Limmud NY 2014: Full Schedule

2:30pm EST

What Is the Place of This Prayer? Expanding the Horizons of Prayer

We will explore the tension between spontaneity and structure in our religious lives by closely considering several classic rabbinic texts on the origin and form of prayer.

Presenters

Andy Warmflash

Andrew Warmflash is the spiritual leader of the Hewlett-East Rockaway Jewish Centre. Widely regarded as a dynamic and inspiring educator, he has taught adult classes in NY, NJ, and Boston in conjunction with Melton and Hebrew College. He is a graduate of UPenn and JTS.

Friday February 14, 2014 2:30pm - 3:45pm EST
Waterside

Spiritual Practice Text & Thought

8:45pm EST

Hearing All the Voices: How Feminism Can Build Bigger-Tent Judaism

Inclusivity means hearing—and amplifying—all voices, particularly those of people who have not felt fully included so far: Jews of color; people with cognitive or physical disabilities (and their families); Jews by choice; poor Jews; Jews who are no longer part of any nuclear family; LGBTQ Jews; Jews of non-Ashkenazi backgrounds; to name only a few. How can we hear these voices more clearly—and why should we? And what’s gender got to do with it?

Presenters

Susan Weidman Schneider

Susan Weidman Schneider is Editor in Chief of Lilith, and one of the magazine's founding mothers. Her writing in Lilith includes innovative reports on women and philanthropy, the Jewish stake in reproductive rights, and the persistent stereotypes of Jewish women. She is the author of three acclaimed books, including the groundbreaking... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2014 8:45pm - 10:10pm EST
Waterside

College & High School Identity & Global Culture Social Justice

10:25pm EST

Another World Is Possible: Preparing for Shmita: Spiritual, Environmental and Practical Dimensions

The Shmita year is coming, look busy! Preparing for the agricultural Sabbatical year, which happens to begin this coming Rosh HaShana, is going to take more than looking busy, because allowing the Earth, the economic system, and yourself to rest actually takes some work. In this session, we will learn spiritual, environmental and practical techniques to create a true year of rest.

Presenters

Matt Carl

Matt Carl is a rabbi who serves as the Director of Community Engagement for Hazon, America's largest Jewish environmental organization. Hazon's goal of "creating healthier and more sustainable communities in the Jewish world and beyond" pretty much sums up what he wants out of li... Read More →

Friday February 14, 2014 10:25pm - 11:40pm EST
Waterside

College & High School Identity & Global Culture Israel Social Justice Text & Thought

3:45pm EST

Responding to the Inner Human Struggle: Intentional Communities in a Jewish Context

Intentional communities are the deepest response to the inner psychological human struggles, and a substantial component of the social fabric. Judaism has a long theoretical and practical tradition regarding such communities, and this session will explore this issue intellectually, while telling the story of the movement of Mission-Driven Communities in Israel, transforming Israeli society as a second wave of pioneering, and offering potential connection to the emerging movement in America.

Presenters

Aharon Ariel Lavi

Aharon Ariel Lavi is the founder and director of the Nettiot Network, which reengages Haredi Ba'alei Teshuva (Returnees) into Israeli society. He is also founder of Garin Shuva in the Negev and co-founder of the National Council of Mission-Driven Communities. Aharon is pursuing a... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 3:45pm - 5:00pm EST
Waterside

Identity & Global Culture Israel Social Justice Text & Thought

8:15pm EST

“Remember What Amalek Did to You!” Now Reconcile? Reconciling Identity Conflicts in Text and Society

Next month, Jews around the world will mark the holiday of Purim and remember what Amalek did to us and the subsequent eternal commandment to annihilate Amalekites. This conflict represents a significant case study of an intractable identity conflict. This session will explore how through the integration of in-depth text study and contemporary reconciliation theory, we can consider how this ancient identity conflict, and similar such conflicts facing the Jewish world today, can be reconciled.

Presenters

Daniel Roth

Daniel Roth is director of the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution, where he also teaches courses that integrate text study with conflict resolution. He holds a PhD from Bar Ilan University's Program for Conflict Resolution, where he is on the faculty, writing about... Read More →

Saturday February 15, 2014 8:15pm - 9:15pm EST
Waterside

Identity & Global Culture Text & Thought

10:00am EST

Mar Ukba in the Oven: A Talmudic Counter-Narrative

Why did the rabbis tell stories? What is the role of the narrative in our understanding of the Talmud? How do we understand the parts we call 'aggada' legends whether they read like simple biographies or fantastical tales of supernatural intrigue? New approaches to Talmud are yielding fascinating answers to these questions. We will explore one text in the Talmud that serves to illustrate the application of some of these techniques to open up aggada to contemporary readers.

Presenters

Dov Kahane

Dov Kahane recently completed a Master's degree in Jewish Studies at Columbia University, where he focused on narratives in the Talmud. He is also a practicing dentist, father and grandfather. He lives in New York City.

Sunday February 16, 2014 10:00am - 11:15am EST
Waterside

Text & Thought

12:15pm EST

Anger and Letting Go in 5 Jewish Spiritual Steps: Using Mussar to Transform our Lives

If anger or forgiveness is your issue, come and learn how the Jewish spiritual practice of Mussar can help you use anger well, and let it go when it's harmful. We will study texts and share spiritual practices. No prior knowledge is needed.

Presenters

Marcia Plumb

Marcia Plumb founded Neshamah for the Soul. She directed spiritual formation for Leo Baeck College in London UK, and now teaches Mussar in Boston. She is also a congregational rabbi and chaplain.

Sunday February 16, 2014 12:15pm - 1:30pm EST
Waterside

Spiritual Practice

1:45pm EST

Is There Torah under Your Teacher's Bed? Respect, Authority and the Dogged Pursuit of Torah

We often think of Torah as something that is separate from the dirty realities of daily life. However, a closer look at the rabbinic tradition shows that there is room for Torah everywhere, from the bedroom to the bathroom. This session will consider the implications of having such a lack of boundaries, and begin to reshape the ways in which we consider the limits and space of Torah.

Presenters

Rachel Rosenthal

Dr. Rachel Rosenthal is a David Hartman Center Fellow whose research focuses on the intersection of Talmud and pedagogy. She received her PhD in Rabbinic Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary, where her dissertation focused on how rabbinic analysis of the case of the stubborn... Read More →

Sunday February 16, 2014 1:45pm - 3:00pm EST
Waterside

Text & Thought

3:15pm EST

Spiritual Physics: Correlating the Rhythms of Life to Laws of Physics

The term "Spiritual Physics" suggests that many developmental aspects of our human and spiritual relationships with people, nature and beyond are parallel to the laws of physics, e.g. gravity, action and reaction, vacuums, etc. Knowing the laws enable us to live more fully as humans and as Jews. We will explore Biblical, Rabbinic & modern texts to identify how laws of physics correlate with Jewish notions of freedom, redemption, teshuva (return, repentance), and yetzer harah in a unified universe.

Presenters

Joe Septimus

Joe Septimus is CFO of a NYC based mortgage bank, teaches Torah at various adult education venues including Darkhei Noam, Central Synagogue, the JCC Tikkun, & Limmud NY. Joe has an MBA from NYU, a BA in Philosophy, studied at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin & Kerem B’Yavneh, is a Wexner Heritage... Read More →

Sunday February 16, 2014 3:15pm - 4:30pm EST
Waterside

Text & Thought

5:45pm EST

Searching for God in a Magic Shop

Arthur will be discussing some of the most difficult and profound theological notions in Jewish tradition while performing some rather cool magic tricks (including four new illusions)!

Presenters

Arthur Kurzweil

Arthur Kurzweil is a writer, teacher and publisher. He is also a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians and the Society of American Magicians (founded by Harry Houdini).

Sunday February 16, 2014 5:45pm - 7:00pm EST
Waterside

Arts & Performance College & High School Spiritual Practice Text & Thought