Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture

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Each Person A Tree: A Short History of a Tall Metaphor

Posted: 02/09/2020

Each Person A Tree: A Short History of a Tall Metaphor

כי האדם עץ השדה - Over the past few years, we have become increasingly aware of the deep and complicated relationship between humans and the environment. The questions recently raised are nothing new, though they burn ever urgently. Following the twists and turns of the interpretation of one Biblical phrase - “are trees of the field human” (Deuteronomy 20:19), we will explore the multivalent wisdom of Torah and its interpretation, as Parshanim struggled to make sense of a difficult verse and a thorny set of real world problems. The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture is sponsored by their grandchildren, Elissa Shay Ordan and Daniel J. Ordan.

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Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture

Posted: 11/04/2019

The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture

Lecture is sponsored by their grandchildren, Elissa Shay Ordan and Daniel J. Ordan Rabbi Menachem Leibtag on Holidays and Theology in the Biblical Calendar: From a 'Holy Land' to a 'Holy People' Many of the practices of the festivals seem odd or out of place. The imagery of being "judged" in Tishrei, the practice of saying ya'ale ve-yavo on holidays and Rosh Hodesh, our counting both days and weeks in the omer - all of these take on new significance in light of the agricultural roots of the Jewish festivals and the biblical calendar. In this lecture, Rabbi Leibtag explores those, in order to better appreciate the way the calendar has evolved together with the world, and yet preserves its eternal sanctity.

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Dr. Shai Secunda

Light against Darkness: The Miraculous Survival of the Holiday of Chanukah

Posted: 12/26/2016

Light against Darkness: The Miraculous Survival of the Holiday of Chanukah

The holiday of Chanuka was one of many celebrations connected to the Hasmoneans, and virtually the only one to have survived antiquity. How can we explain the curious survival of Chanuka – a holiday that celebrates the re-dedication of a temple later destroyed? Why did Chanuka's flickering lights continue to outshine the darkness?

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Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Guiding Lights: Illuminating the Distinctions of the Chanukiah and the Menorah

Posted: 12/02/2015

Guiding Lights: Illuminating the Distinctions of the Chanukiah and the Menorah

Does the ‘chanukiah’ simply model the Menorah of the Mishkan -with an extra candle? Our session will begin by comparing the ‘Menorah’ to the other vessels of the Mishkan, in an attempt to better understand what it symbolizes. Afterward, we will turn to the prophet Chagai and the book of Macabees to appreciate why the Menorah became the national symbol of the Second Temple period – which will shed light on our Rabbinic tradition of lighting a ‘chanukiah’ on Chanukah.

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Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

The Prophet Who Stole Chanukah: The Biblical Roots of a Rabbinic Holiday

Posted: 12/15/2014

The Prophet Who Stole Chanukah: The Biblical Roots of a Rabbinic Holiday

An exploration of the similarities and differences between Chanukah and the winter holidays of other faiths. Part of The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture Series.

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Judy Klitsner

Joseph’s Temptations and Channukah: Delivering the Powerful into the Hands of the Weak

Posted: 28/08/2015

Joseph’s Temptations and Channukah: Delivering the Powerful into the Hands of the Weak

How is sibling rivalry reflected in the story of Channukah? Part of The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture Series.

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Jonathan Sarna

Assimilationists or Maccabees? Historical Confrontations Between Jewish Laws and Individual Rights in Post-Revolutionary America

Posted: 28/07/2016

Assimilationists or Maccabees? Historical Confrontations Between Jewish Laws and Individual Rights in Post-Revolutionary America

How did the Jews of early America begin to grapple with the implications of freedom and democracy on Jewish life? Part of The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture Series.

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Leon Kass

The Ten Commandments: Principles of a Humanistic Practice

Posted: 07/07/2015

The Ten Commandments: Principles of a Humanistic Practice

The ten commandments frame a finely-tuned dynamic between human beings and God. How is this illustrated? Part of The Renee and Alexander Bohm Memorial Lecture Series.

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Dr. Shmuel Wygoda

Voices of Our Fathers: The Patriarchs and Today’s Challenge of Prayer

Posted: 21/04/2017

Voices of Our Fathers: The Patriarchs and Today’s Challenge of Prayer

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Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Can Sacrifice Atone a Sin: The Biblical Connection Between “Rite” and “Wrongs”

Posted: 14/11/2015

Can Sacrifice Atone a Sin: The Biblical Connection Between “Rite” and “Wrongs”

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Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Centrality of Aleinu on Rosh Hashana: A Biblical Perspective on the Concept of Malchiot in Musaf

Posted: 14/11/2015

Centrality of Aleinu on Rosh Hashana: A Biblical Perspective on the Concept of Malchiot in Musaf

Malchiot, declaring God's Kingdom, emerges as one of the central themes of our prayers on Rosh Hashana. We will begin by tracing the concept of malchiot in the Bible and its relation to the Covenant between God and His People. We will then study the malchiot section of musaf, which is introduced by Aleinu Leshabayach.

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Hindy Najman