Give Peace a Chance
Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed and Prof. Yael Teff-Seker
This session will focus on how research and activism on environmental challenges, with a special emphasis on water, build bridges between Israeli Jews and Arabs, Palestinians, and Jordanians.
The Fiddler Phenomenon, part 4
Naomi Seidman
Explore the ways Yiddish literature—and in particular Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye stories—expressed Jewish ambivalence toward what Ian Watt calls “the sex religion,” the modern ideology of freedom to choose one’s own mate.
Give Peace a Chance, part 3
Orli Bein with New Israel Fund grantees Sally Abed and Alon-Lee Green of Omdim Beyachad (Standing Together) and Ahlam Kasim Ali and Lev Littman of Tzedek Centers
The Fiddler Phenomenon, part 3
Bonnie Weiss
The essential contributions of composer Jerry Bock, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, director/choreographer Jerome Robbins and book writer Joseph Stein includes recorded interviews, captivating performances, and two fascinating songs cut from the show before opening night.
Give Peace a Chance, part 1
The series features projects that create bridges between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as neighboring Jordan. SESSION 1: Medicine (Project Rozana) and Technology (Tech2Peace) with Kenneth Bob, Uri Rosenberg and Abeer Bandak
The Jews of Morocco, part 4
Dr. Sarah Levin
Jews Among Berbers (Imazighen) in the Atlas Mountains (photographs of Elias Harrus)
Poverty in the Jewish Community
Presenters: Bruce Phillips, Steve Chester, Brittany Couture and Robin Mencher
The Jews of Morocco, Part 3
Dr. Alma Heckman
Jews & Politics in 20th Century Morocco
The Jews of Morocco, Part 2
Dr. Vanessa Paloma Elbaz
Moroccan Jewish Music: Inner Power & Outer Politics
Violence and Non-Violence in Jewish Tradition, part 4
Howard Simon
This inquiry into violence and non-violence in Jewish tradition employs Gandhi’s model of satyagraha as a benchmark for non-violent resistance.
The Fiddler Phenomenon, part 1
Naomi Seidman
Matchmaking and Modernity: The Ambivalent Move from Arranged Marriage to Romantic Love
Violence and Non-Violence in Jewish Tradition, part 3
Howard Simon
This inquiry into violence and non-violence in Jewish tradition employs Gandhi’s model of satyagraha as a benchmark for non-violent resistance.
Jewish Attorneys Against Jim Crow
Prof. Steve Whitfield
Black lawyers were too few to make a difference in the 1960s, and local white lawyers rarely wished to advance civil rights. Mostly Northern Jewish attorneys stepped in to fill this historic vacuum.
The Jews of Morocco, part 1
Rabbi Yoel Kahn
A broad introduction to the arc of Moroccan Jewish history
Violence and Non-Violence in Jewish Tradition, part 1
Howard Simon
This inquiry into violence and non-violence in Jewish tradition employs Gandhi’s model of satyagraha as a benchmark for non-violent resistance.
Hanukkah in Song: From the Heartfelt to the Hilarious
Bonnie Weiss
A musical journey from “I Have a Little Dreidel” and “Rock of Ages” to original songs, hilarious Tom Lehrer satiric numbers, and Hanukkah-themed new lyrics set to music by Leonard Bernstein and other acclaimed composers
Time to Cancel “Cancel Culture”? Part 3
Rabbis Chai Levy and Peretz Wolf-Prusan
The Jewish Community and Clergy
Time to Cancel “Cancel Culture”? Part 2
Moderator: Riva Gambert
Discussion of Stephen Fry’s documentary film “Wagner & Me”
Time to Cancel “Cancel Culture”? Part 1
Profs. Michael Krasny, Robert Alter, Eva Mroczek and Liora Halperin
Cancel culture in literature and scholarship
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 6
Eleanor Shapiro
1988-2008: From Oslo to Stalemate
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 5
Eleanor Shapiro
From the Six-Day War to the First Intifada (1968 – 1988)
What Now? Analysis of Israel’s Elections
Ken Bob
Israel’s fifth election in 3 years speaks volumes on its deeply divided society and the fragmentation of its political parties.
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 4
Eleanor Shapiro
1948 – 1967: Independence / Nakba
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 3
Eleanor Shapiro
Mandate Palestine, part 2 (1936 -1948)
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 2
Eleanor Shapiro
Mandate Palestine (1922-1936)
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 1
Eleanor Shapiro
Setting the Stage: Late Ottoman Empire – end of WWI
Mexico and Its Jews in a Nutshell, part 2
Dr. Jehon Grist
This session explores how Jews made their way to Mexico in the early 16th century, and how they suffered and prospered through the centuries.
Mexico and Its Jews in a Nutshell
Dr. Jehon Grist
An overview of the history of Mexico from the Olmec to Aztec pre-colonial cultures, through the Spanish occupation, and on to the birth and growth of the independent state
Descendants of Light: American Photographers of Jewish Ancestry
Penny Wolin
Over six years, Wolin had in-person encounters with 70 leading American Jewish photographers, including Robert Frank, Annie Leibovitz, and Arnold Newman. With a visual and verbal discussion, we will explore the motivations of Jews in photography.
Abortion through Multiple Lenses, part 4
Attorney Linda Scaparotti
What’s Next: Legal Implication and Looming Battles
Abortion through Multiple Lenses, part 3
Roslyn Banish
Focus on Abortion: Americans Share Their Stories: A Photographic Journey
We Were Here: HIV-AIDS, the Bay Area and the Jewish Community
Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Avi Rose & David Weissman
A panel discussion by key leaders/witnesses reflects on the AIDS crisis in the Bay Area and beyond, and on its impact on the Jewish community.
Abortion through Multiple Lenses, part 2
Prof. Carole Joffe & Dr. Debbie Bamberger
The Abortion Wars: The social-political-cultural divide, impact on public health and Jewish values undergird working as an abortion provider
Abortion through Multiple Lenses, part 1
Panel: Rachel Biale, Shalhevet Sarah Robinson & Rabbanit Michal Kohane
Abortion in Jewish Law (Halakhah) and the Orthodox Jewish Community Today
Torah From the Bedroom, part 1
David and Rachel Biale
Sexuality in the Jewish tradition
Jewish American Fiction, part 4
Prof. Michael Krasny
Philip Roth’s “Defender of the Faith” and Saul Bellow’s “A Silver Dish”
Jewish American Fiction, part 3
Prof. Michael Krasny
Grace Paley’s “Goodbye and Good Luck” and Cynthia Ozick’s “The Shawl”
Am Yisrael High: Jews and Cannabis
Eddy Portnoy
This talk details the long history of Jews and cannabis, and will delve into aspects that range from religious texts to medieval manuscripts to contemporary artifacts, all of which reveal deep Jewish involvement in the science, the marketing, the legalization, and the usage of cannabis.
Jews of Color: Taking Charge of Your Jewish Identity
Kim Carter Martinez
It is not unusual for a Jew of color to be asked, “How did you get to be Jewish?” The question stems from their appearance—“You don’t look Jewish.” There are a number of ways that an adult from a biracial Jewish or interfaith family can arm themselves for these micro-aggressions.
Care to Make It Interesting? Seinfeld, Jewish Culture, and the Talmud, part 2
Ron Reissberg
Uncover a more general characteristic of Seinfeld’s humor, namely the tendency to argue endlessly about everything and nothing. In all cases, it’s the principle that counts. We will study Talmudic passages through the lens of the Seinfeld-Talmud connection.
Jewish American Fiction, part 2
Prof. Michael Krasny
Isaac Singer’s “Gimpel the Fool” and Bernard Malamud’s The Magic Barrel
Care to Make It Interesting? Seinfeld, Jewish Culture, and the Talmud, part 1
Ron Reissberg
Uncover a more general characteristic of Seinfeld’s humor, namely the tendency to argue endlessly about everything and nothing. In all cases, it’s the principle that counts. We will study Talmudic passages through the lens of the Seinfeld- Talmud connection.
Jewish American Fiction, part 1
Michael Krasny
What does fiction written by major Jewish American authors of the post-World War II period reveal about Jewish identity and values? Why is their work of ongoing importance? Authors include Bernard Malamud, Grace Paley, and Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Between Shtisel and Fauda: Images of Israeli Men in Israeli TV Series, part 4
Ilan Vitemberg
Examine how Israeli men are portrayed in such popular Israeli TV series as Fauda, Shtisel, and When Heroes Fly, and explore how these portrayals could serve as a lens through which we explore Israeli society and the Zionist endeavor more broadly.
Between Shtisel and Fauda: Images of Israeli Men in Israeli TV Series, part 3
Ilan Vitemberg
Examine how Israeli men are portrayed in such popular Israeli TV series as Fauda, Shtisel, and When Heroes Fly, and explore how these portrayals could serve as a lens through which we explore Israeli society and the Zionist endeavor more broadly.