Recorded On:
December 7, 2023
Discover how Frank Stella, the celebrated American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, has found inspiration in Jewish themes throughout his career, from his earliest minimalist paintings influenced by the Nazi propaganda newsreels of his childhood, his mixed-media “Polish Wooden Synagogue” works commemorating “the obliteration of a culture,” and his Had Gadya narrative abstractions expressing a universal, aspirational message of justice and hope.
Recorded On:
December 5, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Ronda Spinak
Joshua Silverstein
Kimberly Green
Art has the ability to challenge the status quo and encourage us to change our way of thinking. Several pieces produced by The Braid, exemplify this idea, such as True Colors and Sweet Tea and the Southern Jew. The Braid is a story company and non-profit organization grounded in Jewish culture and experience. Representatives from these works will engage in discussion about their connection to their monologues, internal issues they faced when preparing these pieces, and the positive and more difficult reactions they’ve received from audience members about these pieces.
Recorded On:
November 30, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Professor Judith Lewis Herman
Rabbi John Davidson, MD
Ghadir Hani
Dr. Ayellet Cohen-Wieder
Ruhama Weiss
Hear about how our reality affects our mental health, common reactions to this reality, and the tools we have available to support ourselves and others. Coping with horror, fear, pain, and the difficulty of dealing with everyday routines affects all of us, especially these days.
Recorded On:
November 29, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Debra Band
Adriane Leveen, Ph.D.
Jean Bloch Rosensaft
“Vanity of vanities, all is vanity,” “for everything there is a season,” and “the sun also rises” are all drawn from the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. Artist Debra Band describes how her exquisite calligraphy, micrography, and paintings illuminate the first ever visual interpretation of this entire poetic text. Dr. Adriane Leveen analyzes the enduring wisdom and inspiration of a text expressing the beauty and transience of human life and accomplishments.
Recorded On:
October 30, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Sivan Zakai, Ph.D.
Rabbi Rebecca Milder
Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal
Joshua Holo, Ph.D.
During this moment of trauma and heightened concern, Jewish children are grappling with how to process the terrible things happening in the world and need support from the adults in their lives. Join Dr. Sivan Zakai, Rabbi Rebecca Milder ’07, and Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal as they contemplate what it looks like to support Jewish children and families, review “best practices,” and discuss the ways in which Jewish institutions and organizations are contributing to these efforts.
Recorded On:
May 30, 2023
Join us for a conversation with Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, the organization that will receive the 2023 Roger E. Joseph Prize. Dr. Northup and Dr. Rehfeld will discuss Judaism’s historical view on the major ideas surrounding reproductive rights. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s highest award, the Roger E. Joseph Prize, is presented annually to outstanding individuals, organizations, or institutions whose work fulfills the highest ethical and humanitarian values of our tradition. The Joseph Prize was established in 1978 by Burton Joseph and Betty Greenberg, of blessed memory, to honor the memory of their brother, Roger E. Joseph, a man of exceptional personal courage and passionate conviction to principle and justice.