After a long hiatus, we're thrilled to be able to bring live Pardes Torah to campuses, communities, alumni and friends! Please fill out this form to indicate your interest in learning and (re)connecting with beloved master teacher Rav Rahel Berkovits. We'll send you the relevant updated info as it becomes available.
About Rahel:
https://www.pardes.org.il/faculty/rahel-berkovits/DATES:
Boston Area: October 31-Nov 1
NY/NJ Area: Nov 2-10
Session topics include:
SEXUALITY AND SANCTITY: CONSENT AND INDIVIDUAL AUTONOMY THROUGH A JEWISH TEXTUAL LENS
What does Judaism have to say about issues surrounding consent in sexual acts? Must one consent to each individual sex act? How does my personal individual desire for pleasure in a certain manner affect my partner? What does tradition say about intercourse while drunk or when the partners are fighting? What values and challenges can the rabbinic texts impart for us living with the modern sexual norms of the twenty-first century? In this class we will examine, analyze and openly discuss rabbinic texts from the Torah and Talmud through to the modern responsa on issues related to sexual intercourse. The class aims to be a safe space for students of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and practices.
DARKHEI SHALOM (WAYS OF PEACE): THE PATH TO BUILDING COMMUNITY
How important is it to compromise the letter of the law for the sake of peace amongst people? Whom do the Rabbis consider to be part of an average Jew’s concentric community? How are people who are disabled, poor, or not Jewish viewed? Which areas in life do the Rabbis feel cause the most fighting and unrest in communities? (Don’t be surprised when the Synagogue tops the list!) How do I not compromise my personal identity when interacting with people who are different than myself? To answer these questions and more we will analyze the literary and meta-thematic structures of the Mishnayot in Tractate Gittim which deal with the laws of Darkhei Shalom - pathways to peace.
CHALLENGES TO THE BINARY: GENDER QUEER AND JUDAISM
Judaism has always had a more expansive sense of gender than the modern binary. What do traditional Jewish texts have to say about transgender and gender non-conforming individuals? This session is a serious text study of sources from the Talmud to modern legal rabbinic literature examining ancient models of gender which are still relevant for today. The classroom will be a safe space for students of diverse backgrounds, orientations, and practices.
MESSAGES FROM THE MISHNAH: ON TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND THE STUDY OF TORAH IN A (LIVE!) GROUP SETTING
While Pirkei Avot opens with a description of the Torah being passed down through the zugot (pairs) of the Taanaim, it is only in its second chapter where we meet Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, the first teacher presented as having a group of students. Join us as we analyze the meta-themes and ideas of these mishnayot from a literary perspective about learning in groups of diverse people and students as we transition back into learning and living Torah in-person together in a continually polarized and divided world.
Please note: Rahel's availability is limited and due to COVID-related guidelines, participation in events will be capped. In-person events are open to those who are fully vaccinated, and masks are required indoors.
We will be in touch via email to coordinate meet-ups.
Looking forward,
Amira Mintz-Morgenthau
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF NORTH AMERICAN ENGAGEMENT
amira@pardes.org