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Join us at AJ for a wonderful weekend of programming with Judy Klitsner!
To RSVP for any or all sessions, click here. You may attend in person, or via Zoom. There is no charge for AJ members. We invite non-members to attend and there is a charge of $18 per person, per event. Each event includes a meal.
EVENTS AND TOPICS
Friday Evening, March 17, during Kabbalat Shabbat followed by Shabbat Dinneer
Begins at 6:15 PM
The Dueling Stories of Noah and Jonah: How Similar Stories Say Opposite Things About Human Transformation
Is it possible for human beings to change? To reveal the Bible’s complex treatment of this question, we will explore
the narratives of Noah and Jonah: two stories that share a remarkable number of themes, words, and details — yet at the same time, present opposing views on the notion of authentic and lasting inner transformation.
Saturday Afternoon, March 18, after morning services
Begins with lunch at 12:30 PM
Session During Lunch:
During lunch, Judy will share her experiences with promoting women’s roles in Orthodox prayer groups.
Session After Lunch: Brothers Crying Out from the Ground: The Biblical Origins of Our Divided Society
For its first human beings, the Bible presents a strife-ridden nuclear family; for its first murder, a fratricide. As we examine several sibling-centered stories in the Book of Genesis, we will draw a line from these narratives to the Jewish people today, noting the enduring theme of fractiousness among “siblings.” In our explorations, we will seek signs of hope for repair.
For those who would like to attend Shabbat morning services, they begin at 9:30 AM.
Sunday Morning, March 19, after morning services
Begins with Brunch at 10:00 AM
The Patriarch and the Priest: Why Do Jewish Leaders Have Non-Jewish Mentors?
What happens when the Bible’s greatest leaders face personal and spiritual crisis? In our textual journeys, we will examine the encounters of troubled “Jewish” leaders with mysterious “non-Jewish” priests, who provide counsel and guidance. Our exploration will consider larger questions about leadership, about chosenness, and about relations between Jews and non-Jews.
For those who would like to attend Sunday morning services, they begin at 9:o0 AM.
Meet Judy Klitsner
Judy Klitsner is a senior lecturer in Bible at Pardes, where she has empowered a generation of students to seek meaning and relevance in the text through a skills-based method of learning. Many of her students now employ her methods in educating adults and children throughout the Jewish world. In her classes, Judy weaves together traditional exegesis, modern scholarship and her own original interpretations that are informed by close readings of the text. A disciple of the great Bible teacher Nehama Leibowitz, Judy is a popular international speaker whose teaching style is accessible, interactive and text-based, and she is particularly fond of uncovering the intertextual link — the “vibrant conversation” that takes place between the Bible’s parallel stories. Judy has taught Bible to Christian and Muslim religious leaders and she has served as a regular visiting lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies.
Judy Klitsner is the author of Subversive Sequels in the Bible: How Biblical Stories Mine and Undermine Each Other. The book, which received a National Jewish book award, is now in its third printing, as part of the Maggid Tanakh Companion series, and has recently been released in Hebrew by Rubin Mass Publishers. Judy is founding board chair of Sacred Spaces, an organization that works
to systemically address abuses of power in Jewish institutions.
You can learn more about Ms. Klitsner at https://judyklitsner.org.
For a sample of Judy Klitsner’s engaging style, please check out her podcast entitled “Beshalach: Poets with Mud on Their Shoes: The Song of the Sea and its Aftermath.”
