Harry Potter for Hebrews
Wizardry, Witchcraft and Magic in Judaism
Ben Newman, Congregation Har Shalom
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
University Center 116 A
Family & Intergenerational
In the most recent book of the Harry Potter series, one of the main characters is struck down by the magic words "Avra Kedavra". This magical formula originally derives from a Jewish Aramaic phrase. Throughout the series of novels, characters fly through the air on broomsticks. Did you know that the Jewish tradition has a plethora of spells which describe the construction of flying sticks? This fascinating Jewish literary corpus has been neglected by theologians and scholars alike.
I Never Saw Myself as Job
Suffering in the Jewish Tradition
Sandra Cohen
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
University Center 116 B
Jewish Education,
Text & Thought
Whether you are struggling with pain in your life or are interested in a more academic approach, this session strives to speak to you: How does our tradition make meaning where there is suffering? Is there a reason people suffer? Together, we will study texts from both the Tanach and rabbinic sources (Talmud, Midrash, later commentary), in an effort to understand how Judaism grapples with anguish and how we might find meaning in spite of, or from the midst of, hardship and loss.
Making Prayer Real 1
A Panel Discussion
Aryeh Ben David, Ayeka: Bringing God back to the Conversation,
Mike Comins, TorahTrek,
Jay Michaelson, Nehirim: GLBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
Lodge A
Mike Comins interviewed 51 soulful Jews for his new book, "Making Prayer Real: Leading Jewish Spiritual Voices on Why Prayer is Difficult and What to Do about It," including Jay Michaelson and Aryeh Ben David. They will lead a discussion on the spiritual dynamics of prayer: what it is intended to do, how it works, why it’s difficult, and why it can be so easy and rewarding.
Niddah, Mikveh and Sex
A No-Nonsense Guide to the Niddah Cycle
Jacqueline Nicholls
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
Breckenridge 5106
Ritual & Prayer,
Text & Thought
When is sex forbidden, and when is it permitted? This session looks at the monthly niddah cycle, the bodily rituals involved, and the impact of this structure on relationships and a woman's sense of self. (Please note, this session is NOT for women only.)
Shabbat Rest
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
Additional schedules
- Saturday 9:00 AM–10:15 AM
- Saturday 10:30 AM–11:45 AM
- Saturday 3:00 PM–4:15 PM
- Saturday 4:30 PM–5:45 PM
Remember it is Shabbat. Feel free to skip a session, go for a hike, breathe in the spring air, or take a Shabbos shluf (sleep).
Who was Hannah Arendt...
and Why Do So Many People Say Such Wonderful/Awful Things About Her?
Deborah Lipstadt, Emory University
Saturday 1:30 PM–2:45 PM
University Center 122
One of the "reporters" covering the Eichmann trial was the political theorist and first women to ever receive a full professorship at Princeton, Hannah Arendt. A German-born Jew, she wrote a series of articles for The New Yorker which were eventually republished as "Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil." Her comments on the trial sparked an intellectual and political battle of unique proportions (and it continues to today). Her critics condemned her report as a "tasteless assault," "wicked," and "gratuitous and distorted." She was branded a "self-hating Jewess" who was "pro-Eichmann." Her fans were no less extreme in their evaluation. They called it "brilliant," a "masterpiece," and "splendid and extraordinary." What did she say? And why were both those who skewered her and those who praised her only telling half the story?
