Learn

Join us on Tuesdays at 6pm for Limmud Tzedek: The Study of Justice with Rabbi Kasher and Rabbi Brous. All are welcome.

Please note that we will not gather on the 3rd Tuesday of each month, and encourage you to attend our Minyan Tzedek Community Organizing Meeting, for which this class serves as a complement.

Past Classes:

• 1. The Knowledge of Good and Evil. January 26, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 2. The Deepest Truth About Human Beings. February 2, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 3. Violence and Accountability. February 9, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 4. Noah and The Demands of Moral Leadership. February 23, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 5. Morality Outside of God. March 2, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 6. When God Asks for Injustice. March 9, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 7. Passover, The Holiday of Justice. March 23, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 8. Do The Ends Justify the Means? The Ethics of Jacob, Rebekah, and Machiavelli. April 6, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 9. Violence and Vengeance, Retribution and Restoration. April 13, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]

Join us on Wednesday evenings at 6pm for Biblical Poetry with Rabbi Kasher. All are welcome.

Past Classes:

• 1. The Very First Poems. October 28, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 2. Poetry for Times of Political Turmoil. November 4, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 3. Troublingly Triumphant: The Song of the Sea. November 11, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 4. Part 1 – Divine & Devastating Poetry in the Book of Job. November 25, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet 1, source sheet 2]
• 5. Part 2 – Divine & Devastating Poetry in the Book of Job. December 2, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet 1, source sheet 2]
• 6. Part 3 – Divine & Devastating Poetry in the Book of Job: The Behemoth and the Leviathan. December 9, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 7. Ma’oz Tzur: Hardcore Hanukkah Poetry. December 16, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 8. Poetry for a New Year. January 6, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 9. Solomonic Poetry, Part I: The Young Lover. January 13, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 10. Solomonic Poetry, Part II: The Wise King. January 20, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 11. Solomonic Poetry, Part III: The Old Philosopher. January 27, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 12. The Whole Religion in One Psalm. February 3, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 13. The Poetry of the Prophets Part I: Isaiah, Prophet of Hope. February 10, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 14. The Poetry of the Prophets – Part II: Jeremiah, Prophet of Doom. February 17, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 15. The Poetry of the Prophets – Part III: Ezekiel, Prophet of Visions. February 24, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 16. The Beautiful Agony of the Psalms. March 3, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 17. Stairways to Heaven – Psalms 120-134. March 10, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 18. Moshe’s Last Poem. March 17, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• 19. Poetry as a Form of Liberation. March 24, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]

Join us on Thursdays at 12pm for Parsha Study with Rabbi Kasher. All are welcome.

Past Classes:

• Re-Genesis – Parshat Tazria-Metzora. April 15, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Passover in the Parsha – Parshat Tzav. March 25, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Salt of the Heavens – Parshat Vayikra. March 18, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Shadow Knows – Parshat Vayakhel-Pekudei. March 11, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Even Moshe Wore a Mask – Parshat Ki Tisa. March 4, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Face of a Cherub – Parshat Terumah. February 18, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Law as Commentary – Parshat Mishpatim. February 11, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Comings and Goings of Jethro Parshat Yitro. February 4, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Gendered Singing in Parshat Beshalach. January 28, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Firstborn, Reconsidered -Parshat Bo. January 21, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• How Many Pharaohs? January 7, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• A Dream Deferred – Parshat Mikeitz. December 17, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The House That Jake Built – Parshat Vayeishev. December 10, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• I Got Angels All Around Me – Parshat Vayishlach. December 3, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Rise of the Matriarchy – Parshat Toldot. November 19, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Freudian Torah – Parshat Chayei Sarah. November 12, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Connecting the Dots. November 5, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Our Father’s Father. October 29, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• “What’s Wrong With Noah?” October 21, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Parshat Bereshit – Rashi on Genesis 1:1. October 14, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Poetry of Torah, Part 2. September 30, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet 1, source sheet 2]
• The Poetics of Torah. September 23, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Binding of Isaac: A Rosh Hashanah Story. September 16, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• When God Does Teshuvah. September 9, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• A Knowing Heart. September 2, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Remembering Our Greatest Enemy. August 26, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• The Jewish Justice System. August 19, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Intro. August 12, 2020. Watch here. [source sheet]

The IKAR (Essence) of the Haggadah, with Rabbi Kasher:

Passover, the Holiday of Justice, with Rabbi Brous:

Poetry as a Form of Liberation, with Rabbi Kasher:

Hillel Tigay’s Behind the Music: Passover Edition

HAGGADAH SLAM 2021 with IKAR, Temple Beth Am, and B’nai-David Judea Congregation
With a bonus: Full podcast (including breakout sessions) here.

A Bissel Shtisel, Hassidic Thought with Rabbi David Kasher

• Dangerous Torah: The Fiery Waters of the Mei HaShiloah. July 14, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• The Psychological Turn: The Breakaway School of Peshiskha. July 7, 2o20. Watch here. [source]
• Letters Flying Through the Air: Hassidic Readings of the Torah. June 30, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• The Philosopher of Hassidism: Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. June 23, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• The People’s Defense Attorney: Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev. June 9, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Hassidic Approach to Prayer. June 2, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Eat Like a Hassid. May 26, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Danger of the Righteous Man: The Torah of Rabbi Elimelekh of Lizhensk. May 12, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Kabbalistic Foundations of Hassidism. May 5, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Introduction: The Master of the Good Name. April 21, 2020. Listen here. [source]

The Pirkei Avot Collective with Rabbi David Kasher

• The 48 (or 49, or 50) Ways to Torah. July 2, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• The Ethics of Top Ten Lists. June 25, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• Sit Down, Be Humble. June 18, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• A Pessimistic View of Human Nature. June 11, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Jewish Ethics of State Power. June 4, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Enjoy the Silence. May 21, 2020. Listen here. [source 1, source 2]
• The Man Who Loved Torah Too Much. May 14, 2020. Listen here. [source 1, source 2]
• Queer Love in Ancient Israel? May 7, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Ethics of a Heretic. April 30, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Beginning and End of Rabbi Akiva. April 23, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• What Was it About Hillel? April 2, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Good Fences? March 26, 2020. Listen here. [source]

Holiday Bootcamps

• Purim Bootcamp: Misogyny, Anti-Semitism and Intersectionality in the Book of Esther. February 25, 2021. Watch here. [source sheet]
• Yom Kippur Prayer Bootcamp. September 22,  2020. Watch here. [source: Mahzor Lev Shalem]
• Rosh Hashanah Prayer Bootcamp. September 15, 2020. Watch here. [source]

Holy Heresy: The Very Strange Yom Kippur Service with Rabbi David Kasher

• Part III: The Scapegoat. August 31, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• Part II: Enter The Goats. August 24, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• Part I: The Avodah Service. August 17, 2020. Watch here. [source]

Led by Rabbi Sharon Brous.

• On Character. July 1, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• A Life of Meaning. June 24, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• I Have Grown Years in a Matter of Days. June 17, 2020. Watch here. [source]
• Justice, Accountability, and the Sacred Call to Protest. June 10, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Why Did George Floyd Die? And What Would it Mean to Treat All People as an Image of God? June 3, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Shavuot and the real meaning of our freedom. May 20, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Cultivating Resilience Inside the Storm. May 13, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Affliction and the Remedy. May 6, 2020. Listen here. [source] (Due to poor internet connection,
  the audio is a little choppy near the end of this session)
• Prophetic Grief. April 29, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• A World is Dying, What is Being Born? April 22, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• The Most Important Things. April 1, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Expendable. March 25, 2020. Listen here. [source]
• Hannah’s Broken Heart, and Ours. March 18, 2020. Listen here. [source]

Regenerative Change: Compost as Climate Action & Ritual in These Times, with Devorah Brous

Watch Dev Brous’ new TEDx talk on Regenerative Change. Then, buckle down and learn a foolproof method to compost! Sheltering-in-Place affords us a laboratory to up our commitment to the climate, reduce consumption patterns, and transform waste into food for the soil and the soul. Learn composting and deepen into a reciprocal relationship: feed the land that feeds us. Watch here.