HUC-JIR hosted international conference: The Contemporary Study of Halakha: Methods and Meaning On March 18-21, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York marked its 125th anniversary by hosting a conference, The Contemporary Study of Halakha: Methods and Meaning. This was the first international conference to bring together disparate approaches to the study of Jewish law, halakha, and its sources. Scholars from every major branch of Judaism, as well as from secular institutions, addressed how social and intellectual approaches to halakha have informed the contemporary Jew's understanding and study of Jewish law. The conference was attended by academics, clerics, and secular professionals. Focus topics included legal issues in halakha: how it is studied and understood and what it means today. Click here for a list of speakers Click here to purchase audio tapes from the conference.