Wednesday, November 10 at 7:30 pm
OneVoice International with Ezzeldeen Masri
This organization of Israelis and Palestinians — with active members in the U.S. and Europe — seeks a truly negotiated resolution of the Conflict for a just and lasting peace for Israel and Palestine within their own communities; it provides programs to reduce hate, polarization, and racism. We will hear about issues for a two-state solution and growing up in Gaza. No fee. Register for the program here.
Ezzeldeen Masri is U.S. Outreach Director of OneVoice International. He was born in Gaza City in 1971, completed his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Criminology at Northeastern Illinois University in the spring of 1997, and his Master’s degree in International Relations in the fall of 2000, specializing in conflict resolution. In November 2006, he opened the OneVoice Palestine-Gaza office and was appointed as the Executive Director. He returned to the United States in 2015, and currently lives in the Chicago area.
Friday, November 12 at 9:30 am
A Close Look at Torah with Rabbi Andrea London
There are many ways to interpret Torah and its nuances of meaning that are often overlooked. We will continue our learning from last year, reading and interpreting the text of the Book of Deuteronomy line by line. New learners are always welcome. Texts will be provided.
No fee for members, non-member fee $100
Friday, November 12 at 11:00 am
Rabbinic Inferno: Hell in Classical Judaism with Dov Weiss
The leading rabbis of American Reform Judaism declared in the 1885 Pittsburgh Platform that “we reject as ideas not rooted in Judaism, the belief … [in] Gehenna (Hell).” Arguing that this claim misrepresents the history of Judaism, this two-part class will examine ancient Jewish discourse about Gehenna to unearth the distinctive values, aesthetics, fantasies, and hopes found within classical Jewish culture. Without such an analysis, one’s understanding of Judaism remains incomplete.
Member fee $25, or included in Friday morning package; non-member fee $35
Dov Weiss is an Associate Professor and Conrad Humanities Scholar (21-26) of Jewish Studies in the Departments of Religion, Classics and Medieval Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He completed his PhD at the University of Chicago Divinity School as a Martin Meyer Fellow in 2011 and was the Alan M. Stock Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for Jewish Studies in 2012. Dov’s first book, Pious Irreverence: Confronting God in Rabbinic Judaism (University of Pennsylvania Press), won the 2017 National Jewish Book Award in the category of Scholarship.
Tuesday, November 16 at 7:30 pm
Current Politics with David Zarefsky
A continuing lecture-discussion class on contemporary public issues of interest to Jews as citizens. Special attention will be given to the policy and political issues facing the Biden administration.
No fee for members; non-member fee $10
David Zarefsky is the Owen L. Coon Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, specializing in argumentation and the analysis and criticism of American political discourse. He is a former president of the National Communication Association, the Rhetoric Society of America, and the Central States Communication Association. In 2012 he received the Lifetime Teaching Excellence Award from the National Communication Association. David is a past president of Beth Emet.