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L.I.F.E Lecture - JTS Evening of Learning: Racial Justice and Jewish Values

Sunday, May 2, 2021 • 20 Iyyar 5781

6:30 PM - 9:15 PM

Last summer’s widespread demonstrations responding to police violence against people of color reminded us that there is much work to be done in our country toward creating a just society. Join JTS scholars to explore how Jewish texts and tradition enrich our understanding of and response to racial injustice.

Re-examining the classic writings of Abraham Joshua Heschel and bringing Jewish perspectives to contemporary debates surrounding reparations and reproductive justice, we will discover the wisdom Jewish sources offer for reflection on questions of race. We will also discuss how JTS has been addressing racial justice internally as a model for other institutions.

Program Schedule

  • 6:30–6:40 PM  Opening Remarks by Rabbi Julia Andelman, Director of Community Engagement, JTS and Rabbi Aaron Alexander and Rabbi Sarah Krinsky, Adas Israel Congregation, Washington, DC 
  • 6:45–7:35 PM Study Session I (choose from one of the three sessions listed below) 
  • 7:45–8:35 PM Study Session II (choose from one of the three sessions listed below
  • 8:40-9:15 PM Closing Session: Turning Study into Action with Rabbi Stephanie Ruskay, Associate Dean of The Rabbinical School, and Kendell Pinkney, Rabbinical Student, JTS 

Study Sessions

  1. Jewish Perspectives on Racism and Reparations with Dr. Yonatan Brafman, Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought and Ethics, JTS 
  2. Race, Reproduction, and Jewish Ethics with Dr. Michal Raucher, JTS Fellow and Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies, Rutgers University 
  3. Abraham Joshua Heschel: A Prophetic Voice Against Racism with Rabbi Gordon Tucker, Vice Chancellor of Religious Life and Engagement, JTS 

Register at www.jtsa.edu/evening-of-learning-2021.

Free of charge for B'nai Israel members (use code "partner" when registering), $25/person (general public)

Please contact Tani Schwartz-Herman at 212-678-8996 or tanischwartz@jtsa.edu for additional information. 

This program is hosted by the Greater Washington community and is open to all.

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