SH’MA: Listen! Speaker Series & Courageous Communities Presents

Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis

“Who Didn’t Know Joseph” – Navigating Questions of Jewish Power and Vulnerability Across Generational Divides

With guest lecturer Rabbi Shoshana Cohen.

The last century has seen unprecedented lows and highs when it comes to Jewish power. While older Jews today may have memory of Jewish vulnerability in the form of the Holocaust and be able to recall the ecstasy that came with the Six Day war, younger Jews today cannot recall a time when Jews, both in Israel and the US did not have power. How does this difference in perspective affect the way each generation approaches Israel, Judaism and Jewish identity? How do past lessons learned about power inform the new reality in which Jews live today? What narratives from our tradition can help us navigate contemporary dilemmas about power and vulnerability in Israel and the US?

 

Registration is required, please add your contact information below.

 

About Rabbi Shoshana Cohen: Rabbi Shoshana Cohen is a Senior Faculty member at the Shalom Hartman Institute and serves as rabbi and scholar-in-residence for the Hevruta Gap Year Program.  Shoshana sits on the Created Equal and Bible research teams at the Kogod Research Center. Prior to coming to Hartman Shoshana was a senior faculty member at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem for over a decade where she taught Talmud, Midrash and Gender Studies. She has served as scholar-in-residence in communities across the US. A native of Los Angeles Shoshana has lived in Jerusalem for almost twenty years, where she is involved many different learning and social justice organizations including Reshut haRabim, the Jerusalem Forum for Jewish Renewal Organizations and TAKUM a social justice beit midrash for young Israelis. Lecturing in Hebrew and in English she has been on the faculty of the Drisha Institute, the Hartman Girl’s High School, Yeshivat Talpiot, and Yeshivat Hadar.

Save the Dates for the next two lectures:
February 20 at the J – Rabbi Abby Stein
March 16 at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis – Rabbi Dr. Joshua Ladon

This important endeavor is made possible by the Lubin-Green Foundation, a Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Federation, and the Chris Jacobs and Hank Webber Ideas and Culture Fund.

This series of speakers are brought to you through the Courageous Communities initiative. A program designed and facilitated by the Shalom Hartman Institute in partnership with the Jewish Federation of St Louis and the Jewish Community Relations Council of St Louis. Courageous Communities is designed to cultivate serious community discourse with the intention of continuing to build a vibrant St. Louis Jewish community in a way that allows for differences and that strengthens communal resilience.