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Join us in Jerusalem July 1 - 5, 2012
Now in its 15th year, the Executive Seminar at Pardes brings together men and women from around the world who wish to combine visiting Israel with the opportunity to study classic Jewish texts and explore their relevance to our lives. Classroom study is complemented by tours throughout Israel, bringing the text to life.
We welcome participants with all levels of previous Jewish study.
The Mishna and its Maker: Rabbi Judah the Prince
Rabbi Judah the Prince made his indelible mark on the Jewish people as the author of the Mishna, the first written compilation of the Oral law. Almost 1900 years ago, living in the aftermath of the Bar-Kochva revolt, after Rome had crushed and decimated the Jewish population in Judea, he helped establish the Galilee as the new center of Jewish life. He played a pivotal role as the undisputed leader of the Jewish people both in the political and spiritual realm. He strengthened their economic and political position in the land of Israel by establishing close personal ties with the Roman emperor Antoninus, dramatically warming relations with Rome. But his major achievement was to spread the knowledge of Torah to all segments of the population. By personal example, through his wisdom, humility, and strict discipline of behavior, he succeeded in revitalizing a people that had been spiritually devastated. This earned him the title "Rabbenu Hakadosh" (our holy teacher) or simply "Rebbe" (the rabbi).
During the seminar, we will examine a variety of rabbinic texts, both legal and homiletical, that will help us to enter the realm of Rabbi Judah the Prince, and to understand the depth of the impact that he had on the development of the Oral law and the proliferation of Jewish knowledge and education.
Topics of Study
Jews and non-Jews: How open should Jews be to non-Jewish society and culture, on both an individual and national level?
Israel and the Diaspora: Does Israel have to set the tone for Jewish peoplehood? Is there room for a relationship between Israel and the Diaspora that is based more on equality than hierarchy?
The Hebrew language: A tool for study, a profound expression of peoplehood or both?
Study of Torah: The realm of the elite or the heritage of every Jew?
The Mishna: Why is there a need for both an Oral Law and a Written Law? Can it still be considered an Oral law once it is compiled and written down?
Special Track! There will be a special track for those interested in doing an in-depth study of Mishna. Every day we will explore a different section of Mishna, using a unique methodology of study that has been developed at Pardes over the past 35 years. Our approach is based on seeing the Mishna not just as a legal code but also as a literary work that tries to flesh out the spirit of the law through its details and multiplicity of opinions.
Touring
As part of the seminar we will be visiting places is that reflect Jewish settlement in the Galilee and Golan during the period of the Mishna and Gemara, including Tzipori and Beit Shearim, the home and burial place of Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi, the archaeological excavations in Beit Shean, the ancient synagogue in Beit Alpha and the Talmudic village in Katzrin.
Click here to see an example itinerary from July 2010.
More Information
For more information, you may fill out our Information Request Form, email:robby@pardes.org.il or call 212 447 4333 (USA) or 02 673 5210 (Israel).
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Dates
July 1 - 5, 2012
Click here to register.
2012 Brochure
Click below to see the 2012 brochure:
Courses
Each day's learning will include Beit Midrash Havruta study, classroom
teaching, and group discussion. No previous Jewish text study is
required.
Mornings will be devoted to the exploration of biblical narratives and
rabbinic sources that reflect on the difficult situations that we must
deal with at so many junctures in our daily lives. Using the Pardes
study method, we will see how our Jewish heritage deals with issues of
importance in our individual lives. Afternoons will offer speakers on
modern historical and current issues related to the Seminar theme.
There will be several special evening programs.
How We Study: Pardes pioneered the renewal of Havruta - the classic
style of rabbinic study - for the contemporary age. Unlike the formal
classroom setting of "frontal teaching," Pardes is alive and vibrant
with the give-and-take between participants. In groups of two's and
three's, you will learn to grapple with the texts, with careful guidance
from Pardes master teachers.
Our learning sessions together are interactive and dynamic, with
participants contributing from their own diverse experience to the study
of the texts of our tradition.
Faculty
The Educational Coordinator of the Seminar this year is Rabbi Meir
Schweiger, who has led many past Seminars. Meir is the mashgiach ruchani
(spiritual guide) of Pardes, and has been a full-time teacher here for the
last 27 years, teaching Chumash, Mishna, Talmud, and Halacha.
Rabbi Daniel Landes, Director and Rosh HaYeshiva, BA (Philosophy) Yeshiva
University; MA (Jewish Philosophy and Talmud) Bernard Revel Graduate School;
Rabbinic Ordination Rabbi Isaac Elhanan Theological Seminary, Yeshiva
University.
Rabbi Landes has been a faculty member of the Simon Wiesenthal Center,
Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, Loyola Law School, prominent think tanks
such as The Rand Corporation and major Jewish educational institutions such
as the Brandeis Bardin Institute and CLAL. He has also been a long term
faculty member for the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the UJCY Young
Leadership and is known for his struggle to create Jewish unity. He has
written widely in the area of social ethics, theology and mysticism and is
the Jewish law commentator for the recent series My People's Prayerbook, a
multi-denominational effort
Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield is the Director of the Pardes Educators Beit Midrash
Program. He holds an M.A. from Harvard in Medieval and Modern Jewish
thought, and received his ordination from Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel. He
was Director of Judaica at the JCC of Cleveland and instructor at the
Cleveland College of Jewish Studies for many years. He also serves as
Director of Education of the Nesiya Institute.
"The seminar surpassed even our highest expectations. Each lecturer was more impressive than the last, the tours were excellent, and getting to know the other participants was a pleasure. We'll be back!"
Debbie and Chaim Abramowitz, Executive Seminar 2007
"A must do week for the serious adult learner - with world class teachers, ancient texts and good old fashioned fun!"
Marlin Barad, Pardes Executive Seminar 2006, 2007
Click here to get a taste of last year's Executive Seminar.
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