A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Sid Schwarz

About The Event:

America is suffering from a spiritual “deficit”. It has been made worse by social media, ideological polarization, and an erosion of key parts of the American ethos. Rabbi Sid has been at the forefront of the synagogue transformation movement ever since the publication of his groundbreaking book, Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (2000). This talk will offer a formula for turning synagogues into “covenantal communities” that can be transformational for individuals and for society.

About The Speaker:

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a social entrepreneur, author, and teacher. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Adamah: People, Planet, Purpose (formerly, Hazon). Rabbi Sid directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program that trains rabbis to be visionary spiritual leaders. He also created and directs the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network, which is identifying, convening, and building the capacity of emerging spiritual communities across the country. Rabbi Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years. Its work centered on integrating Jewish learning, Jewish values, and social responsibility. He is also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD, where he continues to teach and lead services. Sid was awarded the prestigious Covenant Award for his pioneering work in the field of Jewish education and was named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America. Sid’s most recent book is Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights, 2013). His book, Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (2000), is one of the seminal works in the field of synagogue transformation.

A virtual event presentation by David Shyovitz

About The Event:
Classical Jewish texts are chock-full of demons, monsters, incantations, and other occult and fantastical contents. But these elements are often treated dismissively or deemed embarrassing or “superstitious” — when they are even acknowledged at all. In this session, we will analyze a cryptic series of texts about the monstrous “Children of Cain” and explore the profound spiritual lessons Jewish authors have drawn from them — lessons that remain relevant today.

About The Speaker:
David Shyovitz is Associate Professor of Jewish History at Northwestern University and Director of NU’s Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies. He is the author of the award-winning A Remembrance of His Wonders: Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz.

A virtual event presentation by Michael Fishbane

About The Event:

Primacies begins with the assertion that our earliest preverbal experiences are accompanied by a primary language—tears, cries, and laughter—offered long before we learn our ordinary languages. In this virtual book talk, Michael Fishbane explores how ancient, medieval, and modern literature and poetry express and transform these primal sensations into powerful articulations of sorrow, joy, and fulfillment. Building on his theological work in Sacred Attunement and Fragile Finitude, Fishbane presents a radically new lived hermeneutics that reimagines the relationship between experience and language.

About The Speaker:

Dr. Michael Fishbane is the Nathan Cummings Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish Studies, emeritus, at the University of Chicago. The author of numerous books on the Hebrew Bible and Jewish Thought, his writings cover the entire span of Jewish thought and theology, from antiquity to the present. Among his major interests is the history of Jewish Bible interpretation and Jewish theology over the centuries. Chief among these publications is his book: Biblical Interpretation in Ancient Israel (Oxford University Press, 1985), Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking (Oxford University Press, 2003); and Piyyut: Midrashic Epic and the Poetics of Tradition (Oxford University Press, 2026). Fishbane has also written many works for the Jewish community and the public at large. Among these is his Song of Songs: A Commentary (Jewish Publication Society, 2015). Fishbane has also written books in the area of contemporary Jewish theology. These include Sacred Attunement. A Jewish Theology (University of Chicago Press, 2008); Fragile Finitude: A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology (University of Chicago Press, 2021); and Primacies: Experience, Expression, and the Jewish Religious Imagination (University of Chicago Press, 2024). Among many awards, he has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Foundation of Jewish Culture. Michael Fishbane is a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research and The American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Marc Gitler and Austin Swafford

About The Event:

When we study Torah, are we uncovering truths that have always existed—waiting to be discovered like treasures buried in ancient text? Or are we active creators, bringing new meaning into the world through our interpretations and questions? Join Rabbi Marc Gitler and Dr. Austin Swafford for a dynamic Beit Midrash-style lecture exploring this fundamental tension in Jewish learning.

Through collaborative text study and guided discussion, we'll examine classical and contemporary Jewish sources that grapple with the nature of Torah study itself. Is meaning inherent in the words on the page, or does it emerge from the community gathered around them? What does our answer mean for how we approach tradition, authority, and our own role as learners?

This is not a lecture—it's a conversation. Bring your questions, your insights, and your curiosity as we learn together in the spirit of Shavuot, the festival celebrating the giving of Torah and our ongoing relationship with sacred text.

About The Speakers:

Marc Gitler is the visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.

Dr. Austin Swafford is a Denver-based scientist and Jewish educator who leads weekly study groups at Congregation Rodef Shalom exploring Jewish texts, ethics, and contemporary life. He cares deeply about strengthening communities through serious learning, thoughtful dialogue, and justice-oriented engagement. 

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum and Rabbi Douglas Kohn

About The Event:

In his clarion call for ethical behavior, Rabbi Hillel tells us, “In a place where there is no humanity, strive to be human.” But what exactly does it mean to be human, especially in an age of rapid transformation? Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges confronts this question with boldness, hope, and a foundation of Jewish wisdom. The volume begins with “Challenges from Within Us,” addressing such topics as moral justice, belonging, queer theology, and good and evil. In part two, “Challenges from Beyond Us,” the authors delve into artificial intelligence, robotics, reproductive technologies, and the animal-human relationship. The result is a profound conversation about Jewish values and human dignity in our evolving landscape.

About The Speakers:

Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum, DMin, BCC-PCHAC (HUC-JIR 2000), serves as the inpatient palliative care chaplain and as a member of the Ethics Committee at Yale New Haven Hospital. She is a faculty member of FASPE (Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) and has served on the CCAR Board of Trustees, the CCAR National Ethics Taskforce, and currently the CCAR Press Council. She has written chapters for The Sacred Struggle: Jewish Responses to Trauma (CCAR Press, 2025) and Fragile Dialogue: New Voices of Liberal Zionism (CCAR Press, 2018) and is the coeditor with Rabbi Douglas Kohn of Striving to Be Human: Jewish Perspectives on Twenty-First-Century Challenges. She frequently teaches and presents on spirituality, serious illness, and medical ethics.

Rabbi Douglas Kohn serves Temple Beth Jacob in Newburgh, New York, having previously served congregations in Buffalo, Baltimore, Chicago, and Southern California, and is happily busy in all aspects of congregational and community endeavors. In addition to coediting Striving to Be Human with Rabbi Leah Cohen Tenenbaum, he is the editor of two other volumes, Life, Faith, and Cancer: Jewish Journeys Through Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery (URJ Press, 2008) and Broken Fragments: Jewish Experiences of Alzheimer’s Disease Through Diagnosis, Adaptation, and Moving On (URJ Press, 2012), and has written and spoken widely on the themes of illness, medical ethics, and being human. Rabbi Kohn has served on numerous CCAR, URJ, and communal commissions, committees, and boards, while still savoring time to read, write, and paint, as well as exercise, cook, and travel with his wife, Cindy, and their children and grandchildren.

Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz sits down with comedian Benji Lovitt. 

Comedian Benji Lovitt brings a unique and uplifting presentation that blends humor with insight. In this fun and educational presentation, Benji Lovitt explores how Israelis have always turned to humor during even the darkest times, not to be insensitive, but as a coping mechanism. People often say that Hamas celebrates death and Jews celebrate life, but what does that really mean? Through standup, TV/Youtube videos, social media clips, and more, we’ll discover a perspective that’s both hilarious and therapeutic, a morale boost that gives people “permission to laugh”.

An event presentation by Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff

About The Event:

In celebration of Lag Ba’Omer, a day of celebration, music, and weddings, an engaging learning session co-facilitated by Moishe Steigmann – The Mindful Rabbi, and Rabbi Noah Chertkoff, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Shalom.

About The Speakers:

Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, writings, and workshops, he continues to influence and lead the conversation on mindful living within and beyond the Jewish community. He also speaks, hosts livestream conversations, and offers Jewish Life Coaching and organizational consultation. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Rabbi Steigmann is a proud father of two children, loves sports, is passionate about living gratefully, and enjoys almost all puzzles and games. 

Rabbi Noah Chertkoff joined Congregation Shalom after three years as the Assistant, then Associate Rabbi of Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El in Plantation Florida. A native of Toronto, Canada, he graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. He received his Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion on May 31, 2008 from the Cincinnati campus. Before entering rabbinical school, Rabbi Chertkoff worked at Seeds of Peace International Camp which is dedicated to empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence, served as a Special Assistant to a Federal Cabinet Minister in the Canadian Government and worked as the National Social Action Coordinator for the Canadian Council for Reform Judaism.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Moishe Steigmann

About The Event:

The rabbis once made a bold, audacious choice that changed the course of Jewish history and saved Judaism. In this class, we’ll trace that pivotal moment and discover how their courage and ingenuity can still guide and inspire us today.

About The Speaker:

Moishe Steigmann, The Mindful Rabbi, is the founder and director of Own Your Judaism and is the director of Ohel Ayalah. He seamlessly blends ancient Jewish wisdom with contemporary mindfulness practices. Through his teachings, writings, and workshops, he continues to influence and lead the conversation on mindful living within and beyond the Jewish community. He also speaks, hosts livestream conversations, and offers Jewish Life Coaching and organizational consultation. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Rabbi Steigmann is a proud father of two children, loves sports, is passionate about living gratefully, and enjoys almost all puzzles and games.

A hybrid event presentation with Rabbi Ed Feinstein

About The Event:

Over 2,000 years of the Jewish diaspora, no place has welcomed us and offered us more opportunities and freedom than America. And in turn, we offered America the gifts of our cultural genius. As we prepare to celebrate the 250th year of America, let’s look back at the wonders of American Jewish life.

Source Sheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1za3Tdn6NIZYgw-ToxzTo9ZFdwgPltCvG/view?usp=sharing

About The Speaker:

Rabbi Feinstein serves the Valley Beth Shalom community as a teacher, pastor, and visionary leader. He also serves on the faculty of the Ziegler Rabbinical School of the American Jewish University, the Wexner Heritage Program, and the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and lectures widely across the United States. He is the author of several books, including: Tough Questions Jews Ask – A Young Adult’s Guide to Building a Jewish Life, (Jewish Lights, 2003), Jews and Judaism in the Twenty-First Century: Human Responsibility, the Presence of God and the Future of the Covenant (Jewish Lights, 2007), Capturing the Moon (Behrman House, 2008) and most recently, Chutzpah Imperative! – Empowering Today’s Jews for a Life that Matters (Jewish Lights, 2014). 

Rabbi Feinstein was raised in the back of his parents’ bakery on the frontiers of the West San Fernando Valley. He graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of Judaism, Columbia University Teachers College, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he was ordained a rabbi in 1981. Most recently, he received his Doctorate in Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York for his dissertation: Rabbi Harold Schulweis and the Reinvention of the American Rabbinate. 

An engaging lecturer and storyteller, Rabbi Feinstein unites the ancient Jewish love of ideas with the warmth of Jewish humor.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler

About The Event:
In this class, we’ll explore the complex reality the Israelites faced after leaving Egypt, when liberation gave way to uncertainty in the wilderness. Drawing on the biblical narrative of their journey through the desert, the class examines how sudden freedom can be disorienting—marked by fear, lack of direction, nostalgia, and the struggle to build a new identity.

About The Speaker:

Marc Gitler is the Senior Jewish Educator at Valley Beit Midrash and visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Sarah, and their four children.