A virtual event presentation by Dr. Sarah Imhoff

Please note event times are listed in MT. 

ABOUT THE EVENT:

What happens when we rethink American Jewish thought through the voices of women? This class explores the ideas, writings, and contributions of women who have shaped American Jewish life and thought, from philosophers and scholars to activists, educators, and communal leaders such as Henrietta Szold. Together, we’ll expand our understanding of what counts as “Jewish thought” and consider how these women’s perspectives have shaped American Judaism.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Sarah Imhoff is Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Chair in the Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University. She is author of Masculinity and the Making of American Judaism (Indiana University Press, 2017) and The Lives of Jessie Sampter: Queer, Disabled, Zionist (Duke University Press, 2022) and, with Susannah Heschel, The Woman Question in Jewish Studies (Princeton University Press, 2025). She is also the editor of Judaism in 5 Minutes (Equinox, 2025) and, with Andrea Dara Cooper, co-editor of Jewish Women Thinkers (Wayne State University Press, forthcoming). She is the founding co-editor of the journal American Religion.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Reuven Firestone

Please note event times are listed in MT

ABOUT THE EVENT:

While Judaism and Islam are obviously different and independent religions, they share many of the same values, practice similar kinds of rituals, and hold similar theologies. This program will explore the similarities and differences between our traditions and practices through a close examination of what Islam calls the Five Pillars of Religion.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Reuven Firestone is Regenstein Professor in medieval Judaism and Islam at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, and affiliate professor of religion at the University of Southern California. Author of eight books and over one hundred scholarly articles on Judaism, Islam, their relationship with one another, and with Christianity, Professor Firestone lectures at universities in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as well as throughout North America. His books include Jihad: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, Who Are the Real Chosen People, Introduction to Islam for Jews, Introduction to Judaism for Muslims, and Holy War in Judaism. Active on the boards of numerous scholarly journals and boards and commissions treating interreligious relations and dialogue, Firestone is an ordained rabbi, received his Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from New York University, and served as Vice President of the Association for Jewish Studies and President of the International Qur’anic Studies Association.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Michael Marmur, Ph.D.

Please note event times are listed in PT

EVENT CO-SPONSORED BY: Temple Chai

ABOUT THE EVENT:

What do we mean by decency? Is it a quaint vestige of a long-lost sensibility, or might it be the foundation of a workable approach to society in an era of crisis? In this session we will explore the origins of the Hebrew term most frequently used to denote decency, and apply the concept to some of the most acute issues of our time.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Michael Marmur is Professor of Jewish Theology at Hebrew Union College/Jerusalem. Until July 2018 he served as the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at Hebrew Union College, having previously been Dean of the Jerusalem campus. After some 20 years in administrative capacities, he now concentrates his energies on teaching and writing. Among his publications are Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Sources of Wonder (2017), American Jewish Though Since 1934 (2020, co-edited with the late David Ellenson), and Living the Letters: An Alphabet of Emerging Jewish Thought (2025).

Born and raised in England, Rabbi Marmur completed a B.A. Degree in Modern History at the University of Oxford before moving to Israel in 1984. While studying for an M.A. in Ancient Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he completed his studies in the Israel Rabbinic Program of Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and was ordained in 1992. For six years following his ordination, he worked as rabbi and teacher at the Leo Baeck Education Center in Haifa. He has been an employee of HUC-JIR since 1997. 

Michael Marmur served for three years as Chair of the Board of Rabbis for Human Rights, and is still a member of its Board. He has lectured and taught courses in several countries around the world.  

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky

Please note event times are listed in PT

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Surprise! Judaism has quite a lot to say about what happens after we die. From the World to Come and the immortality of the soul to reincarnation and resurrection, Jewish tradition offers a fascinating range of beliefs about life after death.

Join Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky, author of Through a Thinly Veiled Curtain, for an engaging exploration of what Jewish texts and traditions teach about the afterlife. We'll look at ancient sources, teachings, and the questions people have been asking for thousands of years.

Whether you're a believer, a skeptic, or just curious, come discover a facet of Judaism you may never have known existed!

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi Andrea Cosnowsky is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim in Lombard, Illinois, and the author of Through a Thinly Veiled Curtain: Finding Life, Love, and Meaning Beyond Death in Jewish Tradition. She has spent more than two decades teaching Jewish spirituality, mysticism, and beliefs about the afterlife.

Known for her warmth, humor, and storytelling, Rabbi Cosnowsky brings Jewish texts to life in ways that are accessible to people of all backgrounds.

A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Aviva Richman

Please note the event times are listed in PT. 

ABOUT THE EVENT:

We live in a world that continues to struggle with how to live out a sexual ethics of mutual dignity. This class will confront moments of disappointment related to sexual ethics - in our leaders and in our tradition - and explore how to inherit this part of Torah in ways that invite honesty and growth.  Taking inspiration from contemporary feminist legal philosophers, we will seek seeds of dignity and agency even in the midst of disappointment, turning especially to women in the Talmud who courageously speak up and whose words profoundly impact the law. 

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Rabbi Aviva Richman is a Rosh Yeshiva at Hadar, and has been on the faculty since 2010. A graduate of Oberlin College, she studied in the Pardes Kollel and the Drisha Scholars' Circle and was ordained by Rabbi Danny Landes. She completed a doctorate in Talmud at NYU. Interests include Talmud, Halakhah, Midrash and gender, and also a healthy dose of nigunim.