Over Fifteen Years of   Learning Together

 

These are the names of scholars who’ve

participated at Aitz Hayim:

 

Meron Benvenisti, Phyllis Berman, Robert Bloom, Ron Brauner, Herb Bronstein, Ellen Cannon, Shoshana Cardin, Joel Carp, Aaron Cohen, Avram Cohen, Robert Cohen, Irwin Corey, Rachel Cowan, Abba Eban ^z'l, Gerard Edery, Yitzhak Eitan, Rachel Elior, Albert Erez, Walter Eytan^z'l, Leonard Fein, Ed Feinstein, Tirzah Firestone, Hertzel Fishman, Aaron Freeman, Neal Gabler, Jack Gabriel, Mordechai Gafni, Yoram Getzler, Neil Gilman, Shefa Gold, J.J. Goldberg, Calvin Goldsheider, Hersh Goodman, Rosalee Grad, Joel Grishaver, David Hartman, Donniel Hartman, Lee Meyerhoff Hendler, Susannah Heschel, Larry Hoffman, Barry Holtz, Bethamie Horowitz, Mayor Ron Huldai, Raphael Israeli, Vicky Judits, Steven Katz, Michael Kotzin, David Kraemer, Irwin Kula, Hal Linden, Nati Lior, Seth Lipsky, Shaul Magid, John McCormick, Deborah Dash Moore, Steven Nasitir, Joan Nathan, Shalom Paul, Peter Pitzele, Nathaniel Popper, Moshe Ram, Raven Theater, Jack Riemer, David Roet, Alvin Rosenfeld, David Roskies, Ruth Rothstein, Dale Schatz, Peninnah Schram, Alice Shalvi, Rami Shapiro, Leah Silverstein, Sidney Sorkin, Corinne Stavish, Lynn Sweet, Joseph Tabachnick,^z’l, Craig Taubman, Jay Tcath,Itai Tennenbaum, Jeff Veidlinger, Arthur Waskow, Richard Wexler, Congressman Robert Wexler, Ron Wolfson, Tom Wood, David Wysnicka, Aharon Yaariv,^z’l, Naom Zion.

 

Some are Rabbis, some are professors and some are leaders of think tanks. But there is also a cookbook author, a film critic, musicians, politicians from the U.S. and Israel, journalists, Israeli army officers, storytellers, a hospital administrator, a seventies sitcom star, and a comedian. They are the reflectors and the shapers of Jewish culture today, and, like the culture itself, they are diverse, they speak in many media and they don’t stand still. Neither do we. As is tradition, we learn from text. Yet we know that text in the 21st century includes singing, dancing, literature, art and popular entertainment.

 

We understand that the more we know—about multiple Jewish traditions, perspectives, practices and culture—the more we can become the authors of our own Judaism. We also understand that by learning together, we create a community of shared understanding.

 

And so we create an intimate learning environment over Shabbat, holidays and other occasions. We don’t just listen—we ask questions and enter into dialogue.

 

Many of our scholars come back year after year, such as Professor Steven Katz, who is in the seventh year of a history series that began with Ezra, included the rise of Christianity & Islam and has just concluded the rise of Mysticism and the dispersal of Spanish Jewry. Or Rabbi Donniel Hartman who identifies models of Jewish behavior and practice  Rabbi Jack Riemer, the rabbi’s rabbi whose homiletic words form poetry, Rabbi Ed Feinstein's brilliant wit while introducing us to modern Jewish thinkers.  Or Joel Grishaver, who integrates education for adults and children.  Or Rabbi Irwin Kula who brings a post-modern rabbinic perspective as we consider the questions that shape our community—what do we bless, what do we eat, what do we notice and how do we act.

 

Other scholars come only once and leave behind a custom, a melody, a question or a reference that we can use again and again. Film critic Neal Gabler left us a lens through which we can see profound Jewish influence on modern American culture; Joan Nathan shared much more than her favorite recipes and traditional methods of cooking; Congressman Robert Wexler provided an insider's view of Congress while Jewish Forward editors Seth Lipsky and  J.J. Goldberg told of challenges facing Jewish journalism on the national stage. When Neil Gilman asked us what really happened at Sinai, he left us with a question we continually apply as we envision moments of commitment throughout our lives.

 

Each year we search out the most interesting and engaging speakers from across America and Israel. Together, we create adult learning experiences that integrate our expanding knowledge with our lives.