Virtual Program
- This program has passed.
Shalhevet Robinson: Ruth: A Literary Masterpiece, a Lesson in Kindness (In Person and on Zoom)
April 22, 2023 @ 10:15 am - 1:15 pm
Virtual Program
Program Fee: Free
In partnership with Beth Jacob Congregation, Oakland
Megillat Ruth (The Book of Ruth) is an extraordinary novella with a simple but profound goal: to take us from the alienation of grief into a healed society. The story centers on a family from Bethlehem (in Judea): a husband and two sons die, leaving behind three widows. Over the course of the story, a grief-stricken family is able to create a new legacy and is thus redeemed.
We will focus on the timing and context of the novella and on ethical questions and the family relationships of the characters. We will employ a pshat (literal) and literary approach with a sprinkling of rabbinic literature to color and contextualize our interpretation.
1. Shabbat April 22, approx. 10:15am and 12:15pm In-person only at Beth Jacob (Please note Beth Jacob’s Shabbat guidelines below.)
Drasha following Torah Reading: Liberation in Captivity: On leading a Pesach Seder in Ukraine
Shi’ur following Kiddush (approx. 12:15 pm): Why was Megillat Ruth Written? The Paradox of Chesed (kindness) or Why Not All Kindness Is Good.
2. Tuesday, May 2, Zoom Shi’ur 7:15–8:30pm Virtual on Zoom
Where does Megillat Ruth Fit in the Tapestry of the Hebrew Bible?
3. Tuesday, May 16, Zoom Shi’ur 7:15 – 8:30 pm Virtual on Zoom
Healing from Grief: How the Three Widows, Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah, Cope with Loss
4. Shabbat May 20, approx. 12:30pm In-person only at Beth Jacob (Please note Beth Jacob’s Shabbat guidelines below.)
Drasha following Torah Reading: Standing Again at Sinai: Judith Plaskow and the SanHerDrin Squad
Shi’ur following Kiddush (approx. 12:15pm): Is Megillat Ruth a Love Story?
*You are cordially invited to attend the full Shabbat service at Beth Jacob. Please review these guidelines:
Beth Jacob is a synagogue that follows the traditions of “modern orthodoxy.” These traditions may seem different from other synagogues you may have attended. Men and women sit separately during services, but together for Kiddush and Torah classes. There is no smoking, writing, photography, use of cellphones or other technological devices throughout the synagogue grounds on Shabbat.Services and Torah reading are led in Hebrew, and we will announce pages in a Siddur (prayerbook) that contains English explanations.
