October 21 – December 16 (no class November 25)
Tuesdays, 8 weekly sessions
Instructor: Rabbi Shai Cherry
The Israelite religion found in the Torah is Judaism 1.0. After the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE, a new class of scholars, the Rabbis, led Judaism into its next phase, Judaism 2.0, through a prescient process of literary interpretation known as Midrash. In the Middle Ages, independent philosophical and mystical works were drafted to justify and promote the Rabbinic enterprise.
Two hundred years ago, the traditional Jewish communities of Europe began breaking down as a result of political emancipation and the Jewish enlightenment. The consequent emergence of the modern denominational landscape is Judaism 3.0. Today, we are participating in the birth of Judaism 4.0. What's to salvage, what's to jettison, and where are we headed are our animating questions?
Rabbi Shai Cherry holds a doctorate in Jewish Thought and Theology from Brandeis University (2001) and was subsequently ordained as a Conservative Rabbi by the Ziegler School (2009). Cherry wrote the first user-friendly text book on Jewish biblical commentary: Torah Through Time: Understanding Bible Commentary from the Rabbinic Period to Modern Times and is the featured lecturer for The Great Course's "Introduction to Judaism."
Price: $150; JCC Member Price $120
Register by Phone / More Info: Ilene Tatro, 858.362.1154