The 14 th Annual Spring Lecture Series JEWISH WISDOM FOR LIVING with Rabbi Michael Skobac PROGRAM OUTLINE:
- May 14 – JUDAISM and ISLAM: Understanding the Interface • It is said that Judaism has two ‘daughter’ religions: Christianity and Islam. Jews living in the Western world have a long relationship with the former, but relatively little exposure to Islam. The world has gotten smaller, and with increased immigration, Jewish communities in North America have increasing interactions with the Islamic world. This lecture will present an overview of the history and core features of Islam with a focus on its interface with Judaism.
- May 21 – LONELINESS: A Dire Crisis of the 21st Century • Recent research has revealed that in addition to factors such as stress and lack of sleep, one of the greatest dangers to our wellbeing is loneliness. Governments across the globe are recognizing this and are beginning to address this serious issue. In this lecture, we will explore a Torah perspective on the importance of relationships in our lives and how to deal with the problems of social isolation.
- May 28 – G-D’s 13 ATTRIBUTES OF MERCY: An Analysis • For centuries, Christians have tried to compare what they consider to be the wrathful Deity of the Hebrew Bible to the loving and merciful savior of their scriptures. This, of course, displays a total lack of understanding of the Biblical G-d. In this lecture, we will examine how the Torah, in a critical passage, describes the awesome mercy and lovingkindness of the Almighty.
- June 04 – THE TORAH’S MYSTERIOUS INVERTED LETTER NUN • One of the downsides to studying the Torah in translation is that the unique features of the Hebrew alphabet and language are unavailable. Sometimes, Hebrew letters in Biblical words are written unusually large or small, and these have unique symbolic significance. In the Book of Numbers, 10:35-36, the verses are bracketed by the letter “Nun” written upside down. There is a vast literature that has arisen discussing this anomaly, and in this program, we will discuss some of these ideas.
- June 18 – FEAR OF HEAVEN: A Jewish Perspective • One of the most vital concepts in the Torah is its directive to love G-d. Of course, the relationship is reciprocal, and the Bible often speaks about G-d’s love for us. The Bible also speaks frequently about fearing G-d. Our sages often refer to this as the “fear of Heaven”. Is this fear meant to be similar to our fear of mortal physical danger, or is something else implied? This lecture will take a deep dive into this vital topic.
- June 25 – LIVING A MORE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Five Easy Steps • A wise person once said that the difference between religion and spirituality is like the difference between reading a menu and eating a meal. One of the great challenges facing the Jewish community is the significant number of people who report that they don’t find Jewish life to be very spiritual. There may be many reasons for this, and in this talk, we will be discussing various approaches to bring more meaningful spirituality into our experience of Judaism.
- Six Tuesdays, May 14 – June 25, 2024, (Skip June 11) • 8 PM ET
- Shaarei Tefillah Congregation, 3600 Bathurst St., Toronto, Canada
- Admission is FREE • Attendance either IN-PERSON or via ZOOM
- REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED
- QUESTIONS: info@jewsforjudaism.ca or 416-789-0020 ext 2, cell
TO REGISTER RIGHT NOW!
Please provide the required information in the form below and click “send”.
Your ZOOM Login and Password (good for all 6 sessions) will be emailed to you 2-3 days prior to the start of this lecture series.
Thank you.
And a special thank you goes to Shaarei Tefillah Congregation of Toronto for hosting this important Zoom Program.
TO REGISTER, PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW AND CLICK “SEND”. THANK YOU.
