stain on our religion.

Speakers

Blu Greenberg

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R103

Community & Identity Lecture

10:15am PST

Mumbayaleh!: A History of Jews in India

When you think of the Jewish people and the varied places we live, India may not immediately come to mind. However, India has a long standing, rich, and vibrant Jewish community. Come to this session to learn about the history of Jews in India and the unique and interesting flavor of Jewish practice there today. Bevin and Masha will also talk about JDC's impact in Mumbai and their recent trip with JDC entwine.

Speakers

Bevin Fritz-Waters

USY advisor, Congregation Beth Shalom

Bevin is a Case Manager at YWCA and the USY Advisor at Congregation Beth Shalom. She loves hiking, dancing, reading and listening to the Mcelroy family of podcasts. She enjoyed her Inside India trip in 2018, which she presented on at the 2019 Seattle Limmud and loves traveling. During... Read More →

Masha Shtern

Masha Shtern is a Russian-speaking gal who has called Seattle home since 1994. She was a founding member of Moishe House Seattle (2008-2012) and is a volunteer on the marketing committee of Limmud Seattle. When she isn’t working for Seattle Parks and Recreation, she can be found... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R208

Ethnicities & Languages Community & Identity Film/Video Lecture

10:15am PST

Divine Providence vs. Free Will

The belief in our ability to choose of our own free will, that our actions are of consequence, is a central tenant of Judaism. While at the same time the belief in Divine Providence, that G-d is invested in creation and is guiding it, is a central tenant as well. How do we reconcile this paradox? In this presentation we will explore various opinions from Maimonides, the Kabbalists, the Bal Shemtov and others, defining the Jewish perspectives on Divine Providence and free will and attempt to reconcile this apparant paradox. We will conclude with a thought provoking and inspiring response that is especially relevant to our daily lives and its challenges.

Speakers

Shnai Levitin

Shnai Levitin was born and raised in Seattle and left for Yeshiva at age 14. After spending some time studying in Detroit, New York, and Israel, he then received his rabbinic ordination in Israel. He moved back to Seattle three years ago with his wife and children to establish Chabad... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R102

Ethnicities & Languages Innovation & Technology Discussion Lecture

10:15am PST

Israeli Politics 101

Are you occasionally mystified by Israeli politics? Explore the state of the political game in Israel—How does the system work (or fail)? What are the deep questions that continue to draw Israeli political lines? Why have right wing coalition governments persisted for the last decade? Let’s organize our thinking about where Israeli political divides lie and why right wing coalitions have persisted over the years. A clear picture of the political map can help us understand the questions that Israelis face at the ballot box, give us a better grasp of the internal dynamics of the Jewish State, and help us all move forward.

Speakers

Elisheva Goldberg

Elisheva Goldberg is the media director for the New Israel Fund. She served for two years as advisor to Former Israeli Foreign Minister and co-opposition leader Tzipi Livni. She previously worked as an analyst for Molad: The Center for the Renewal of Israeli Democracy and as assistant... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R210

Israel Lecture

10:15am PST

Remixed: The New Jewish Family

Families today are more diverse than ever before, and this is true of Jewish families too. What do today’s new Jewish families look like, and how can those in diverse families figure out the kind of Jewish life they want to build together? If you’re in a relationship thinking about these questions, or have a son or daughter who is making Jewish choices different than your own, join us to explore some ways in which definitions of Jewishness, access to Jewish content, and relationship to Jewish community organizations are being challenged and transformed in this generation.

Speakers

Samuel Klein

Rabbi Samuel Klein is Director of Jewish Engagement for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle. Previously he has been the Director of Re-Imagining Jewish Education Through Art at Yeshiva University Museum, New York, the Executive Director of the Bronfman Jewish Education Centre... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R309

Parenting Lecture

10:15am PST

What is Addiction and Why Should I Care?

Some say that addiction is a public health crisis of our time. But what does 'addiction' really mean? Is it a disease? Physical? Mental? Does spirituality play a role? And if I'm not an addict, why does any of this apply to me? In this session we will begin to unpack some of these questions and explore how Jewish tradition and practice can help us understand addiction as part of the broader human experience. We will draw upon the teachings of Rabbi Mark Borovitz, Senior Rabbi of Beit T'Shuvah in Los Angeles, and we will reflect personally on our own lives - whether or not we are addicts - as we explore these questions and consider how Torah and t’shuvah can be a path to healing.

Speakers

Miriam Green

Miriam Green is Rabbi for Community Engagement at Herzl-Ner Tamid. She is a recent graduate of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and was a spiritual counselor and rabbinic intern at Beit T'Shuvah, a Jewish addiction recovery center in Los Angeles. She counseled women and men... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R209

Wellness Torah & Text Study Lecture Text Study

10:15am PST

Ethical Wills as Creative Decision-Making Tools - Examining Jewish Legacy Documents

Ethical wills are a Jewish tradition dating to the Torah. Early uses included the giving of blessings and the conveyance of moral legacies. Modern versions record family stories, values, hopes, dreams, and wisdom of all kids. History suggests that the writing of ethical wills peaks during times of persecution – forced conversion to Christianity and Islam, eras where Jews were forbidden from bequeathing property, and the Holocaust. Modern research demonstrates that the writers of these legacy documents were on to something remarkable! The creation of an ethical will can help authors achieve a sense of moral clarity in times of difficult decision-making, and create a meaningful gift for friends and future generations. Participants will learn about the history of ethical wills, read sections of historical examples, brainstorm uses for ethical wills in modern life, and have the opportunity to work on the beginnings of their own uniquely-Jewish legacy document.

Speakers

Kindra Cooper

Kindra Cooper is an attorney with advanced degrees in bioethics and public administration. She is interested in the use of narrative therapy, including ethical wills and other legacy documents, as decision-making tools for a better life.

Sunday January 20, 2019 10:15am - 11:30am PST
R106B

Wellness History & Philosophy Lifecycle Discussion Hands-on Activity Lecture

11:45am PST

A Hipster's Guide to Klezmer: A Record-Drop Tour of the Highlights

This is not your Zayde's klezmer music lit class. This is what you get when you sit down with a friend and a mid-shelf bottle of bronfen by their basement record player at 11pm, and they shout "WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'VE NEVER HEARD NAFTULE BRANDWEIN??" This is the elevator pitch for the relevancy of modern klezmer. Not only will we cover the connecting stories of what happened in between, including the argument for a new revival circa 2005; we will needle-drop standards in different eras so you can hear the changes between bands' conventions in groove over the march of time. No experience necessary; only enthusiasm required.

Speakers

Mai Li Pittard

Mai Li is 6 years new to the Yiddishist and klezmer world since the start of their genre-busting neo-vaudevillian cabaret punk-klezmer band the Debaucherauntes. Winner of 2017 KrechtsFactor and KlezKanada and Yiddish New York scholarships with a portfolio of performances and original... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R206

Arts & Culture Lecture Performance

11:45am PST

Where Heaven and Earth Kiss: Jewish Law, Moral Reflection and Environmental Ethics

Together we'll examine the relationship between theology, Jewish law and aggadah with an eye to how Jewish legal -- and spiritual -- teachings can inform present-day environmental issues. Focusing on issues of pollution, zoning and resource management, the goal is to consider how we might construct a moral philosophy of environmental ethics from the sources of halakhah.

Speakers

Ariel Evan Mayse

Rabbi Ariel Evan Mayse joined the faculty of Stanford University in 2017 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies. He holds a PhD in Jewish Studies from Harvard University and rabbinic ordination from Beit Midrash Har’el. His research examines the role of... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R110

Environment & Sustainability Theology Lecture

11:45am PST

Jewish Spiritual Practice: The Art of Blessing

Each of us longs to become our best selves. We might yearn to cultivate gratitude, self-reliance, or wonder or perhaps to seek adventure or pursue justice. Jewish tradition encourages us to develop these values in ourselves through blessings that can be part of daily life. Each blessing, connected with an action, can help us grow as individuals and community members. In this session we will explore seven Jewish blessings that lead to spiritual growth and how we might infuse our lives with the practice of these values.

Speakers

Emily Meyer

Rabbi Emily Meyer believes that both the process and the product of creativity enriches learning and deepens connection. She is the creator of Doodly Jew, a project designed to spark creativity in Hebrew learning. Rabbi Meyer was ordained by HUC-JIR in 2010 and holds an undergraduate... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R205

Holidays & Prayer Social Justice & Ethics Wellness Discussion Lecture Text Study

11:45am PST

Israeli Education as a Catalyst for Strengthening Shared Society and Increasing Arab Workforce Integration

The Israeli government recognizes and has established as a strategic priority integrating the Arab minority into the workforce and has allocated substantial funds towards reaching that goal. This session will include a brief overview of Israel’s Arab community and why this issue is of utmost importance for the future of the Arab community and Israel in general. It will showcase promising initiatives and approaches funded by Israel’s Ministry of Education within the K-12 arena, and governmental plans to increase access to higher education. We will examine some of the successes, challenges and outcomes of these transformative strategic investments.

Speakers

Lisa Richlen

Lisa Richlen has worked for 15 years in social change and human rights in Israel, including on migration. She volunteered with HIAS Refugee Trust Kenya, coordinated the Faces of Exile project through HIAS’s Tel Aviv office, and participated in Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre International... Read More →

Gail Zucker

Prior to launching a philanthropic and organizational consulting practice, Gail Zucker held senior positions in the Jewish communal arena. She served as the chief planning officer for the SF Federation and as senior director of consulting and community development for the Jewish Federations... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R203

Israel Lecture

11:45am PST

Grandparenting Jewishly with Intention

Informed by a new major national study of Jewish grandparents, and with a wealth of personal experience, we’ll look at trends, challenges and opportunities to be intentional about the role of grandparents in positively supporting the Jewish lives of their kids and grandkids. Whether you're a grandparent looking for ideas and insights, or a parent wondering how to best cultivate the grandparent-grandchild relationship, we’ve got resources, stories and support to offer!

Speakers

Linda Morgan

Linda Morgan is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has appeared in dozens of regional and national publications, including ParentMap, Seattle Magazine and the Seattle Times. She is the author of Beyond Smart: Boosting Your Child’s Social, Emotional, and Academic Potential... Read More →

David Raphael

David Raphael is the co-founder of the Jewish Grandparents Network, which has conducted the first major study of this generation of Jewish grandparenting in the US. He previously was the executive director of Boston University Hillel and worked at the Hillel International Center... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R309

Parenting Lecture

11:45am PST

Putting Jewish Values Into Practice in Healthcare Policymaking

This presentation explores the ways in which Jewish values affect medical policy decisions in Israel’s universal, public healthcare system. This session uses an anthropological study of one of Israel’s main medical policy-making mechanisms - the Committee for the Enhancement of Medical Services which determines state subsidies for new medical treatments – to explore what it means to use Jewish values as a criterion in healthcare policymaking. Through group text study, we focus on the Jewish notion of "Kdushat Ha'hayim" (sanctity of life). We will review and discuss the main interpretations given to this commandment in Jewish tradition and how these traditions informed the Committee’s most difficult controversies and bioethical challenges.

Speakers

Yael Assor

Yael Assor is currently a PhD student at the Department of Anthropology, UCLA. Her research focuses on how culturally situated moral sensibilities contribute to negotiation processes in the Israeli Healthcare Committee (ועדת סל התרופות). Prior to her academic career... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R208

Social Justice & Ethics Israel Discussion Lecture Text Study

11:45am PST

Kabbalah and Object Oriented Programming, Or What Came first.

I will go over basics of Object Oriented Design in the beginning. That will create a point of reference for a Kabbalistic concepts that will be the main part of the lecture.
During the lecture I will cover concept of Partzuf and discuss how it relates to usage of Interfaces in software development. I will describe concept of 10 Sefiros and their relationship to each other and how it is similar to concept of inheritance and virtual functions.
In the end I will talk about general concept of Creation as it viewed in Kabbalah and suggest that since Object Oriented Programming uses the principles that are in the core of creation, it reflects real world and makes coding real world problems easy.

Speakers

Yechezkel Rapoport

Rabbi Yechezkel Rapoport was born in Moscow Russia, he studied in Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Moscow, Russia, Tzefat Israel, and Brooklyn, NY. Together with his wife Ora they founded Chabad Jewish Russian Center in Shoreline, WA. In his other life Yechezkel works as Software Development... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R102

Theology History & Philosophy Innovation & Technology Lecture

11:45am PST

Advanced Practice: Dealing with Difficult People & Situations

It's all very nice to speak about spiritual growth - until we meet people or situations who push our buttons. In this session we will examine two techniques or spiritual practices from the Hasidic tradition (Toldot Ya’akov Yosef and Likkutei Mohoran) to help us respond to the difficulties of life with greater wisdom and peacefulness.

Speakers

Lisa Goldstein

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R103

Wellness Lecture

11:45am PST

Do We Really Love Anyone Unconditionally? Even Our Kids?

We can't truly love another if we don't first love ourselves. Our job, then, is to learn how to love ourselves, because actually, most of us don't! The problem is that we have subconscious negative beliefs about ourselves that we've carried around with us since we were seven or eight years old and these beliefs act as barriers to love. The solution? A deep and personal understanding that we are all created In God's Image.

Speakers

Anne Andrew

Anne Andrew PhD worked over 20 years as the Principal of Temple Sholom Religious School and is currently on the education committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. Anne now focuses on prevention of bullying, addiction, depression, and suicide by teaching parents how... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 11:45am - 1:00pm PST
R308

Wellness Social Justice & Ethics Hands-on Activity Lecture Text Study

12:45pm PST

Youth: Jewish Scribal Arts

Speakers

Scott Emlen

Sunday January 20, 2019 12:45pm - 1:30pm PST
R201

Youth Arts & Culture Hands-on Activity Lecture Text Study

1:15pm PST

Music as a Powerful Gateway to Jewish Spirituality

Music is one of the most powerful gateways for connecting to our spiritual nature, our divine source, and our community. While the healing and spiritual powers of music are very real, the process of connecting through prayer and song remains a mystery on many levels. It’s unseen and untouchable, hard to verbalize and become tangible, and is often neglected. Why is it that sometimes we sing and pray and have a magical experience, and other times we don’t? What makes music spiritual? This experiential session will include old texts and teachings about music from Jewish scholars, and draw from 20+ years of experience performing and studying jazz, rock, and improvisational music. We will unpack some of the mystery of how to pray more meaningfully, and how to harmonize both physically and spiritually. The Jewish tradition is steeped in music and mysticism; prepare to dive into the depths with Ari Joshua.

Speakers

Ari Joshua

Ari Joshua studied jazz and contemporary music at the New School (NY) and is the founder and owner of the Music Factory, a Seattle music school that has taught over 3,000 kids and adults. Ari has made music and spirituality a lifelong study. He was Panim Hadashot's Musical Director... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R306

Arts & Culture Holidays & Prayer Wellness Hands-on Activity Lecture Performance

1:15pm PST

Chavruta: A Drummer's Bat Mitzvah: Screening and Discussion

Chavruta: A Drummer's Bat Mitzvah is a 15-minute documentary short by Portland filmmaker Jodi Darby. The film follows drummer/writer/environmentalist Lisa Schonberg and musician/writer/Jewish educator Alicia Jo Rabins as the two prepare for Lisa's adult bat mitzvah. Together, they delve into a grassroots, feminist course of study informed by their Pacific Northwest home - exploring the intersections of Torah, performance, and the artist's path, and investigating the ancient Near Eastern roots of women's drumming and spiritual leadership. At its core, Chavruta is a film about everyday spiritual quests: the search for personal, authentic ways to express our Judaism; the importance of continuing to learn and grow as adults; and the power of friendship. This Seattle premiere includes a special Q&A with Alicia and Lisa!

Speakers

Alicia Jo Rabins

Alicia Jo Rabins is a writer, musician and Torah teacher. The NY Times calls her voice “gorgeous”; the SF Chronicle calls her writing “a poetry page-turner, both sexy and humble.” She is the author of Divinity School, winner of the 2015 APR/Honickman First Book Prize, and... Read More →

Lisa Schonberg

Lisa Schonberg is a composer, percussionist, field recordist, writer, naturalist, environmental artist, and teacher. She integrates her interests through creative documentation of soundscapes, insects, and habitat to draw attention to endangered species and environmental issues. Lisa’s... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R103

Arts & Culture Film/Video Lecture

1:15pm PST

Modern Jewish Klezmer Music: From Eastern Europe to America

Come hear and explore Jewish klezmer music from Eastern Europe as it existed around the time of the shetl in Eastern Europe, through its import and arrival into America. Learn how it mixed with American jazz and other music to become something different, which we have come to know as American klezmer music, something different than its roots in Eastern Europe. Come learn and hear about the early masters to the current masters of this wonderful music of ours, and share your own thoughts and reflections as we listen and learn together about the development and progression of Jewish klezmer music in the US, right up through the Klezmer Renaissance that is still going on today!

Speakers

Jay Krulewitch

As a longtime Jewish musician, and as a historian and sociologist, Jay Krulewitch studied Jewish music for many years, along with playing it with his main Jewish group, the Klez Katz. He has enjoyed presenting interactive, participatory lectures on the history of Jewish music. It... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R106C

Arts & Culture History & Philosophy Discussion Lecture

1:15pm PST

The Aesthetics and Politics of Remembrance: Holocaust Memory in the German Capitol

Back from their recent trips to Berlin, Ilana Segal and Tamar Benzikry will take you on an interactive tour of the city’s many and varied sites of Jewish memory, ranging from the monumental "Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe"—an undulating grid of concrete slabs encompassing five-acres in central Berlin—to the ghost-filled halls of the Jüdische Mädchenschule, a former Jewish girls school that is now home to trendy art galleries and restaurants. Using video, image, text, and graphic novel, they will engage you in an exploration of the creation, reception, aesthetics, and after-lives of these public spaces, comparing them to sites of Holocaust remembrance in the United States and internationally.

Speakers

Tamar Benzikry

Tamar Benzikry has designed and managed 30+ regional mission-driven art programs and projects including SODO Track, the first mural to commission over 60 artists from 20 countries to explore one theme, transforming the daily commute for 50,000 people. Tamar holds an MA in Jewish... Read More →

Ilana Segal Robicsek

Ilana Segal earned her Bachelors degree in Art History from Columbia College and graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University's joint Masters program in Jewish Art & Visual Culture. Ilana has worked as a Judaica advisor to Sotheby's auction house and has... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R206

History & Philosophy Lecture

1:15pm PST

The Heretic, the Cleric and the Maverick: Unlikely Neighbors in Old Amsterdam

Before the Lower East Side of New York, before the Marais district in Paris, even before London's East End, there was Vlooeinberg -- the heart of Amsterdam's Jewish world. And in that quarter, three figures: Menasseh Ben Israel, Baruch Spinoza and Rembrandt Van Rijn. This is the story of how their lives, interwoven by chance, changed the tide of cultural and intellectual history.

Speakers

Samuel Klein

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R204

History & Philosophy Arts & Culture Lecture

1:15pm PST

Tips for an Easier Passover

Passover is a lot of work. There is stress about family expectations and religious expectations and it is a lot of work. This session will provide some tips for what you can do to make it easier, both in planning approach and getting it done.

Speakers

Linda-Jo Greenberg

Linda-Jo has always been an organizer. Professionally as the Production Stage Manager at Seattle Children's Theatre for 27 years and for the last 7 years as a Department Coordinator at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. She applies her skills to all aspects of holiday observances and has... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R205

Holidays & Prayer Discussion Lecture

1:15pm PST

Results Over Rhetoric: Bringing the Left, Right and Center Together to Keep Israel Safe

Israel is facing unprecedented challenges within a dangerous and volatile region. This interactive session will provide an overview of the current state of the region including each neighboring country’s relationship with Israel, and a brief summary of the recent history of the US-Israel relationship. We will explore effective, bipartisan strategies for keeping the Jewish state safe regardless of one’s political affiliation or outlook.

Speakers

Wendy Rosen

Wendy Rosen is the AIPAC Director in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, responsible for all AIPAC programs, events and activities in the area. Before joining AIPAC, Wendy was the Seattle Regional Director of American Jewish Committee, fostering relationships between the Seattle Jewish... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R210

Israel Lecture

1:15pm PST

Making Your Home Playful and Joyful: Using Play, Toys, Games and Creativity in Building a Jewish Family and Joyful Traditions

The American Academy of Pediatrics' report The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children explains how and why playing with parents and peers helps build thriving brains, bodies, and social bonds. Play not only improves children’s abilities to plan, organize, get along with others, and regulate emotions; it helps with language, math, social skills, and even stress management. Join early childhood experts for a hands-on, playful, creative workshop about using play to help build your family’s Jewish practice and your children’s Jewish identity. In addition to having a fun time and meeting other parents of young kids, you’ll leave with a long list of ideas for purposeful play with your family.

Speakers

Turhan Karabey

Assistant Center Director, Jewish Council for Youth Services

After teaching at JCYS’s Lakeview center for 11 years, Turhan joined the leadership team at JCYS Wicker Park and played an integral role in opening the center in August 2016. Turhan passionately believes in a Reggio-inspired, emergent curriculum based on cooperative, play-based... Read More →

Jenna Turner

Paradigm Project

Jenna Turner is a passionate, energetic, and empathic leader in Jewish early childhood education. Her extensive experience in the classroom and in school leadership makes her a go-to coach and consultant for educators around the country. Jenna devotes the bulk of her time to to her... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R309

Parenting Lecture

1:15pm PST

A Taste of Talmud: The Page, the People, the Pursuit

Want to join in on the 2,000-year-old conversation that takes place on each page of the Talmud? Ever wonder what the different parts of the page mean and who wrote them? Learn about Rashi, Tosephot, Rabeinu Chananel and others whose commentary surround the central text of the Talmud. Shlomo Goldberg will describe the layout of the page and the contributors to the conversation. We will look at the page of Talmud and decipher its parts and also discuss some alternatives that arose over the last hundred years. Participants will study a Sugya (section of Talmud) in chavruta (with a partner) before coming together as a group to join the ancient conversation.

Speakers

Sheldon Goldberg

Shlomo Goldberg is a Brooklyn native, who moved to Seattle some 30 years ago. He is a physician practicing in hematology and oncology at Swedish Hospital. He teaches daf yomi (Talmud – page of the day) at Minyan Ohr Chadash on Shabbat afternoons – in both Yiddish and English... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R101

Torah & Text Study Chavrutah (Partnered Study) Discussion Lecture

1:15pm PST

Gender and the Non-binary in Torah and Kabbalah

Engaging with Torah, Jewish mystical texts, our own experience, and queer theory, this workshop will examine gender nonconforming and non-binary imagery in Jewish sacred thought. Some of the most obvious interpretations of Kabbalah involve problematic gender archetypes. Not only gender, but binaries of all sorts are reified in much of the popular imagery—the transcendent divine is associated with the male aspect of divinity, situated above the female/immanent aspect.
However, our tradition actually contains many diverse images for the divine interplay. We will explore how aspects of the divine flow, and stories of our biblical ancestors, express shifting genders, gender roles, and orientations in a rich interplay to create life, nourish the world, and bring redemption.

Speakers

Fern Feldman

Rabbi Fern Feldman is a teacher, spiritual director, and prayer/ritual leader interested in sacred dark in Jewish tradition, and non-dual approaches to gender in Kabbalah. She was ordained by ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has degrees in nursing and French literature, and is... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 1:15pm - 2:30pm PST
R102

Torah & Text Study Community & Identity Social Justice & Ethics Discussion Lecture Text Study

2:45pm PST

Jewish Creativity: Torah Tree, Poetry and Bird Song

Why are there so many Jewish Nobel Prize winners? Much of both scientific and Jewish practices follow proven recipes for success, and both progress through enlightened creativity. This session will expose you to the nuts and bolts of the creative process, through first hand experiences of Dr. Ken Shiovitz. You will gain insights into your own creative potential and become aware of some of the guiding principles of creative accomplishment. Do not expect that you or Ken will win a Nobel, or that your future will be any less aggravating, but you should emerge with expanded awareness. At the very least you will begin to know what the birds are saying, and how to look for ways to contribute creatively to both Judaism and the secular world.

Speakers

Ken Shiovitz

Ken Shiovitz has a PhD in animal behavior, birdsong, from Wayne State, and 2 years of postdoc studies at McGill. His lifelong interest in behavior includes regular Torah study, meditation, and poetry. His recent poetry book, Rules of the Universe, documents insights toward belief... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R209

Arts & Culture History & Philosophy Torah & Text Study Discussion Hands-on Activity Lecture

2:45pm PST

Drumming, Women and Judaism

In this hands-on session led by drummer/composer/environmental artist Lisa Schonberg, you’ll learn the basics of how to play the drum set and much more. Drumming has historically been a woman's pursuit, and it is only in recent history that mainstream society has tried to make it seem otherwise. In the spirit of Miriam, who led drumming Jewish women after crossing the Red Sea, Lisa is excited to share her skills in order to carry on this important tradition. Lisa is the author of the instruction book The DIY Guide to Drums, and her teaching style makes drumming accessible and non-intimidating. In this workshop you will learn how to hold and use drumsticks, play basic warm-up rudiments, and learn a basic three-part beat, interspersed with information related to Jewish tradition, women and drumming! (All are welcome)

Speakers

Lisa Schonberg

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R306

Arts & Culture Lecture Performance

2:45pm PST

What's Jewish about Saving the World? Why and How to Weave Faith-Based Practices Into Your Environmentalism and Vice Versa

We are living in a time of tremendous urgency and opportunity - a time calling for rapid social transformation with respect to our relationship with the Earth. How can Judaism help achieve that? Our faith teaches that limits and boundaries protect the sacred. It offers opportunities for community-wide reflection and celebration. And it brings us together into groups whose express purpose is to be counter-cultural, asserting our own values in place of those received from the broader society. Its reach extends across national boundaries, and from generation to generation. It is meant to preserve us as "a people," and possibly "as people." In this session, we will look at the practices our tradition offers that can shape our lives toward harmony with Creation. You will come away with concrete goals for forming a group within your community or friendship circle to adopt these practices and make them real by living them. We need this perspective urgently if we are to confront the deep challenge of passing down the world we have been blessed to inherit to even one more generation.

Speakers

Deirdre Gabbay

Director, Shmita Project Northwest

Deirdre Gabbay is the founder and director of the Shmita Project Northwest. She is a member of Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle, and a member of Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light's board of directors. She founded Ahavat v’Avodat HaAdamah, “Love and Service... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R208

Environment & Sustainability Social Justice & Ethics Torah & Text Study Chavrutah (Partnered Study) Lecture

2:45pm PST

Yiddish Lebt! (Yiddish Is Alive!)

Yiddish is alive and thriving in many different communities around the world. In addition to being the language of choice in Hasidic circles, Yiddish is being taught worldwide by organizations like the Workmen’s Circle (both online and in person), in universities and synagogues, and at festivals like KlezKanada, Yiddish New York, and Yiddish Summer Weimar. Yiddish is being used by many younger Jewish artists as a form of resistance, and the Yiddish version of “Fiddler on the Roof” in NYC has been wildly popular. The Yiddish Book Center's new textbook, “In Eynem” ("as one"), uses a communicative approach to learning to reflect the vibrancy of the language rather than relying on native speakers for transmission or singling out the Holocaust and Israel for special treatment. We will look at the current status of Yiddish, review previous pedagogical techniques, and participate in activities from the new textbook.

Speakers

Marianne Tatom

Marianne Tatom is a passionate Yiddishist who has taught language classes at Congregation Beth Shalom and Seattle Central College. She was a 2018–2019 Yiddish Pedagogy Fellow at the Yiddish Book Center, helping field-test the forthcoming Yiddish textbook (In Eynem), and is now a... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R206

Ethnicities & Languages Hands-on Activity Lecture

2:45pm PST

The Hidden Joys of Researching a Holocaust Legacy

It began as a book project about my husband’s parents, Sam and Esther Goldberg, who escaped the Holocaust and arrived, penniless, on the shores of this country. Their stories of survival against all odds, both before and after they met in Poland in 1943, had always fascinated and inspired me: Sam was one of about 65 people to survive Treblinka; Esther evaded Nazi death squads twice. What I never expected was the people, the relationships and, indeed, the joys my family and I would discover in traveling back to uncover what really happened in those dark days. Come and be inspired by Sam and Esther’s story and how, with a bit of chutzpa, we can discover new things about our families and ourselves.

Speakers

Karen Treiger

A Seattle native and a lawyer, Karen Treiger retired from her practice to research and write a book about her in-laws, Sam and Esther Goldberg. She graduated in 1988 from New York University Law School, where she served as Editor in Chief of the Law Review. Her work experience ranges... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R101

History & Philosophy Discussion Lecture

2:45pm PST

Israel’s Challenges from Within: Addressing the Fissures and Building Social Cohesion

Israeli society is comprised of many different “tribes”—Arab, Haredi, orthodox, and secular. The divisions between these communities are exacerbated by Israel’s divided school system and its changing demographic composition. We will discuss the challenges of building social cohesion, encouraging pluralistic expressions of Jewish belief and practice, and breaking down ethnic and religious barriers.

Speakers

Laurence Wolff

Laurence Wolff is a senior editor at Moment Magazine, which offers perspectives on the political, cultural and social issues facing Jewish communities in the U.S. and Israel. He worked for many years at the World Bank and as a consultant for international and bilateral agencies on... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R110

Israel Discussion Lecture

2:45pm PST

Non-Jewish Migrants in a Jewish State: Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrant Workers and their Children

Over the last 20 years, the issue of migration – and particularly the situation of African asylum seekers in Israel – has become much higher on the public agenda in Israel. This session will provide an overview of non-Jewish migration, including refugees and asylum seekers, labor migrants, and children of migrant workers. We will discuss the legal, social and policy context which shapes these migrants’ lives and the dilemmas they raise for a Jewish state.

Speakers

Yikealo Beyene

Originally from Eritrea, Yikealo Beyene was a refugee in Israel for eight years. He spent about two years in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. While in the camp, Yikealo translated the diary of Anne Frank, but he lost the manuscript along the journey to Israel. He is working to complete... Read More →

Lisa Richlen

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R210

Israel Ethnicities & Languages Social Justice & Ethics Discussion Lecture

2:45pm PST

Marriage and Love

Rabbi Mordechai and Rochie Farkash will present an engaging lecture on the legalities of the Chuppah and Marriage Ceremony and then transform the detailed legal requirments to a guide on how to find joy and fulfillment in the union of marriage.

Speakers

Mordechai Farkash

Rabbi Mordechai Farkash is founder and lead Rabbi of the Eastside Torah Center in Bellevue WA. He wrote "Seder Kidushin V'Nesuin" The Order of Bethrothal and Marriage , a book that is used around the world by hundreds of Rabbis conducting marriage ceremonies under the Huppah. Rabbi... Read More →

Rachel Farkash

Rochie Farkash is the Co-Founder of the Eastside Torah Center. She is the Educational Director of the Chabad Hebrew School and lectures for women on multiple topics in Judaism, including finding joy and fulfillment in life.

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R205

Lifecycle Torah & Text Study Wellness Discussion Lecture Text Study

2:45pm PST

A New Hasidism: Roots and Branches

This session will explore some of the founding figures of Neo-Hasidism, an approach to Jewish religious life that seeks to learn from the deep spiritual insights of the Hasidic masters and apply them to the lives of men and women who live as full participants in contemporary culture. Writers such as Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Buber, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, and Hillel Zeitlin believed that the truths of Hasidism – the presence of God everywhere and always, the possibility of finding the magnificent within the everyday, the call to do all things with love and joy, the uplifting of all of life to become a vehicle of God’s service – can be of great value to Jews and others who choose not to live within the strictly bounded world of today’s Hasidic community. Come consider how Hasidism, a great popular Jewish revival movement of the 18th century, may offer important tools for the renewal of this ancient tradition in our own day as well.

Speakers

Ariel Evan Mayse

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R106C

Theology Community & Identity History & Philosophy Lecture

2:45pm PST

Halacha of the Future

As we now have more Jews living in Eretz Yisrael under self-sovereignty, than anywhere else in the world (recently passed US, rapidly approaching the balance point of the majority of the world’s Jews living there), the nature and goals of Halacha, Jewish Practice, inevitably must change from the circle-the-wagons, defensive/survival mode, to steps that will lead to the ultimate perfection of the world, fulfilling our purpose in Creation.

Speakers

Harry Zeitlin

Rabbi Zeitlin first fell in love with Gemara as a Denver sixth grader studying with Rabbi Israel Rosenfeld (“Talmud for Beginners”). Rabbi Z has taught Torah, Tanach, Talmud, and Kabbalah to all ages, levels, and denominations. He specializes in adults with no previous experience... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R308

Torah & Text Study History & Philosophy Innovation & Technology Discussion Lecture Text Study

2:45pm PST

How'd This Get Canonized? A Synthesis of Biblical Text, Mythology, and Meta-Halacha in Sukkah 5b

While the Talmud serves as the basis of traditional Jewish law, its pages are replete with diversions and tangents, sometimes fantastical and sometimes super-technical. Later codes of law edited many of these details out in favor of a more linear and apparently logical presentation of Jewish law. These talmudic "digressions," however, remain crucial to our understanding of the basis for halachah and its philisophical underpinnings. In this session, we will examine one such "digression" in the first chapter of the Tractate Succah and analyze the significance of its structure to our understanding of Jewish law.

Speakers

Daniel Popper

Danny Popper arrived in Seattle five years ago for technological pursuits, but has been an active member in multiple congregations, leading both text studies and services. He is proud to be married to Malka Adatto Popper, a lifelong educator currently serving as the Assistant Head... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R102

Torah & Text Study Holidays & Prayer Chavrutah (Partnered Study) Lecture Text Study

2:45pm PST

How Happiness Thinks

How Happiness Thinks' is much more than a tool to boost your happiness. It is an exciting journey into your own mind and psyche. Drawing on classical Jewish and mystical teachings, this session will present you with a deeper understanding of yourself, and help you flourish by suggesting practical advice which, when implemented, will radically enhance the happiness quotient of your life. We will explore the barriers to joy and discover how spirituality and meaning can help you take your happiness to greater heights. You'll also learn how the science of positive psychology is now corroborating what Judaism has always known about what makes us happy.

Speakers

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky is executive director of the Friendship Circle of Washington, a local nonprofit that supports children with special needs and their families. He teaches for the Jewish Learning Institute and hosts the only Jewish radio program in the area, Schmooze Radio, on... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 2:45pm - 4:00pm PST
R106B

Wellness History & Philosophy Social Justice & Ethics Discussion Film/Video Lecture

4:15pm PST

Jewish Art Jumping Off The Page

From small objects to an entire campus and with pottery, furniture, buildings, installations and educational programing in-between, David Moss will demonstrate how his artistic formula of attention, research, imagination and craft expand the notion of what Jewish art can mean.

Speakers

David Moss

co-founder, Kol HaOt in Jerusalem and The Teachers Institute for the Arts

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R103

Arts & Culture Lecture

4:15pm PST

LGBT Jewish History - a Brief and Highly Biased Account

Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz, Leslie Feinberg, Mesha Irizzary and Aurora Levins Morales - through watching videos and lecture we will learn about the work these historical figures contributed to intersectional justice movements including the LGBT movement, Middle East peace movements, police accountability movements and labor struggles.

Speakers

Naomi Finkelstein

Naomi Finkelstein is a Hedgebrook alumnus and a published writer. She has been an anti-poverty, disability, and LGBT activist for 40 years and is a former member of both ACT UP and the Lesbian Avengers. She has also been active in Adapt, a disability rights organization, and the Poor... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R203

Community & Identity Arts & Culture Discussion Film/Video Lecture

4:15pm PST

Reading Jewish Women: Modernization as Opportunity - A SpeakChorus

When a group is excluded from official realms and relegated to the domestic sphere, they essentially are ignored. The women in Eastern European shtetls had the freedom to think, discuss, and read amongst themselves and finally get to a place of moving into modernity almost clandestinely while the men were unaware and oblivious. The influence of this reading on women manifested in a wide set of changed behaviors including girls refusing marriage to rabbinic scholars, secret alliances forged to promote secular education, heretical tendencies, girls running away from home to seek an education, and joining revolutionary movements.
SpeakChorus, a spoken word cantata in the style of a Greek chorus, embodies this relatively unknown phenomenon of our history. Using poetry, midrash and song, we will explore the paradox that marginalization led to greater freedom, growth, and societal transformation. Participants will also have the opportunity to tell their own stories as well as those of their mothers and grandmothers.

Speakers

Susan Shamash

Rabbi

Rabbi Susan Shamash embraces contemporary egalitarian Judaism as a profound spiritual practice, reaching beyond religious boundaries and institutional structures. She serves interfaith families and unaffiliated Jews in metropolitan Vancouver, BC. Susan had a long and fulfilling administrative... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R209

Community & Identity Arts & Culture History & Philosophy Discussion Lecture Performance

4:15pm PST

From Yizkor Book to Facebook and Screens to Genes: 25 Ways to Find your Family Story

No one is ordinary. Every person has a unique story to tell. It is by finding and telling our own family stories that we figure out who we are and where we come from. Our personal stories take us inside history, values, identity, meaning--and Torah. In this genealogy workshop, we will explore methods, tools and resources that we can use to research, preserve, and share our stories. Easy access to DNA testing is the newest addition to the growing sources of genealogical information. This session will conclude with Jeff Schwartz discussing several DNA testing services used by those seeking to discover family and family stories.

Speakers

Jeffrey Schwartz

Jeffrey Schwartz recently retired from the University of Washington, where he was a professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology for over 20 years. Dr. Schwartz taught residents about the biology underlying their radiotherapy procedures and he also ran a laboratory where he studied... Read More →

Carol Starin

Carol Oseran Starin is a Seattle native with 50 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings. The author of Let Me Count the Ways: Practical Innovations for Jewish Teachers (Volumes I and II), she talks endlessly about genealogical research to anyone who will listen.

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R206

Ethnicities & Languages Innovation & Technology Discussion Lecture

4:15pm PST

Judaism Decoded

Judaism Decoded sheds light on the mysteries surrounding biblical interpretation. How do we know our interpretation is true? If it is true, why is it subject to differences of opinion? And with so many interpretations to choose from, how do we know which one reflects its original intent? Discover the sheer elegance of the "source code" on which Torah law is built; enjoy the razor-sharp reasoning, intelligent debate, and compelling arguments of the Talmudic dialectic; and get a fascinating, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the most intellectually sophisticated religion in existence.

Speakers

Nissan Kornfeld

Rabbi Nissan Kornfeld is the Executive Director of Chabad Mercer Island & Judaics Teacher at the Northwest Yeshiva High School. He received his Rabbinical Ordination and Bachelors of Jewish studies from Rabbinical College of America, Morristown, New Jersey. Before moving back to... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R308

Ethnicities & Languages Innovation & Technology Discussion Lecture

4:15pm PST

A 115 Year Old Siddur and so Much More

A century ago, an extraordinary prayerbook was published in Belgrade by Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Chai Altaras. It presents Levantine, Sephardic prayers and practices for daily and Sabbath services and many lifecycle and calendar events, with a partial translation, commentary and instruction in Ladino, including tributes from community leaders, a history of the Belgrade Jewish community, and essays on
Zionism, Serbian national pride, and the role of women in Jewish life.

Speakers

Albert S Maimon

Al Maimon was born and raised in Seattle, into the Sephardic community. He has been active in the larger Jewish community in many ways here, in New York, Israel, and elsewhere. His Jewish education, formal and informal, encompasses many aspects of Judaism, Jewish history, traditions... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R106B

History & Philosophy Community & Identity Lecture

4:15pm PST

The Settlements Debate

Israeli settlements in the West Bank—or, to their supporters, Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria—are controversial and often misunderstood. This session will explore the competing claims to the land and the different opinions on where Jews should or should not be allowed to build and live. Without advocating for any specific view or promoting a specific resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, we will take a “deep dive” into the settlement issue.

Speakers

Nevet Basker

Nevet Basker is an independent educator, public speaker, writer, and policy adviser specializing in modern-day Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Born and raised in Israel, she is the founder and director of Broader View, an Israel Resource Center. Nevet’s approach is... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R210

Israel Lecture

4:15pm PST

Transmitting Values and Building Identity Through Storytelling

How can you build up your children’s identity and understanding of their family history and family values through storytelling? Learn about the importance of storytelling, and how to tell stories intentionally and effectively! Parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone who wants to perfect their cocktail party storytelling will love this workshop. We’ll also share resources on writing a family history, interviewing your parents (or grand- or great-grand-parents) to document their stories.

Speakers

Miriam Brosseau

Miriam Brosseau is a nonprofit strategy and communications consultant, who loves to teach people how to tell impactful stories. She’s a mom of 2 boys, and the producer of a podcast on Jewish demonology called “Throwing Sheyd”. Miriam comes to us from Chicago.

David Raphael

Elana Zaiman

Elana Zaiman is a rabbi who was the chaplain for elders at The Kline Galland Home, and continues in this role at The Summit at First Hill. She is also an adjunct faculty member with the Harborview Clinical Pastoral Education program at Harborview Medical Center and an Institute... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R309

Parenting Lecture

4:15pm PST

Dr. King and the Jews

Why do we celebrate the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a national holiday? We will revisit tales of his life & cause, along with accounts of the rabbis, attorneys & Jewish communities who supported, advised & marched in the streets with him [Rabbi Heschel foremost]. Dr. King was far more radical & impatient than the placid image of him we see today. We will also study the Biblical models for his civil disobedience, Shifra & Puah.

Speakers

Jon Wolf

Community organizer & adult Jewish educator, YASHAR: the institute for Jewish Activism

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R106C

Social Justice & Ethics History & Philosophy Ethnicities & Languages Discussion Lecture Text Study

4:15pm PST

Spinoza’s Theology: Crypto-Atheism or Ultra-Theism?

Spinoza- a 17th century dutch Jewish philosopher - has been accused of being both a radical atheist and 'God-intoxicated' Was Spinoza one of the first truly modern Jewish theologians? Or was he merely sugar-coating his atheism? In this session, we will engage in close readings of some key passages from Spinoza's philosophical writings on God and gain a deeper understanding of the controversial but highly influential philosopher.

Speakers

Colin Marshall

Dr. Colin Marshall is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Washington. Born in New Mexico, he received his BA from Reed College and attended NYU for graduate school. While in New York, he became intrigued by Spinoza. After meeting his partner, Naomi, he converted... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R101

Theology History & Philosophy Discussion Lecture Text Study

4:15pm PST

What Makes a Decent Person? Exploring the Rabbis' Imagination of Basic Morality

The rabbis imagine that the basic minimum of human decency is to adhere to the seven Noahide laws, given by God after the flood. But they disagree on what those seven laws actually are, and only a few of them are made explicit in the Noah story in the Torah! Together, we will dive into rabbinic texts exploring these laws and question their perspective. What motivates the rabbis to include or exclude traits from this list? What would we include on our own list of components of morality? Learners of all backgrounds are welcome to join and enrich our own understanding of human ethics together!

Speakers

Paula Rose

Paula Rose serves as the assistant rabbi of Congregation Beth Shalom in Seattle's North End. She was ordained in 2017 by the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she also received a master's degree in Talmud. She loves much of her rabbinic work, especially teaching Talmud to learners... Read More →

Sunday January 20, 2019 4:15pm - 5:30pm PST
R102

Torah & Text Study Social Justice & Ethics Discussion Lecture Text Study