Prof. Robert Alter & Robby Adler Peckerar, 11/12/2025—Nearly forty-five years after the publication of The Art of Biblical Narrative, Robert Alter joins New Lehrhaus executive director Robby Adler Peckerar to reflect on the book’s enduring legacy. First published in 1981, Alter’s groundbreaking work invited readers to see the Hebrew Bible as a masterpiece of literary art, transforming modern understanding of the sacred text. Recorded as part of Limmud North America’s Global Day of Jewish Learning.

Rev. Bruce Bramlett, 11/10/2025—Rev. Bramlett tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. He discusses the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. This program seeks to clarify the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence—paying close attention to current events in the Middle East, the U.S., and Europe—and asks whether antisemitism is a permanent aspect of Western civilization.

Jacob Kodner, 11/10/2025—This course introduces the essential skills for documenting Judeo-Kashani, a critically endangered Jewish language from Kashan, Iran. Participants begin learning the basics of linguistics, techniques for collaborating with native speakers, and methods to elicit vocabulary and create online dictionary entries. The session combines lectures, interactive exercises, and discussion of fieldwork with the language’s last speakers.

Erich Gruen, 11/9/2025—In the ancient world, Jews lived under the shadow of great empires—Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. How did they understand their place within these dominant cultures, and how did those powers view them? This four-part series explores Jewish identity and its intersections with the wider world, focusing on kinship and identity, Greek and Roman perceptions of Jews, encounters with Greek mythology, and the Jewish place in the religious diversity of the Roman Empire.

Jacob Kodner, 11/3/2025—This course introduces the essential skills for documenting Judeo-Kashani, a critically endangered Jewish language from Kashan, Iran. Participants begin learning the basics of linguistics, techniques for collaborating with native speakers, and methods to elicit vocabulary and create online dictionary entries. The session combines lectures, interactive exercises, and discussion of fieldwork with the language’s last speakers.

Rev. Bruce Bramlett, 10/27/2025—Rev. Bramlett tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. He discusses the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. This program seeks to clarify the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence—paying close attention to current events in the Middle East, the U.S., and Europe—and asks whether antisemitism is a permanent aspect of Western civilization.

Erich Gruen, 11/2/2025—In the ancient world, Jews lived under the shadow of great empires—Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. How did they understand their place within these dominant cultures, and how did those powers view them? This four-part series explores Jewish identity and its intersections with the wider world, focusing on kinship and identity, Greek and Roman perceptions of Jews, encounters with Greek mythology, and the Jewish place in the religious diversity of the Roman Empire.

Jacob Kodner, 10/27/2025—This course introduces the essential skills for documenting Judeo-Kashani, a critically endangered Jewish language from Kashan, Iran. Participants begin learning the basics of linguistics, techniques for collaborating with native speakers, and methods to elicit vocabulary and create online dictionary entries. The session combines lectures, interactive exercises, and discussion of fieldwork with the language’s last speakers.

Rev. Bruce Bramlett, 10/27/2025—Rev. Bramlett tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. He discusses the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. This program seeks to clarify the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence—paying close attention to current events in the Middle East, the U.S., and Europe—and asks whether antisemitism is a permanent aspect of Western civilization.

Erich Gruen, 10/26/2025—In the ancient world, Jews lived under the shadow of great empires—Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome. How did they understand their place within these dominant cultures, and how did those powers view them? This four-part series explores Jewish identity and its intersections with the wider world, focusing on kinship and identity, Greek and Roman perceptions of Jews, encounters with Greek mythology, and the Jewish place in the religious diversity of the Roman Empire.

Rev. Bruce Bramlett, 10/20/2025—Rev. Bramlett tracks the historical development of antisemitism in Western civilization from the Greco-Roman period to its present resurgence throughout the West. He discusses the nature of antisemitic prejudice, constructions, and concepts of race, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism, and the ongoing reality of Jew-hatred as a recurring phenomenon. This program seeks to clarify the sources of antisemitism’s post-Holocaust resurgence—paying close attention to current events in the Middle East, the U.S., and Europe—and asks whether antisemitism is a permanent aspect of Western civilization.

Prof. Judith Hauptman, 9/29/2025—Some think the rabbis of the Talmud saw women as their servants. Others think they put women on a pedestal. Where does the truth lie? To answer this question, we will read Talmudic texts in Hebrew/Aramaic, with English translation, and assess how the rabbis viewed women's socio-legal status. We will also read non-legal passages that show how the rabbis thought about women. No Talmudic background needed.