Jewish Ideas to Change the World

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe!       Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:  •  Website:   https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org  •  Donate:   https://www.valleybeitmidra...

Enjoy the twenty third session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Prioritizing the Poor vs. Equity Toward all Parties In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for...

A virtual presentation by Jonnie Schnytzer ABOUT THE EVENT: Chassidic masters created a Jewish revolution, which rekindled a mass of souls that were on the verge of burning out. They chose stories & melodies over the study-hall. In this series we feel the power & charm of the Chassidic stories, as well as learn how these brought God and His Torah not only to the learned, but also to the lo...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe!       Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:  •  Website:   https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org  •  Donate:   https://www.valleybeitmidra...

A virtual event presentation by Professor Paul Franks ABOUT THE EVENT: What is the legacy of German Judaism, and what can it still offer us today? German Judaism began with Moses Mendelssohn’s controversial German translation of the Humash in 1783, and ended with the Nazi pogrom of November 1938. The best known slogan of the Torah-true wing of German Judaism is “Torah im derekh erets” (“Torah with...

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen ABOUT THE EVENT: By any measure (except the rawest type of vengeance) our carceral system is broken. In this class we will take a look at a Rabbinic understanding of justice which is not punishment centered, but rather center’s the victim’s experience and looks at the threeway relationship between victim/survivor, offender, and society as the b...

Enjoy the twenty second session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Auschwitz vs. Sinai: Which is the More Central Jewish Narrative Today? In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowi...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe!       Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:  •  Website:   https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org  •  Donate:   https://www.valleybeitmidra...

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig ABOUT THE EVENT: In this class we will be looking at the different attitudes within Jewish law towards the possibility of abortion. ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rav Yoni Rosensweig is the Rabbi of the Netzach Menashe community in Beit Shemesh, a teacher in Midreshet Linenbaum, and author of several books. -- DONATE: www.bit.ly/1NmpbsP​​​​​​​ For podcasts...

Enjoy the twenty first session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Capital Punishment vs. The Death Penalty In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for about 20-30...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe!       Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:  •  Website:   https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org  •  Donate:   https://www.valleybeitmidra...

Enjoy the twentieth session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Heaven vs. Earth In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for about 20-30 minutes and then the remai...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe!       Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midrash:  •  Website:   https://www.valleybeitmidrash.org  •  Donate:   https://www.valleybeitmidra...

ABOUT THE EVENT: This event will cover the Tree of Life shooting and how the historically Jewish community of Squirrel Hill embodied resilience in the aftermath ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Mark Oppenheimer directs the Yale Journalism Initiative and is a lecturer in Yale’s English department, political science department, and Divinity Schools. He received his B.A. and his Ph. D. in religious studies from Ya...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowtiz (President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash) explores social justice in the weekly parsha (Torah portion). This podcast series is now available as its own podcast channel titled "Social Justice in the Parsha." Make sure to subscribe! This week's parsha was generously sponsored by the Isaacson's in honor of a beloved family member. Stay Connected with Valley Beit Midras...

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz interviews Deepak Bhargava ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Deepak Bhargava is currently a Distinguished Lecturer at the City University of New York’s School of Labor and Urban Studies and a Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. He’s a lifelong activist, organizer and campaigner who ran Community Change, one of the country’s premier support centers for grassroots groups in low-income co...

Enjoy the nineteenth session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Israel vs. the Diaspora In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for about 20-30 minutes and then t...

ABOUT THE EVENT: While the secular world may respect the elderly out of politeness or as a moral obligation, in Judaism, the Torah teaches us that we must observe the mitzvah of respecting the elderly. What does that entail? Join us to find out! ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Sharona made aliya in August 2004 from Riverdale, NY. She has a BA in Judaic Studies and an MS in Jewish Education from Yeshiva Univers...

ABOUT THE EVENT: Combining insights from thousands of years of traditional Jewish wisdom and contemporary literature on spirituality with her own utterly relatable first-person storytelling, author Dasee Berkowitz helps readers embrace every moment with their families while leaning into the challenges of parenting with renewed perspective and enthusiasm. This is not a parenting how-to book. Instea...

Enjoy the eighteenth session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: Pro-life vs. Pro-choice In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for about 20-30 minutes and then t...

Enjoy the seventeenth session of Valley Beit Midrash's "The 40 Greatest Debates in Jewish History!" series. (1 per week for 40 weeks). Topic: What is Greater: Learning or Action? In this class, we will explore the 40 greatest debates in Jewish history. We will study texts, reflect on the historical contexts, and discuss the values involved. Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz will present for about 20-30 minu...

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rabbi Norman Solomon was born in Cardiff, South Wales, on 31 May 1933. This coincided with the Jewish festival of Shavuot and with the running of the Derby, won by Tommy Weston on Lord Derby’s Hyperion. The first of these events was by far the more influential on my development, for the festival celebrates not only the First-Fruits but the proclamation of the Ten Commandments at...

ABOUT THE EVENT: Bring a laptop (or pen and paper), and an open view of yourself. Confidentiality assured. The purpose of this workshop is to bring all the lofty concepts of Teshuva down to earth, and down to each of us and our own life. Join me as we spend about 45 minutes in a guided introspective writing exercise to do some critical stock-taking so we can move forward to change. ABOUT THE SPEAK...

ABOUT THE EVENT: This event will cover the discussion of “But really, what is antisemitism? Is there antisemitism at my university? If so, what can I do about it?” ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rachel Underweiser conducted a research study through the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University called “The Perception of Antisemitism on College Campuses in the U.S. and the U.K,” which has become the...

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Rabbi Gideon Sylvester serves as the British United Synagogue’s rabbi in Israel. He has taught Jewish approaches to Human Rights to Israelis studying at the Hebrew University and rabbinic students from the Diaspora. Before that he served as an Adviser at the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel. He is currently writing his doctorate about Settlers involved in religious peacebu...