The Promiscuous World of Jewish Music, part 2
Joshua Horowitz
Explore Jewish musical themes in wedding music, the synthesis of “Gypsy” and Jewish music, the case of a 19th-century traveling Hasidic musician, an analysis of the only surviving pre-war Yiddish opera, and an instrument that previously defined klezmer music but has since been forgotten.
The Promiscuous World of Jewish Music, part 1
Joshua Horowitz
Explore Jewish musical themes in wedding music, the synthesis of “Gypsy” and Jewish music, the case of a 19th-century traveling Hasidic musician, an analysis of the only surviving pre-war Yiddish opera, and an instrument that previously defined klezmer music but has since been forgotten.
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.
Hasidism: New Perspectives on an Old Movement
Professor David Biale, UC Davis (Emeritus); Dr. Chen Mandel-Edrei, Open University of Israel; and Professor Marcin Wodziński, University of Wroclaw, Poland
Three academicians representing three generations of research will share their perspectives on Hasidism’s evolution and its shifting role within the global Jewish world.
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.
The Jews of Morocco, part 4
Dr. Sarah Levin
Jews Among Berbers (Imazighen) in the Atlas Mountains (photographs of Elias Harrus)
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.
What Really Happened on Hanukkah?
Dr. David Biale
The reason we celebrate Hanukkah turns out to be more complicated than what we learned as children. We may also be surprised at how little the rabbis of the Talmud understood about Hanukkah, the only Jewish holiday not mentioned in the Bible.
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
Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), part 4
Robert Alter & Ron Hendel
We explore the poetry and philosophy of Qohelet (or Kohellet, Ecclesiastes) in the context of biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.
Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), part 3
Robert Alter & Ron Hendel
An exploration of the poetry and philosophy of Qohelet (or Kohellet, Ecclesiastes) in the context of biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 6
Eleanor Shapiro
1988-2008: From Oslo to Stalemate
Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), part 2
Robert Alter & Ron Hendel
An exploration of the poetry and philosophy of Qohelet (or Kohellet, Ecclesiastes) in the context of biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 5
Eleanor Shapiro
From the Six-Day War to the First Intifada (1968 – 1988)
Pharaoh of the Exodus? Ramses II and His Times, part 2
Dr. Jehon Grist
Many scholars believe king Ramses II was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. We’ll examine the pros and cons of this claim and also delve into the fascinating world he ruled.
Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), part 1
Robert Alter & Ron Hendel
An exploration of the poetry and philosophy of Qohelet (or Kohellet, Ecclesiastes) in the context of biblical and ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature.
Oh, the Hora! American Klezmer and Israeli Folk Music in Conversation
Uri Schreter
Musicologist Uri Schreter presents his research on American Jewish weddings in the 1950s, based on recordings, archives, and interviews with klezmorim from that era.
The Intractable Middle East: Dual Narratives, part 4
Eleanor Shapiro
1948 – 1967: Independence / Nakba
Pharaoh of the Exodus? Ramses II and His Times, part 1
Dr. Jehon Grist
Many scholars believe king Ramses II was the Pharaoh of the Exodus. We’ll examine the pros and cons of this claim and also delve into the fascinating world he ruled.
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
The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton
Prof. Andrew Porwancher
First debunking a string of myths about Hamilton’s origins, Prof. Porwancher arrives at a startling conclusion: Hamilton was, in all likelihood, born and raised Jewish.
Divinity and Infinity: Exploring the Infinite in Mathematics and Judaism
Dr. Larry Lesser
Explore—in a lively, interactive way—how math concepts can help illuminate some big ideas in Judaism, including the value of life, the value of commandments, and the coexistence divine transcendence and immanence.
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
People of the Book, but What Book? The Confrontation between Torah &...
Ron Reissberg
Apparently uncomfortable with various portions of the Torah, the rabbis provide interpretations that tend to neutralize the troubling aspects of those texts.
The Tree of Life: Making Kabbalistic Diagrams, part 2
Yosef Rosen
Learn about the aesthetic-theology of kabbalistic diagrams—full of trees, circles, spirals, lines, and letters—and use these as models to map your own relation to that which is essential but intangible (what might be called spirit, soul, or the divine).
People of the Book, but What Book? The Confrontation Between Torah &...
Ron Reissberg
Apparently uncomfortable with various portions of the Torah, the rabbis provide interpretations that tend to neutralize the troubling aspects of those texts.
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.
The Tree of Life: Making Kabbalistic Diagrams, part 1
Yosef Rosen
Learn about the aesthetic-theology of kabbalistic diagrams—full of trees, circles, spirals, lines, and letters—and use these as models to map your own relation to that which is essential but intangible (what might be called spirit, soul, or the divine).
Jews and Gentiles in Pagan Antiquity: A Love-Hate Relationship?, part 4
Dr. Erich Gruen
The Jew and the ‘Other’ in Antiquity
People of the Book, but What Book? The Confrontation Between Torah &...
Ron Reissberg
Apparently uncomfortable with various portions of the Torah, the rabbis provide interpretations that tend to neutralize the troubling aspects of those texts.
Bible, Midrash, Art: The Richness of Bible Narratives, part 4
Jody Hirsh
Examine stories as they are presented in the Bible, dive into traditional Midrash (Rabbinic interpretations that are themselves stories) and examine how artists of all types have interpreted these stories.
Kiev: Jewish Metropolis
Prof. Natan Meir
Step back in history to the days when Kyiv/Kiev was a flourishing Jewish Metropolis. Populated by urbane Jewish merchants and professionals as well as new arrivals from the shtetl, imperial Kiev was acclaimed for its opportunities but cursed for the often pitiless persecution of its Jews