here - Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies

Weekly Schedule Pardes Summer Program – July 6-24, 2014
Sunday
8:45 - 11:15am
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
The Emergence of a Nation (Book of Exodus) - Bible (Introductory) – Reuven Grodner
Sefer Bemidbar - Bible (Intermediate/Advanced) - Nechama Goldman-Barash
Honor Your Children (Tractate Kiddushin) - Talmud (Introductory) – David Levin-Kruss
An Eye for an Eye (Bava Kamma ch.8) - Talmud (Intermediate/Advanced) – Leah Rosenthal
11:45am - 1:15
p.m
Women and Judaism: Permitted but Prohibited
Nechama Goldman-Barash
Women and Judaism
Nechama Barash
GUEST
Between Two Mountains: Rational and Mystical Jewish Thought
Maimonides and Halevy (Kuzari)
Reuven Grodner
SPEAKERS
Jewish Thought
Reuven Grodner
Hassidut
Mike Feuer
Hassidut: Passion and Transformation
Mike Feuer
1:15 - 1:30pm
Optional Mehitza Mincha/Egalitarian Mincha
1:15 - 2:30pm
2:30 - 5pm
LUNCH
Community Lunch
LUNCH
Afternoon Classes (Details below)
Tours
Afternoon Classes (Details below)
2:30 - 5pm
2:30 - 5pm
Afternoon
Sunday / Wednesday
Monday / Thursday
Classes
Chaos and Leadership in the Promised Land:
Book of Judges (Sefer Shoftim)
Rav Kook: Poetry of the Soul
Zvi Grumet
Mike Feuer
Sexuality: Ethics and Halakha
Elijah: Prophet of Fire (Book of Kings)
Jennie Rosenfeld
Alex Israel
Religion and State in Jewish Political Thought
Without Understanding, How can I Pray?
Yoel Finkelman
Yaffa Epstein
Weekly Schedule Pardes Summer Program – July 6-24, 2014
Morning Text-Intensives. 8:45-11:15 am
This class is for people who have not experienced Talmud study before. It will
study passages from Tractate Kiddushin.
Emergence of a Nation (Shemot/Exodus) - Bible (Introductory)
Reuven Grodner
A study of the Books of Exodus (Shmot) viewed through the eyes of classical
commentaries.
How does a nation form its character? How does it develop its institutions and
culture? This class will engage in discovering the meaning in contemporary life
through the events taking place during Israel's first year in the wilderness.
Starting with the Exodus, and the crossing of the Red Sea, Israel confronts the
hardships and challenges of survival in the wilderness, the trials of war, the
creation of a Judiciary, Matan Torah (the Revelation of Sinai), the formation of
Jewish Law and the construction of the Tabernacle. Come and discover how the
Jewish nation is formed.
An Eye for an Eye (Bava Kamma ch.8) - Talmud (Intermediate/Advanced)
Leah Rosenthal
This chapter deals with the rabbinic interpretation of the Biblical injunction "an
eye for an eye" as its fundamental principle of justice. It will offer us opportunity
to explore concepts of justice and retribution, as well as view the Rabbis’
perception of physical violence. This subject also represents a classic example
of the oral Torah and its relationship with written Torah. We will explore the
relationship between the peshat of the Torah and Rabbinic interpretation and
discuss various aspects of this intriguing process.
This course is for those who have learned gemara before in a formal context.
Sefer Bemidbar - Bible (Intermediate/Advanced)
Nechama Goldman-Barash
Over the course of the summer program, the weekly Torah portions all come
from the book of Numbers.
Israel has come out of Egypt, received the Torah and built the Tabernacle. Now,
restlessness and mutiny bubble up from across the nation.
 How will Moses respond to a direct provocation to his authority?
 How will God respond to a nation that complains and murmurs with every
challenge?
 Why are the people punished with a forty-year sojourn in the desert?
 And who is the mysterious Kushite woman who is the cause of Miriam
the prophetess's leprosy?
The "desert period" is the period of tremendous transformation and change, of
rupture and transformation, of death and rebirth.
We will use both classic and modern interpretations to read the fascinating
stories of Bamidbar and understand, how even the greatest of all prophets,
Moses, needs to be left behind for the new generation to begin a new chapter in
a new land.
Honor Your Children (Tractate Kiddushin) - Talmud (Introductory)
David Levin-Kruss
We often quote the commandment to honor parents. But what about the other
way around? What obligations do parents have to their offspring? And what does
this teach us about the nature of the thorny parent-child bond?
Mid-Morning Electives 11:45-1:15pm
Hassidut: Passion and Transformation
Mike Feuer
In their quest for Divine intimacy, the students of the Holy Ba’al Shem Tov
overturned centuries of social order while strengthening traditional practice into
a vessel that could hold the power of their transformation. Were these Chassidic
masters revolutionaries, fundamentalists or both? Join us in our daily exploration
of the thoughts and practices that define this way of being. The original words of
the masters will be our guide as we consider what it means to be a chassid, and
what their vision can offer to our lives.
Women and Judaism: Permitted but Prohibited
Nechama Goldman-Barash
We will explore the rabbinic and Jewish legal approach to women dating back
2000 years. This allows us to understand the exemptions and exclusions imposed
on women within the system of Jewish law, affecting their role in society. While
many things may be technically permitted, society and community play a
tremendous role in deciding which laws are accepted and which are rejected. We
will look at contemporary examples including women wearing tefillin, Women of
the Wall and rabbinic ordination.
Weekly Schedule Pardes Summer Program – July 6-24, 2014
We will also look at life cycle ceremonies, with an in-depth look at marriage and
divorce with all of their complexities and explore laws of family purity, which
govern sexuality and intimacy within a Jewish marriage.
Between Two Mountains: Mysticism and Rational Jewish thought in the
writings of Maimonides and Rabbi Yehudah Halevy's Kuzari
Reuven Grodner
Of all the medieval Jewish thinkers, Maimonides and Yehudah Halevy have made
an indelible mark on the history of Jewish literature. Maimonides represents a
rational world view. Halevy brings a mystical approach. Each offer a coherent
perspective on the key questions of Jewish philosophy. This course will study
several of their classic disputes and debates, presenting several key issues that
form the foundation of classic and contemporary Jewish thought.
Afternoon Electives 2:30-5pm
Sunday / Wednesday
Chaos and Leadership in the Promised Land:
Book of Judges (Sefer Shoftim)
Zvi Grumet
The Book of Judges depicts 300 years of national turbulence as Israel languishes
in a frustrating cycle of ruin and chaos, experiencing periodic invasion, civic
dispute, and religious waywardness.
We shall study this book, exploring its structure and message. We shall meet
some of the Bibles' most interesting and flamboyant leaders including Ehud,
Deborah, Gideon, Jephtah and Samson, and also read of events that would are
shocking even in our contemporary tabloid culture.
Religion and State in Jewish Political Thought
Yoel Finkelman
Judaism and Torah attempt to sanctify all areas of life, from the synagogue to our
businesses, from the bedroom to the boardroom. But what about politics and
government? On the one hand, halakhah desires to sanctify politics and
government; on the other hand, politics and government tend to be corrupt and
corrupting. Does Judaism desire to control politics and government, and if so
how does it expect to remain religiously pure? Or, does Judaism choose a tactical
retreat from corrupting politics to retain its own purity?
We will address the following questions:




Does a political community lead to holiness (Maimonides), or do politics
corrupt (Abarbanel)?
How do we balance the Talmudic sages’ vision of a utopian messianic politics
with their stubbornly realistic description of actual government?
Where does one gain political wisdom in areas where the Torah is silent?
How do contemporary Jewish thinkers envision the relationship of religion
and state in the contemporary State of Israel?
Sexuality: Between Ethics and Halakhah
Jennie Rosenfeld
There is a wide impression that traditional Judaism has a negative attitude
towards sexuality. With the rising age of marriage as well as acceptance of nontraditional models of relationships, navigating sexuality with a commitment to
traditional Judaism can be a tremendous challenge and at times, a struggle. We
will study a range of Jewish sources, touching on various aspects of sexuality in
the personal, interpersonal and communal realms - from the Halakhic to the
Hassidic to the ethical - all the while questioning and attempting to integrate the
sources with modern reality. We will particularly explore the questions of those
who refrain from sex outside marriage and how Halakha navigates their struggle.
This course will offer a safe space for all and will be open to those seeking to
explore the sources, regardless of Hebrew proficiency. Sessions include:
 Jewish attitudes to sexuality: balancing pleasure and asceticism
 Falling and Growing in religious life
 Masturbation
 Premarital sexuality
 A Jewish sexual ethic
 Talking to Teens about sexuality in an internet age
Afternoon Electives 2:30-5pm
Monday / Thursday
Rav Kook: A Taste of the Soul’s Poetry
Mike Feuer
Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook was one of the most important thinkers of
th
20 century Israel. His vision of national rebirth and world redemption inspired a
revolution in Torah that continues to echo down to our day. Join us for an
exploration of his works as we unfold the complexity of his thought and glory in
the poetry of his language. We will seek to understand, to be inspired and to
uncover sparks of our own vision for the future of Am Yisrael.
Weekly Schedule Pardes Summer Program – July 6-24, 2014
Elijah: Prophet of Fire
Alex Israel
Elijah is one of the Bibles's most riveting and contentious figures. We shall study I
Kings ch. 16 – 2 Kings ch.2 charting the biography of this itinerant prophet, an
ardent critic of his government (Ahab and Jezebel) and a relenting fighter for
pure monotheism and ethical rule in ancient Israel.
Through this course, we shall use techniques of close reading, literary structure,
and classical commentary. We shall visit themes that relate to the nature of
national culture, religious isolationism, political corruption, the nature of
prophecy and simply enjoy one of the Tanakh's most dramatic and enjoyable
stories.
Without Understanding, How can I Pray?
Yaffa Epstein
Ever felt bored in synagogue? Overwhelmed by trying to make sense of all that
Hebrew? Unsure about the place of prayer is in your life? Then this class is for
you!
This session will explore the development of the Jewish Prayer book. We will
explore questions such as: When did Jewish prayer begin? Who wrote our
prayers? At what point in Jewish history did different sections of the prayer
service become canonized?
Through these questions we will attempt to understand our own connections to
the prayers, and how we can make them more meaningful in our lives.
Open to all levels, and all sources will be in English and Hebrew.
Faculty Biographies
Yaffa Epstein is a faculty member at Pardes teaching Talmud, Law and Liturgy.
She also serves as director of Strategic Partnerships at Pardes.
Yaffa Epstein holds a Law Degree from Bar-Ilan University and has been a
member of the Israeli Bar since 2003. She is a former student of the Kollel at
Pardes and was a member of the Advanced Talmud Institute at Matan.
In addition to her Pardes role, Yaffa has taught at Drisha, Bar Ilan's Lookstein
Center, Young Judaea, Kayam Farm Kollel, Ta Shma and was a fellow of Beit
Midrash Reshut Harabim (Yaakov Herzog Center), a think tank on Modern
Orthodoxy in Israel. Yaffa sits on the Executive Board of Mavoi Satum, a leading
Israeli organization helping women denied a divorce. In 2014-15 Yaffa will be
studying and teaching at Yeshivat Maharat in New York.
Mike Feuer has learned Torah in a number of Jerusalem area institutions,
including Yeshivat HaMivtar, the Mir Yeshiva and Sulam Yaakov Bet Midrash. He
received his semicha from Sulam Yaakov, where he now spends all his time when
not engaged with his wonderful wife and four children. His vision of Torah
aspires to rigorous analysis and a passionate love of poetry and approaches
learning as a process of mutual self-development. His particular loves in Torah
are the Early Prophets, the Maharal and the Bet Yosef.
Yoel Finkelman teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Jerusalem, and is a lecturer in
the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan
University. He received his Ph.D from the department of Jewish Thought at
the Hebrew University, and is author of Strictl Kosher Reading: Popular Literature
and the Condition of Contemporary Orthodoxy.
Nechama Goldman-Barash is a graduate of Stern College and the Advanced
Talmud Institute at Matan, a three year intensive program for Talmud study. She
holds a MA in Talmud from Bar Ilan University teaches at Pardes, Midreshet
Lindenbaum, Midreshet Harova and Michlelet Emunah. Nechama is a Yoetzet
Halacha – a certified Halakhic expert on Jewish Law related to Nidda and
sexuality.
Reuven Grodner received his MA and was ordained at Yeshiva University's Rabbi
Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, where he studied under Rabbi Joseph B.
Soloveitchik. He served for over 18 years as a pulpit rabbi. Rabbi Grodner is the
author of several books including Shabbat: A Day of Delight, The Spirit of
Mishnaic Law: Tractate Brachot and Ahl Ha'tefillah; Lectures on Prayer by Rabbi
Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Hebrew). In addition to teaching at Pardes, he is the
Weekly Schedule Pardes Summer Program – July 6-24, 2014
director of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Beit Midrash program.
Zvi Grumet holds a BA in Computer Science, an MA in Jewish Education and an
EdD. from Yeshiva University where he was studied for the Rabbinate and was
ordained. Prior to his Aliyah, Rabbi Grumet was a day school principle and taught
in adult education frameworks, and. Rabbi Grumet is on the faculty of the Pardes
Center for Jewish Educators. Zvi is also the Associate Educational Director at the
Lookstein Center for Jewish Education, the editor of the journal, Jewish
Educational Leadership, the chair of the Tanakh department at Yeshivat Eretz
Hatzvi and author of Moses and the Path of Leadership. (Urim, 2014)
Alex Israel has taught at Pardes for the past six years and is director of the
Summer program, as well as Pardes' Community Education Program. Alex grew
up in London. He holds degrees from LSE, the Institute of Education London, and
Bar Ilan University. Alex studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion under and gained Semicha
(rabbinic ordination) from the Israeli Rabbinate. He has taught at leading
Jerusalem Yeshivot and Midrashot. Alex volunteers for Tzohar – a rabbinic group
that works to bridge gaps between religious and secular communities in Israel.
He lives with his wife and 4 children in Gush Etzion. This year he published his
first book: I Kings – Torn in Two.
David Levin-Kruss is director of special programs at Pardes and a key faculty
member. He also serves as a life coach for students seeking direction.
David attended Pardes as a student and holds a BA and Teachers' Certification in
English Literature and Jewish Thought from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He studied and received rabbinic ordination from the Joseph and Gwendolyn
Straus Rabbinical Seminary.
David has worked for Melitz and was a rabbi in Stanmore, London. David
founded and directs My Open Book Life Coaching which uses general and Jewish
texts as well as life coaching techniques to achieve personal breakthroughs. He is
married and the proud father of three boys.
Jennie Rosenfeld teaches Talmud in the Hartman High School for Girls and is
studying for dayanut l'giyur at Midreshet Lindenbaum. She holds a PhD in English
from the CUNY Graduate Center, where she wrote her dissertation “Talmudic Rereadings: Toward a Modern Orthodox Sexual Ethic.” A graduate of Stern College,
Jennie completed the Yeshiva University Graduate Program in Advanced
Talmudic Studies for Women. Jennie lectures in Israel and abroad on topics
relating to Judaism and sexuality, as well as Talmud and Hasidism, and was
named one of the “36 under 36” by the Jewish Week in 2008. She co-authored
Et Le’ehov: The Newlywed’s Guide to Physical Intimacy (Gefen 2011; Hebrew
translation 2013). Jennie has taught on the Pardes Summer Program and this
year delivered an evening course on Judaism and Sexuality in Pardes' Community
Program.
Leah Rosenthal
Leah Rosenthal holds a BA in Talmud and Jewish Philosophy and an MA in Jewish
Education, both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has been teaching
Talmud at Pardes for over twenty years. She combines her teaching at Pardes
with teaching at the nearby Pelech High School for Girls and raising, with her
husband, their five children.

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