Dates: Tuesdays — October 13, October 27, November 24, January 12, February 2, February 23, March 30, April 20 Time: 7:00 – 8:15 pm Mode: In-Person (with Zoom possible, if needed) Faculty: Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members • $108 for General Public
Is Judaism a religion, a culture, a civilization, a nationality — or something that cannot be contained by any one of these categories? Although the question may feel timeless, modern Jews have answered it in dramatically different ways.
Using Leora Batnitzky’s acclaimed book How Judaism Became a Religion as our guide, we will explore how emancipation, modern philosophy, Reform and Orthodox Judaism, Zionism, the Holocaust, and the American Jewish experience transformed the way Jews understood Judaism — and themselves. Along the way, we will encounter influential modern Jewish thinkers and consider how their debates continue to shape Jewish life.
