NEW DAY 

CLASS NOW MEETS ON WEDNESDAYS

Jewish Values in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Explore different attitudes towards the conflict through a study of Jewish narratives about Israel and the unpacking of the complex meanings of peace in Jewish tradition. 

WEDNESDAYS at 8 PM

Explore one of the most divisive issues affecting the Jewish people today.

Through the study of Jewish narratives about Israel and the unpacking of the complex meanings of peace in Jewish tradition, participants are invited to explore the ideas and values that animate different attitudes toward the conflict and how these values shape their own political understandings. Though a common political platform may not be attainable, this course strives to achieve a shared respect for our differences.

Central Themes of the course: 

• Talking About Israel: Foundations for a Values Discourse
• The Current Discourse: Living with Difference examines the sociological categories of pluralism, tolerance, and deviance
• The Israel We Imagine addresses the most essential narratives and assumptions that the Jewish community holds about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• Jewish Narratives of Peace explores different models of peace within our sources
• Attitudes Towards the Land – Perspectives from Within Israel examines the historical and religious significance of the land in Jewish sources
• Attitudes Towards the Land – Perspectives from Outside the Land
• Justice explores the central meanings and implications of justice within our tradition
• Justice: X Happened…looks at the ways a controversial claim can be addressed in a genuine and morally appropriate manner
• Self-Preservation explores the core moral commitment to self-preservation in Jewish tradition
• Compromise examines the ways in which our tradition views the idea of compromise
• A Light Unto the Nations: The Idea of Exceptionalism

Through these sessions we hope to model an approach to conversations about the conflict in which values and ideas, rather than politics, take center stage.

Taught by Rabbi Michael Jay, Jewish Community Center of Long Beach Island, Spray Beach

Read and Learn some Modern Hebrew – online with Rabbi Robert Rubin

7:30-8:45 PM on Tuesdays, March 9, 16, 30; April 13, 20, 27– for those who know the Hebrew letters and vowels and want to practice reading while learning some modern Hebrew using a modern easy-Hebrew magazine shown on the screen – translation provided 

Wednesday, March 17th 6:30 PM

Want to understand the upcoming parliamentary elections in Israel? How often do they have elections? What are all these parties? Come with your questions and see if we can predict what March 23rd results will be and mean.

Thursday, March 18th 7:00 PM

How many variants of Charoset are there?  An unanswerable question!  Come have fun, discuss, learn and cook because there are an endless number of traditions and practices that go straight to the stomach.