Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School, in partnership with Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series, presents Same Difference: Understanding Jewish Identity. Same Difference is a celebration of our Jewish identities – our mosaic of perspectives, ritual practices, cultures and beliefs. It is an opportunity to engage across differences and to appreciate that we are bound together by a shared heritage, sacred texts and a tradition of wrestling with difficult questions. The program will take place on Wednesday, April 26 from 6:45 – 9:00 pm at Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School.
Join community rabbis as they guide us in discussions about Jewish pluralism and help us work to understand our own ideologies within the context of the broader Jewish community.
Keynote Speaker: Understanding Judaisms
There has never been a singular Judaism, but rather Judaisms. There has never been a Jewish people, only peoples. Dr. Aaron Hahn-Tapper, the Mae and Benjamin Swig Associate Professor in Jewish Studies at the University of San Francisco, will explain this phenomenon and offer a new lens through which to view our Jewish mosaic. Dr. Tapper is the author of Judaisms: A Twenty-First-Century Introduction to Jews and Jewish Identities. His book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Panel: Embracing Jewish Pluralism
Though the dominant Jewish American narratives are expressed through Ashkenazi experiences, Jews are remarkably heterogeneous – culturally, ethnically and racially. Respected St. Louis clergy will share their perspectives and offer suggestions for weaving a new narrative that embraces multiple understandings of Judaisms. Panel includes: Rabbi Brigitte Rosenberg, Rabbi Levi Landa, Maharat Rori Picker-Neiss and Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael.
Breakout Sessions: How do I fit in?
Engage with other members of our community in respectful dialogue focused on topics from Dr. Hahn-Tapper’s book.
To RSVP, visit Mirowitz.org, call 314-576-6177 or email MBrodsky@Mirowitz.org. Sponsored by Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School and the Center for Jewish Learning.
The following day, join us for follow-up discussion with Dr. Aaron Hahn-Trapper. “Whose Story Is It? Deconstructing and Reconstructing Jewish Narratives” will take place on Thursday, April 27, 2017 from 10:00-11:30 am at Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library. When teaching about Jews and Judaisms, which voices are included and which ones are left out? Do we reinforce dominant perspectives? Do we make sure to include those on the margins? Do we aim to give students answers or leave them with questions?
RSVP to Nancy Dubman at 314-442-3771 or NDubman@JFedSTL.org. For more information, contact Cyndee Levy at 314-442-3754 or CLevy@JFedSTL.org. Sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning and Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library.
You can also learn more about the Sh’ma: Listen! Speaker Series and apply for your organization’s speaker to be featured at JFedSTL.org/SpeakerSeries. Sh’ma Listen! is generously funded by the Lubin-Green Foundation, a supporting foundation of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis, and Hank Webber and Chris Jacobs.