Calendar Archive

The Foundation for Jewish Studies Programs

Holiday Weekend Study Retreats

The Distinguished Scholar Series

Lunch & Learn Bible Study Groups

Community Heritage Lectures

Bible Study Center

2010

Presidents Day Study Retreat: February 14-15, 2010
Dr. Eric H. Cline

Memorial Day Study Retreat: May 30-31, 2010
Dr. Lawrence Fine

2009

Presidents Day Study Retreat: February 15-16, 2009
Prof. Ed Kaplan, Department of Romance Studies, Brandeis University

Memorial Day Study Retreat: May 24-25, 2009
Prof. Charles Butterworth, Department of Government and Politics, University of Maryland

Labor Day Study Retreat: September 6-7, 2009
Prof. Raphael Jospe, Philosophy Department, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

2008

Labor Day Study Retreat: August 31-September 1, 2008
Martin Buber and the Post-Holocaust Renewal of Faith
Rabbi Joshua O. Haberman, Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Jewish Studies, Rabbi Emeritus of Washington Hebrew Congregation

2010

January 21, 2010
Judaism: It’s All About Love: The Wisdom of Love: Men, Women & God in The Bible
Naftali Rothenberg

March 11, 2010
The Life of Death: What Our Rabbis Tell Us About The World To Come
Professor David Kraemer

March 18, 2010
Are the Holidays Late This Year? Judaism and the Lessons of Modern Biblical Scholarship
Professor James Kugel

April 22, 2010
Renaissance England’s Chief Rabbi: John Selden
Professor Jason Rosenblatt

May 13, 2010
The People And The Book: The Invention of Printing And The Transformation of Jewish Culture
Professor David Ruderman

May 27, 2010
Arab And Islamic Anti-Semitism Today
Professor Menahem Milson

2009

Tuesday, March 17, 2009
What the Dead Sea Scrolls Really Say, Part I: A Visit to Qumran, Were They Essene? Elucidating the Bible and Judaism
Herschel Shanks, Founder & Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review

Thursday, March 19, 2009
What the Dead Sea Scrolls Really Say, Part II: The Jewish Roots of Christianity; Gabriel’s Revelation; the Copper Scroll, and the Temple Treasure
Herschel Shanks, Founder & Editor of Biblical Archaeology Review

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
How Assimilated Were German Jews Prior to the Holocaust?
Dr. Steven Lowenstein, Isadore Levine Professor of Jewish History, American University

Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Tortuous Path of Lithuanian Jewish Relations
Dr. Marc N. Ozer, author of The Litvak Legacy

Thursday, May 14, 2009
The Challenge of Translating the Bible
Prof. Robert Alter, Hebrew and Comparative Literature, University of California, Berkeley

September 15, 2009
The State of Jews in Europe and Israel
Dr. Walter Laqueur

October 7, 2009
How Twentieth Century Rabbinic Figures Use and Misuse Maimonides
Dr. Menachem Kellner

October 13, 2009
The Turbulent History of Jewish Life in Italy
Rabbi Barbara Aiello

November 3, 2009
A Tale of Three Cities: Vienna, Prague and Budapest: The Place ofAustro-German Jewry in Central Europe
Dr. Marsha Rozenblit

November 19, 2009
The Myth of the “Authentic” Jewish Wedding
Dr. Vanessa Ochs

2008

March 6, 2008
The Ecstasy and the Agony of our False Messiahs: Shabbetai Zevi and Jacob Frank
Prof. Rachel Elior, Hebrew University, Professor of Jewish Philosophy

March 19, 2008
Men of Silk: The Hasidic Conquest of Polish Jewry” “The Rise and Evolution of Hasidism
Prof. Glenn Dynner, Department of Religion, Sarah Lawrence College

April 3, 2008
The Mystical Messiah: Shabbtai Zevi and the Crises of Rabbinic Authority
Prof. David Ruderman, Department of History, University of Pennsylvania

May 15th, 2008
The Merchant of Venice: Shakespeare's Jews and their Cultural Context
Prof. Lindsay Kaplan, Associate Professor of English at Georgetown University

May 22, 2008
Has Modern Jewish Thought Recovered From the Shock of the Holocaust?
Professor Michael Berenbaum, Professor of Jewish Studies at the American Jewish University

Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Forgotten Jewish Refugees from Arab Lands
Professor Naomi Gale, Schusterman Visiting Professor, Center for Israel Studies, AmericanUniversity

November 6, 2008
Violence, Peace and the Ethics of Judaism: Ancient Texts and Modern Dilemmas
Prof. Robert Eisen, Director of Judaic Studies, George Washington University

November 13, 2008
Yehudah Amichai: Love’s Melancholy and the Poetry of History
Dr. (and Rabbi) William Cutter, Director of the Kalsman Institute on Judaism And Health, Hebrew Union College-

November 20, 2008
War and the Jewish Tradition
Prof. Michael Walzer, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University

Northern Virginia Lunch & Learn

Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (library)
8900 Little River Turnpike
Fairfax, VA
703-323-0880

2010

March 2, 9, 16, 23, 2010
From Hester Street to Hollywood
Rabbi Benjamin Shalva

April 13, 20, 27, May 4, 2010
Jewish Philosophers From the First to the Twentieth Century
John Rybicki

May 11, 18, 25, June 1, 2010
Jewish Music From all Periods and Places: A Series of Lecture-Recitals
Cantor Sharon Steinberg

2009

Jan. 13, 20, 27 and Feb. 3, 2009 (snow date Feb. 10)
Forgiveness:  Traditional and Contemporary Texts About Forgiving Ourselves and Others
Rabbi Rosalind Gold

Feb. 17, 24 and March 3, 2009
The Last Lecture of Randy Pauch
Rabbi Bruce Aft

March 10, 17, 24 and 31, 2009 - CANCELLED
Finding Relevant Lessons for Modern Living in Leviticus
Rabbi Marvin Bash

SPECIAL SUNDAY SERIES
March 15 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm and 3:30 – 4:30 pm
March 29 from 2:00 – 3:00 pm and 3:30 – 4:30 pm
One G-d and the Commandment to Love Him: Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Gideon Amir

April 7 and 14 No Classes

April 28 and May 5, 12, 2009
The Origins of the Jewish People Part III: Settlement in the Land of Israel
Paul Forbes

May 19, 26 and June 2, 2009
“Faith” and “Belief” in Judaism
Rabbi Brett Isserow

June 9, 23, 30, 2009 (skip June 16)
Traditional Biblical Stories: Fact or Fiction?
Paul Forbes

September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009
Why Does God Do What He Does?
Rabbi Bruce Aft

October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2009
The Various Messianic Expectations of the Hebrew Prophets and Their Interpreters
John Rybicki

November 3, 10, 17, 2009
The Best Part of Waking Up: The Morning Blessings
Rabbi Rosalind Gold

November 24, December 8, 15, 2009 (snow make-up December 22)
What Happens Next? Jewish Perspectives on the Afterlife
Rabbi David Kalender

2008

September 2, 9, 16, 23, 2008
Messengers of G-d by Elie Wiesel
Rabbi Bruce Aft

October 28, November 4, 11, 18, 2008
Hebrew Prophets’ Timeless Teaching: Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Isaiah’s Common Focus
John Rybicki

December 2, 9, 16, 2008
Our Matriarch’s Voices through Midrash
Rabbi David Kalender
Note: Class will be taught from 12:15-1:45 pm

Rockville Lunch & Learn

Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington
6125 Montrose Road
Rockville, MD
301-881-0100

2010

January 6, 13, 20, 27, 2010
Leaders Defending Themselves
Rabbi Lyle Fishman

February 10, 17, 24, 2010
The Musical Heritage of the Sephardim
Cantor Abraham Lubin

March 3, 10, 17, 24, 2010
Power and Powerlessness in the Book of Esther
Erica Brown

April 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010
Imaginative Insights on Psalms
Norman Shore

May 5, 12, 26, June 2, 2010
Above and Beyond: The Origin of Ethics and Piety Out of the Pages of the Jewish Legal Tradition
Rabbi Michael Feshbach

2009

January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2009 - CANCELLED
How Torah Speaks to the Generations: Traditional and Modern Midrash
Rabbi William Rudolph

February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2009
What Happened to Joseph’s Bones and Other Stories from Egypt
Rabbi Michael Safra

March 4, 11, 18, 25, 2009
The Original Top Ten Before David Letterman: Why the Ten Commandments Captured the Imagination of the World
Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt

April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 2009
From Golem to Genome: Jewish Ethics and Artificial Life
Rabbi Jack Luxemburg

May 20, 27, June 3, 10, 2009
Elisha Ben Abuya: The Heretic and His Torah
Rabbi Lyle Fishman

September 9, 16, 23, 30, 2009
Savoring Four Periods of Jewish Musical History
Cantor Abraham Lubin

October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2009
From Strength to Strength
Erica Brown

November 4, 11, 18, 25, 2009
The Oral Law: The Transmission of the Oral Tradition from Mount Sinai Until Today
Rabbi Yaacov Benamou

December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2009
A Second Moses? Maimonides' Radical Reorganization of Torah Law
Rabbi Joshua Maroof

2008

September 3, 10, 17, 24, 2008
Rabbinic Views of Humility and Hubris
Rabbi Jonathan Perlman

THURSDAYS October 16, 23, 30, 2008
Coping Skills in the Bible and Applying them in Today’s World
Aviva Tessler

CANCELLED
October 29, November 5, 12, 19, 2008
The Journey from Sukkot to Thanksgiving
Avi West

November 26, December 3, 10, 17, 2008
Questions that Matter
Erica Brown

Downtown Lunch & Learn

The Sixth and I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, NW.
(Chinatown metro stop on the Red Line)

2010

February 4, 11, 18, 25, 2010
The Rule of Law in the Book of Esther
Nathan Lewin

March 4, 11, 18, 25, 2010
Poetry and Art Surrounding the Forefathers and Foremothers
Rabbi Toby Manewith

April 8, 15, 22, 29, 2010
Judaism’s Relation to Christianity and Islam
Rabbi Harold White

May 6, 13, 27, June 3, 2010
Women in the Apocrypha
Rabbi Ben Mintz

2009

January 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009
Genesis: Traditional & Modern Midrash
Rabbi Harold White

February 5, 12, 19, 26, 2009 - CANCELLED
The Rule of Law in the Books of Esther & Ruth
Nathan Lewin

March 5, 12, 19, 26, 2009
Complex Figures in the Book of Judges
Rabbi Jack Bieler

April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 2009
Too Dangerous for Publication:  Censoring the Bible
Norman Shore

May 21, 28, June 4, 11, 2009
Kabbalistic Origins of Traditional Shabbat & Festival Customs
Rabbi Morris Faierstein

September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 2009
The Torah: Recent Translations and “Modern” Commentaries
Rabbi Benjamin Mintz

October 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009
The Power of Amen
Rabbi Joel Tessler

November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 2009
Four Relevant Post-Modern Talmudic Stories
Rabbi Ethan Seidel

2008

September 4, 11, 18, 25, 2008
Four Approaches to Interpreting the Torah: Rashi, Ba’al Ha’turim, Malbim, and Aviva Zornberg
Ben Mintz

October 16, 23, 30, 2008
Torah Readings for the Holiday Season: Why We Read What We Read
Rabbi Joel Tessler

November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 2008
King David: The Women of His Life
Rabbi Max Ticktin

Washington DC JCC Lunch & Learn

Washington DC JCC
1529 16th Street, NW
202-518-9400

2009

January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2009
The Politics of Sexuality in the Bible
Rabbi Toby Manewith

March 3, 17, 24, 31, 2009 - CANCELLED
From Whence My Help? : Classical and Modern Meaning in Psalms
Sharon Freundel

May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2009
Lessons of a Lifetime: Exploring Jewish Ethical Wills
Rabbi Jonathan Perlman

September 8, 15, 22, 29, 2009
Thinking Positively – A Torah Perspective
Aviva Tessler

October 6, 13, 20, 27, 2009
To Everything There is a Time: Time and the Calendar in Jewish Tradition
Norman Shore

November 3, 10, 17, 24, 2009
Above and Beyond: The Origin of Ethics and Piety Out of the Pages of the Jewish Legal Tradition
Rabbi Michael Feshbach

Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, NW
Washington, DC
(Gallery Place/Chinatown metro stop on Red Line)

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Memory and Truth: How Holocaust Deniers Distort History and Endanger Us All
Mr. Warren L. Miller

Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Revisiting Memory:  Facts and Myths about the Jews in Poland and Russia
Dr. Antony Polonsky

Fall 2009 - Spring 2010

Session 1
October 18 – December 20, 2009
Excluding November 29, Thanksgiving Sunday
The Book of Joshua
The Conquest of Canaan during Joshua’s Three Major Campaigns
Gideon Amir

Session 2
January 10 - March 21, 2010
Excluding February 28, Purim
The Book of Joshua
The Division of Canaan by Tribe
Gideon Amir

Session 3
April 11 – June 27, 2010
Excluding May 9, Mother’s Day
Excluding May 30, Memorial Day
Excluding June 20, Father’s Day
The Book of Joshua
Joshua’s Farewell Speeches and Death
Gideon Amir

Fall 2008 - Spring 2009

September 14 – November 23, 2008
Excluding October 12            
Re-Reading the Book of Genesis
Session 1: Creation to Noah
Gideon Amir

December 7 – March 1, 2009
Excluding December 21, 28 and January 18
Re-Reading the Book of Genesis
Session 2: Noah to Abraham
Gideon Amir

March 8 – May 10, 2009
Excluding April 5 and April 12
Note: May 10 will be a double class beginning at 9am
Re-Reading the Book of Genesis
Session 3: Abraham to Joseph
Gideon Amir

Fall 2007 - Spring 2008

Sept. 30, 2007
(B’reshit) Gen. 1:1-6:8
Rabbi Haberman

Oct. 7, 2007
(Noah) Gen. 6:9-11:32
[Rosh Hodesh – Num. 28:9-15]

Oct. 14, 2007
(Lech L’cha) Gen. 12:1-17:27

Oct. 21, 2007
(vaYera) Gen. 18:1-22:24

Oct. 28, 2007
(Hayey Sarah) Gen. 23:1-25:18

Nov. 4, 2007
(Tol’dot) Gen. 25:19-28:9

Nov. 11, 2007
(vaYetze) Gen. 28:10-32:3

Nov. 18, 2007
(vaYishlah) Gen. 32:4-36:43

Nov. 25, 2007
(vaYeshev) Gen. 37:1-40:23

Dec. 2, 2007
(miKetz) Gen. 41:1-44:17

Dec. 9, 2007
(vaYigash) Gen. 44:18-47:27

Dec. 16, 2007
(vaY’hi) Gen. 47:28-50:26

Jan. 13, 2008
(b’Shalah) Ex. 13:17-17:16

Jan. 20, 2008
(Yitro) Ex. 18:1-20:23

Jan.27, 2008
(Mishpatim) Ex. 21:1-24:18

Feb. 3, 2008
(T’ruma) Ex. 25:1-27:19

Feb. 10, 2008
(T’tzave) Ex. 27:20-30:10

Feb. 17, 2008
(Ki Tissa) Ex. 30:11-34:35