CJS | The Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies

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Making Memories, Taking Responsibility

March 29, 2017

Through her work at the GTU’s Center for Jewish Studies—and a surprising friendship--Lea Heitfeld is keeping cultural memory alive and helping shape a more hopeful future.

Lea Heitfeld has been in the news a lot recently. The granddaughter...

CJS Student and Her Housemate Make the News

March 28, 2017

The friendship between CJS student Lea Heitfeld and her housemate, Ben Stern, has been making national headlines lately. Ben is a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, while Lea, the German-born granddaughter of Nazis, is pursuing an MA in Jewish Studies at the GTU’s Richard S.

Aesthetics & the Divine

Join the Center for Jewish Studies, Center for Islamic Studies, and Center for Religion & the Arts at the Graduate Theological Union for "Aesthetics and the Divine," featuring Francesco Spagnolo and Carol Bier.

Tuesday, April 4, 5:00 pm
Doug Adams Gallery
2465 Le Conte Avenue, Berkeley

Revealing Texts: How Faith Communities Interpret Abortion

In “Revealing Texts: How Faith Communities Interpret Abortion” we'll hear Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scholars sharing their faith communities' texts. Ameena Jandali will share Islamic texts, Jim McGarry will share Catholic texts, and Deena Aranoff will share Hebrew and Rabbinic literature. We will learn how their traditions interpret these writings to create a world view on abortion. Join us for a Lehrhaus dialogue: No debate, all dialogue; no proof texting, all discovery.

Haas Fund Supports Student Interreligious Research on Islam and Judaism

February 24, 2017

The Walter & Elise Haas Fund has provided the GTU a grant to support the Center for Islamic Studies and the Center for Jewish Studies in their joint programming for this academic year.

Solidarity in a Divided Time: A GTU Community Conversation

All GTU Students, Faculty, and Staff are invited to participate in a community conversation on the theme of "Solidarity in a Divided Time."

11:30am – 1:00pm, GTU Student Lounge, 2465 Le Conte Ave, 1^st Floor

Light refreshments will be provided.

Scriptures and Revelation in the Abrahamic Traditions

In celebration of Interfaith Harmony week, please join CIS and CJS for an enlightening talk by Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub.
GTU Library Dinner Board Room, 2400 Ridge Road Berkeley, CA 94709

Shana Penn and the Politics of Memory

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26TH: THE POLITICS OF MEMORY: THE NEW YAD VASHEM EXHIBITION AT AUSCHWITZ STATE MUSEUM WITH SHANA PENN

The Taubman Lectures

MONDAY, MARCH 13 TO THURSDAY, MARCH 16: THE TAUBMAN LECTURES, 2017: "ON HERESY" WITH DAVID BIALE 5:00pm: The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA 94709

Avivah Zornberg Lecture

What if Joseph Hates Us”? Closing the Book

As Genesis draws to its close, Joseph and his brothers have a final confrontation. Their father is dead and Joseph allays his brothers' fears of his vengeance. We will discuss the paradoxes of closure: When does forgiveness prevent a true closure? Does Joseph in fact forgive his brothers? We will explore traditional and modern commentaries, making use of literary and psychoanalytic material in our discussion.

Friday, May 5th, 2017, 9:30am GTU Dinner Board Room 2400 Ridge Road, Berkeley CA 94709

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