The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) presents The Jewish Course of Why, beginning during the week of February 7
Rabbis Aron Margolin and Levi Brashevitzky of Chabad of Tidewater will conduct The Jewish Course of Why, The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) 2016 winter course. The six-course sessions will take placeat the Chabad House on Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings and at the Sandler Family Campus on Wednesday mornings.
“No religion is known for its rational basis and welcoming of questions and intellectual debate quite like Judaism,” says Rabbi Zalman Abraham of JLI.
“In preparing for the course, we turned to over 30,000 people who each submitted their biggest questions about Judaism. We then selected the most popular among them and addressed each one with resonant insights from the greatest minds in Jewish history,” says Abraham.
The Jewish Course of Why spans a diverse range of topics, from fun, light, and off-the-beaten-track questions, to more complex and controversial issues. Some of the course’s 50 questions include: Why are there so many Jews in Hollywood? Why do Jews eat gefilte fish and cholent and wish each other mazal tov and l’chaim? Why does the Bible sanction slavery and animal sacrifices? What is the cause of antisemitism? What does Judaism say about Christianity and about the role of women in Jewish life? In addition to the above, the course offers insight into mysterious Jewish practices, strange biblical narratives, and enigmas of Jewish identity.
“We’re excited to be offering this fun and dynamic learning experience here in Hampton Roads,” says Brashevitzky, the local JLI instructor in Norfolk. “The Jewish Course of Why gives our participants the opportunity to expand their Jewish knowledge and intellectualize their Judaism by exploring rational insights into the most intriguing questions that Jews have today.”
Like all previous JLI programs, The Jewish Course of Why is designed to appeal to people at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.
Interested students may call 757‑616- 0770 or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and other course-related information.
JLI, the adult education branch of Chabad Lubavitch, offers programs in more than 960 U.S. cities and in numerous foreign locations. More than 330,000 students have attended JLI classes since the organization was founded in 1998.