A virtual class series hosted by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz

ABOUT THE CLASS:

Discover the depth, drama, and enduring wisdom of the Talmud in this inspiring new Valley Beit Midrash 20-part Zoom series with Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz: “20 Talmudic Stories Every Jew Should Know.” Each class brings to life a powerful narrative from the Talmud—stories of courage, curiosity, compassion, conflict, and transformation. Rabbi Yanklowitz will guide participants through the historical context, spiritual meaning, and ethical challenges embedded in each tale, revealing how these ancient narratives still speak urgently to the modern Jewish experience. Whether you’re a seasoned learner or brand new to Talmud study, you’ll find yourself captivated by the richness and relevance of these stories.

More than just storytelling, this series is an invitation to think, question, and grow. Each session will open space for thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and practical takeaways that can elevate daily life, relationships, and spiritual practice. Come connect with a vibrant community of learners, deepen your understanding of Jewish tradition, and be energized by Rabbi Yanklowitz’s uniquely passionate, inclusive, and justice-centered approach to Torah. These are stories that shape who we are—and who we can become. Join us and let them inspire you.

All are held over Zoom every Tuesday at 10am PT (1pm ET).

Cost: $360 for the whole series, free for VBM members

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz is the President & Dean of Valley Beit Midrash.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Dr. Joshua Garroway

Please note event times are listed in PST.

EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Congregation Kol Ami

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Jews have viewed Christians alternatively as friends and as enemies, as partners in salvation and as pitiable idolaters. Why such contrasts? Come learn how Jewish perspectives on Christianity have developed from ancient, to medieval, to modern times. Hopefully, you'll come away some combination of amused, disgusted and inspired!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi Joshua Garroway is the Sol and Arlene Bronstein Professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Raised in Rochester, New York, Rabbi Garroway earned a BA in Religion from Duke University in 1998, rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2003, and a PhD in New Testament Studies from the Religious Studies department of Yale University in 2008. While his academic books and articles focus on the origins of Christianity, and specifically the life and writings of Paul, his teaching and popular writing deal with Jewish texts and history more broadly. Professor Garroway lectures widely in synagogues, churches, and other public venues. He is also engaged in several interfaith ventures, including the Los Angeles area InterSem program and the Jewish-LDS Academic Dialogue. Rabbi Garroway currently lives in Pasadena, California, with his wife, Professor Kristine Henriksen Garroway, and their three teenage boys. For fun, he enjoys chess, tennis, opera, period pieces, and taking his kids to Dodgers games. 

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Marc Gitler

Please note event times are listed in MST

EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Kavod on the Road

ABOUT THE EVENT:

This class will examine the history of sacred Jewish ritual objects sent from Dubrovnik, Croatia  to Yeshiva University for safekeeping during a time of danger, and the story of what happened to them afterward.We will explore questions of ownership, preservation, and responsibility, and consider what it means to safeguard religious treasures.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi Marc Gitler serves as Senior Jewish Educator for Valley Beit Midrash and is the visiting Rabbi of Aish SanDiego. A recipient of the Wexner Fellowship, he was ordained at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. The founder of Fast for Feast, he lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Sarah and their four children.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Aryeh Cohen

Please note event times are listed in PST. 

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Rabbi Aharon Shmuel Tamares is probably the most passionate Jewish voice against nationalism, militarism, and, most of all, war. A prolific writer in the first four decades of the twentieth century, he articulated an opposition to war and violence rooted in a theological vision which saw war as modern idolatry; or in another formulation, war as the service to the idolatry of nationalism. Rev. James Lawson was, according to his friend and colleague Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the foremost theorist of nonviolence in this hemisphere. Lawson's understanding of nonviolence was rooted in his understanding of Christianity and the thought of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the driving force—both theologically and philosophically, and practically—of the training and workshops which led to the Nashville and Memphis movements and whose impact was felt throughout the civil rights movement. He understood nonviolence as a way of life which operated on and impacted the personal, the communal, the national and ultimately international stages. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. needs no introduction. His career, cut short by the politics of assassination, changed the way that Americans viewed political dissent, and the possibility for change in this country. Nonviolence was central to his thought and fueled his demand for justice in the United States, and to curb the violence that the United States was inflicting on other countries. The class will deal with the following questions posed to each of our thinkers: 1. What is the difference between not being violent and nonviolence as a way of life? 2. What is the role of suffering in the nonviolent demand for justice? 3. Are there not "good" wars or at least "just" wars? 4. What are the religious roots of nonviolence or anti-militarism/anti-nationalism? How do Tamares, Lawson, and King differ on this question?

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Aryeh Cohen is Rabbi and Professor of Rabbinic Literature at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, American Jewish University. He serves as Vice-President of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and is a co-convener of the Black Jewish Justice Alliance. He is past-President of the Society of Jewish Ethics and served on the inaugural interfaith advisory board of the Los Angeles District Attorney's office. He is the author of Justice in the City: An Argument from the Sources of Rabbinic Judaism, and has published widely in academic and public forums. He is also a poet.

A virtual event presentation by Dr. Samuel Fleischacker

Please note event times are listed in PST

ABOUT THE EVENT:

We will take a look at some of the religious and political writings of the Israeli chemistry professor, philosopher, Torah-commentator and gadfly, Yeshayahu Leibowitz. Our focus will be Leibowtiz's conception of idolatry:  what idolatry is, for him;  how halakha enables us to struggle against it;  and the special danger it poses when it shows up as nationalism, including Jewish nationalism.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Sam Fleischacker is LAS Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the University of Illinois in Chicago (UIC).  He works on moral and political philosophy, and the philosophy of Judaism. His most recent book is From Idolatry to Holiness:  A Modern Ethical Framework for Understanding Jewish Law (Cambridge, 2026);  previous books include Being Me Being You:  Adam Smith and Empathy (University of Chicago, 2019), The Good and the Good Book (Oxford, 2015) and Divine Teaching and the Way of the World, (Oxford, 2011).  He has also written short pieces for TheTorah.com, including “Hearing God’s Voice” and “Making Sense of Revelation.”  

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi David Jaffe

Please note event times are listed in PST. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi David Jaffe is the Founder and Executive Director of Kirva, a national education and training organization that integrates Mussar and Chassidic wisdom and practice with the work of social change.  He is the author of Changing the World from the Inside Out, winner of the National Jewish Book Award.  

ABOUT THE EVENT:

What is at stake in bridging the growing divide in our North American Jewish community between people who feel strongly connected to the project of Jewish self-determination in our ancient homeland, A.K.A "Zionism" and the growing movement of Diasporism, that decentralizes the role of Jewish statehood in Jewish life.  How might we bridge this divide? We turn to the wisdom of Rabbi Avraham Isaac HaCohen Kook for guidance.