Tapestry of Torah

Reward and Punishment in the Shema

Communications — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 16:27:33 +0000

Reward and Punishment in the Shema

Communications Wed, 04/10/2019 - 09:27

Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD

Sol & Anne Distinguished Professor in Philosophy, Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

University Rector, ��ϲ��

Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD is ��ϲ��’s Rector and Sol & Anne Dorff Distinguished Service Professor in Philosophy. He is Chair of the Conservative Movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards and served on the editorial committee of Etz Hayim, the new Torah commentary for the Conservative Movement. He has chaired four scholarly organizations: the Academy of Jewish Philosophy, the Jewish Law Association, the Society of Jewish Ethics, and the Academy of Judaic, Christian, and Islamic Studies. He was elected Honorary President of the Jewish Law Association for the term of 2012-2016. In Spring 1993, he served on the Ethics Committee of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Health Care Task Force. In March 1997 and May 1999, he testified on behalf of the Jewish tradition on the subjects of human cloning and stem cell research before the President's National Bioethics Advisory Commission. In 1999 and 2000 he was part of the Surgeon General’s commission to draft a Call to Action for Responsible Sexual Behavior; and from 2000 to 2002 he served on the National Human Resources Protections Advisory Commission, charged with reviewing and revising the federal guidelines for protecting human subjects in research projects. Rabbi Dorff is also a member of an advisory committee for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History on the social, ethical, and religious implications of their exhibits. He is also a member of the Ethics Advisory Committee for the state of California on stem cell research.

He has been an officer of the FaithTrust Institute, a national organization that produces seminars and educational materials to help people avoid or extricate themselves from domestic violence. For eight years he was also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Federation Council of Los Angeles, chairing its committee on serving the vulnerable. In Los Angeles, he is a Past President of Jewish Family Services and a member of the Ethics committee at U.C.L.A. Medical Center. He serves as Co-Chair of the Priest-Rabbi Dialogue of the Los Angeles Archdiocese and the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Q and A January 2019

Michelle — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 19:06:01 +0000

Q and A January 2019

Michelle Thu, 02/07/2019 - 11:06

by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Abner & Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Vice President, ��ϲ��

Rabbi Dr Bradley Shavit Artson (www.bradartson.com) has long been a passionate advocate for social justice, human dignity, diversity and inclusion. He wrote a book on Jewish teachings on war, peace and nuclear annihilation in the late 80s, became a leading voice advocating for GLBT marriage and ordination in the 90s, and has published and spoken widely on environmental ethics, special needs inclusion, racial and economic justice, cultural and religious dialogue and cooperation, and working for a just and secure peace for Israel and the Middle East. He is particularly interested in theology, ethics, and the integration of science and religion. He supervises the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program and mentors Camp Ramah in California in Ojai and Ramah of Northern California in the Bay Area. He is also dean of the Zacharias Frankel College in Potsdam, Germany, ordaining Conservative rabbis for Europe. A frequent contributor for the Huffington Post and for the Times of Israel, and a public figure Facebook page with over 60,000 likes, he is the author of 12 books and over 250 articles, most recently Renewing the Process of Creation: A Jewish Integration of Science and Spirit. Married to Elana Artson, they are the proud parents of twins, Jacob and Shira. Learn more infomation about Rabbi Artson.

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Listen in as Rabbi Artson and the Ziegler students discuss what it means to study Torah, inheriting Judaism from one’s parents, matrilineal & patrilineal, the role of prayer, ways that human choices alter history (or don’t), what Conservative Judaism can do to energize itself, and questions of gender!

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torah

prayer

Judaism Half Full, Times Two!

Michelle — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 18:55:26 +0000

Judaism Half Full, Times Two!

Michelle Thu, 01/31/2019 - 10:55

by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Abner & Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Vice President, ��ϲ��

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Tapestry of Torah

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Rabbi Artson offers an Opening Address for the new spring semester, enlisting the Ziegler students to resist the false bifurcation of Judaism — either social justice or spiritual depth — and instead to integrate the two into a way of life that is resilient, splendid, and transformative!

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social justice

spirituality

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podcast

Unity, Modesty, Grandeur: King Solomon’s Prayer

Communications — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 23:09:51 +0000

Unity, Modesty, Grandeur: King Solomon’s Prayer

Communications Thu, 09/14/2017 - 16:09

by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Abner & Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Vice President, ��ϲ��

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Tapestry of Torah

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At the climax of a week-long dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem almost 3,000 years ago, King Solomon speaks to the uncontainable divine, greater than any building, to a Jewish people centered on Jerusalem but living everywhere, and to a united human family bigger than any faith or people. Come celebrate a biblical vision of unity and grandeur!

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Drawing Near: Leviticus — Intimacy in Relationship!

Communications — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 23:14:54 +0000

Drawing Near: Leviticus — Intimacy in Relationship!

Communications Wed, 04/05/2017 - 16:14

by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson

Abner & Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

Vice President, ��ϲ��

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Rabbi Artson gave this Sermon on Leviticus at B’nai Jeshurun, the trail blazing congregation in New York City’s Upper West Side. Enjoy these thoughts on how our identity is shaped by those we love and the closeness that makes possible!

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When We Don’t Know Whether To Laugh Or Cry

Communications — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 23:34:13 +0000

When We Don’t Know Whether To Laugh Or Cry

Communications Thu, 10/03/2013 - 16:34

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Unetaneh Tokef Introduction, Rosh Hashanah, 5774 (IKAR)

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The Pursuit of Life: A Halakhic Introduction to Self Defense and the Rodef (pursuer)

Communications — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:37:38 +0000

The Pursuit of Life: A Halakhic Introduction to Self Defense and the Rodef (pursuer)

Communications Wed, 11/21/2012 - 16:37

Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies

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Tapestry of Torah

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Right now out thoughts and prayers are rightly directed towards the East. As Rabbi Artson wrote: “Sending blessings to the people of Israel – those civilians under rocket fire, those soldiers forced into harms way, and to innocent civilians in Palestine now held hostage by the violence of Hamas. May we soon witness the re-establishment of tranquility and safety for all. And may Israel’s neighbors awaken to the reality that security and prosperity can only result from a negotiated peace.” Please also remember that we have ZSRS community in Israel along with other friends and families that can use our support.

On Tuesday at lunch I’d like to gather together (for those who can) to do two things: 1) Pray and sing together a little bit and, 2) Learn some Torah.

You may have seen the term rodef (pursuer) a lot over the past few days. I’d like to take a look at some of the primary sources that deal with this tricky category. I am not, I assure you, going to be making any sweeping statements about courses of action or passing any kind of judgment. I leave that to the experts on the ground and the ethicists they turn to.

But I think it would be useful for those of us who teach Torah to have an idea of how the rodef is utilized in a few of our texts. It will surely not be comprehensive, but only a beginning.

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