Valley Beit Midrash

Abby Stein, an activist, speaker, and author, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity" before an audience at Temple Solel (www.templesolel.org/) in Paradise Valley, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: The story of a girl, raised as a boy in the Hasidic world, ordained as a Rabbi, then left and came out as a Trans-Women. This session will explore the intersecting worlds of the Hasidic Community, Education, arranged marriages in today’s America, LGBTQ issues, and the story of the first Ex-Hasidic Transgender support group. Abby will share her story via pictures, videos, some texts, and a lot of storytelling. DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP 
LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit:
 www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/
 www.facebook.com/cbiaz 
twitter.com/VBMTorah
 www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Ilana Kurshan, the author of "If All the Seas Were Ink" on the topic of "Daf Yomi - A Page of Talmud A Day!" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2kLbZpM For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz

Abby Stein, an activist, speaker, and author, presents her Valley Beit Midrash lecture "The Intersectionality of Gender and Jewish Identity" before an audience at Congregation Beth Israel (www.cbiaz.org/) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: For generations, many Jews saw gender within Judaism as black and white, male and female, with no place for fluidity. Until today, ultra-Orthodox communities ignore the existence of gender diversity within Jewish tradition. However, Judaism is rich and full with gender diversity. This session will explore different approaches within primary Jewish texts, from the creation story, the several genders of the Talmud, to transgender theory within Kabbalah, with real-life examples. It will also include a hands-on guide to creating queer-friendly rituals! DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP 
LEARNING MATERIALS: Forthcoming For more info, please visit:
www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/
www.facebook.com/cbiaz
twitter.com/VBMTorah
www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Jonathan D. Sarna, Joseph H. and Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History at Brandeis University on the topic of "The Rise of Anti-Semitism in America." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz

Professor Rachel Rubinstein, professor of American literature and Jewish studies at Hampshire College, presents her lecture "Contextualizing Antisemitism on College Campuses" before an audience at Congregation Or Tzion (www.congregationortzion.org) in Scottsdale, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: How did Jewish immigrants to the United States imagine themselves at home in their new country? How did Jews identify with “America”? The figure of the imaginary Indian has long functioned in the American cultural imagination as an object both of vilification and romantic longing, frequently in relation to governmental policies towards actual Native tribes and communities. It is not surprising then that the figure of the American Indian loomed large in the Jewish imagination as well. This lecture describes a long and varied history of Jewish immigrant fascination with the indigenous peoples of the Americas, seeing in them a mirror for Jews’ own anxieties about tribal and national belonging. Ranging across multiple languages,

Professor Rachel Rubinstein, professor of American literature and Jewish studies at Hampshire College, presents her lecture "Contextualizing Antisemitism on College Campuses" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: Antisemitism is experiencing a resurgence worldwide and in the U.S. But what are Jewish students experiencing on American college campuses? This lecture provides an historical context for antisemitism on both the political right and left, and describes the often confusing political environment of many college campuses, in which antisemitic attitudes can take root. Antisemitism on college campuses can be related to debates about Israel, but is as frequently tied to conflicts around class, race, and religious observance. Once we understand what informs campus antisemitism, what are some effective strategies for combating it? For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.face

Rabbi Amitai Fraiman, director of The Z3 Project (https://z3conference.org/) Zack Bodner, CEO of the Palo Alto JCC (https://www.paloaltojcc.org/) present an excerpt from their presentation "Zionism 3.0. What Is It, and Why Is It Important?" before an audience at Temple Chai (www.templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: presentation and community conversation about the future of the relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. In this session, we will discuss the need to evolve our Zionist consciousness and the role Israel plays in our communal and personal identities. For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library.

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor David Kertzer, the Dupee University Professor of Social Science at Brown University and a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, on the topic of "The Pope and Jews." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Dr. Erica Brown, director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University (http://www.ericabrown.com/) presented her roundtable learning session "Where Have All The Leaders Gone" before Valley Beit Midrash's opening event in Sept. 2019. LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2kwyzlV ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of twelve books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality; her forthcoming commentary is The Book of Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Koren/OU). She has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Tablet and The Jewish Review of Books and wrote a monthly column for the New York Jewish Week. She has blogged for Psychology Today, Newsweek/Washington Post’s “On Faith” and JTA and tweets

Dr. Erica Brown, director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University (http://www.ericabrown.com/) presented the first annual Sherman Minkoff Memorial Lecture titled "Time to Change? Jewish Identity for the 21st Century," the opening event of Valley Beit Midrash's 2019-2020 Jaburg-Wilk Learning Season LEARNING MATERIALS: https://bit.ly/2kHSY7x ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Dr. Erica Brown is an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University and the director of its Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership. She is the author of twelve books on leadership, the Hebrew Bible and spirituality; her forthcoming commentary is The Book of Esther: Power, Fate and Fragility in Exile (Koren/OU). She has been published in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Tablet and The Jewish Review of Books and wrote a monthly column for the New York Jewish Week. She has blogged for Psy

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Alice Shalvi, a renowned activist and educator, on the topic of "How Has the Status of Women Changed in Israeli Society in 70 years?" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Dr. Daniel Gordis, Senior Vice President and Koret Distinguished Fellow at Shalem College (https://shalem.ac.il/en/) on the topic of "The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." Dr. Gordis is also the author of the new book "We Stand Divided: The Rift Between American Jews & Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP BUY THE BOOK: https://amzn.to/2kAB4mY For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (http://www.rabbishmuly.com/) presents a special teaching "False Prophets in our Midst Today!" This teaching was facilitated by My Jewish Learning (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/). https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz http://www.RabbiShmuly.com

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Steve Greenberg, Founding Director of Eshel (http://www.eshelonline.org) on the topic of "Orthodox Same-Sex Marriage." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Jonah Pesner, the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (https://rac.org/) on the topic of "Jewish Social Justice at the RAC." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Professor Laurie Zoloth, Margaret E. Burton Professor of Religion and Ethics in the Divinity School and the Senior Advisor to the Provost for Programs on Social Ethics at the University of Chicago, on the topic of "Jewish Medical Ethics." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash

Rabbi Garth Silberstein (https://kitcsacramento.org/rabbi/), the founder and director of the Organic Yeshiva, presents his lecture, " The Mitzvah of Tokhecha (Reproof) and the Ethics of Protest" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS SPEAKER: Rabbi Garth Silberstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah in 2016. Previously he had also studied at the Pardes Institute for Jewish studies, and received a BA in acting and biology from Bennington College in Vermont. While a student, Rabbi Silberstein interned at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale-The Bayit, Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh in Portland, Maine, Congregation Kadimah-Toras Moshe in Boston, and Hazon. Prior to beginning his rabbinic training, Rabbi Silberstein lived in New York and worked in the theatre and in non-profit management for several years. A native of Davis, California, Rabbi Silberstein is an out-door enthusiast, and has led Hazon’s Cross-USA bike ride twice. In 2014, Rabbi Silberst

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Arik Ascherman, Founder & Director of Torat Tzedek-Torah of Justice" on the topic of "Spiritual Activism for Human Rights in Israel." DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz, President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash interviews Rabbi Dr. Alan Brill, Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, on the topic of "Teaching Judaism in Indonesia" DONATE: http://www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP For podcasts of VBM lectures, GO HERE: https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org/learning-library https://www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash https://www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz (www.rabbishmuly.com), the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash, presents his lecture, "Are Jewish Law & Jewish Values Separate Philosophical Systems?" before an audience at Temple Chai (templechai.com/) in Phoenix, AZ. ABOUT THIS LECTURE: In this class session, Rabbi Shmuly will examine texts that explore the relationship between law and values. Are values built into the law or separate? Is following the law enough? DONATE: bit.ly/1NmpbsP For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/valleybeitmidrash/ www.facebook.com/temple.chai twitter.com/VBMTorah www.facebook.com/RabbiShmulyYanklowitz/ Music: "They Say" by WowaMusik, a public domain track from the YouTube Audio Library