Turn it and Turn it

Exile: The Secret of Jewish Survival with Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response" 
Through a variety of texts - Biblical, Rabbinic, Hasidic and Homiletic - we will explore an alternative and innovative theological framework for understanding Jewish history. How has Exile had a determinative impact on the development of Judaism while constituting a distinctively Jewish conceptual contribution to civilization?
Click here to view the accompanying source sheet. 
This audio was originally recorded on 05/06/2012.

Yiddish Poetry as Holocaust Theology with Daniel Kraft

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response" 
The philosopher Theodor Adorno famously, or infamously, said that “poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric.” But for a generation of Jewish writers, poetry after and about Auschwitz was an essential way of grappling with, and grieving for, the Holocaust. Together we’ll look at Yiddish poets who turned to verse to craft theological responses to the Shoah. We’ll consider the ways that poetry can be a medium for theology, in addition to the specifics of these poets’ work, asking questions like: how does the Shoah change their relationships to God and to Torah, and how can poetry express the inexpressible?
This audio was originally captured live on Zoom on 10/31/2022 as part of Drisha's Fall Zman. 

Responses to Suffering in the Book of Genesis with Rabbi David Silber

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response" 
The covenant takes four generations to fulfill- the first three generations suffer without ever experiencing the relief of that suffering, which allows the fourth generation to enter the Land of Israel.
This audio was originally recorded on 11/29/2012 as part of an evening of learning dedicated to Hurricane Sandy relief.

Jewish Theological Responses to the Holocaust with Rabbi Dr. Yitz Greenberg

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response"
Just as Rabbinic Judaism represented renewal after the destruction of the Second Temple, upon analysis we can expect to observe no less a transformation in the Jewish people and our religious experience after the Shoah.
Click here to view the accompanying source sheet. 
This audio was originally recorded on 12/25/2012 as part of Drisha's Winter Week. 

Prophetic Ends with Dr. Hindy Najman

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response" 
Judaism contains age-old formulations of how to respond to tragedy and radical change that continue to help us today. Turning to our texts helped us to preserve as well as to build.
This audio was originally recorded on 12/24/2012 as part of Drisha's Winter Week.

Halakhic Responses to Medieval Persecutions with Dr. Rachel Furst

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response" 
The slaughter of strong Jewish communities throughout Europe during the Crusades catalyzed the development of the theology of Kiddush Hashem - the choice to martyr one's self rather than undergo forced conversion or murder at the hands of religious persecutors. How did the Halakhic authorities of medieval Ashkenaz react?
Click here to view the accompanying source sheet. 
This audio was originally recorded on 12/24/2012 as part of Drisha's Winter Week of Learning.

The Rock Whose Ways are Great: Blessing God in Times of Tragedy with Rabba Wendy Amsellem

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response"
An exploration of midrashic tales of dismay and righteous responses to tragic fates.
 
This audio was originally recorded on 11/01/2012

Where Was God: Theology, Religion, Halakha, and Community After the Holocaust with Jerome Chanes

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Tragedy & Response"
When did the Holocaust come into the consciousness of Jews, in America and in Israel?  How did Yom HaShoah come to be, and, for that matter, where did the word “Shoah” itself come from?  How were the emerging theologies of the Holocaust (“God is Dead,” “A New Covenant”) crafted?  Was there an Orthodox “position” on the Holocaust?  What were the halakhic implications of these issues?  These and other questions are explored in a comprehensive analysis of the impact of the Destruction of European Jewry on Jewish religious thought and on the Jewish community.
This audio was originally recorded on 11/07/2011 as part of Drisha's commemoration of Kristallnacht.

Multitasking and Mitzvot (3/3) with Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Mitzvot"
Are you always busy, juggling a million different commitments? Do you wonder how to set priorities within all the different opportunities and tasks that come your way? We will explore the Talmudic principle of "oseik b'mitzvah" the exemption from certain mitzvot for one who has a prior commitment to a different mitzvah. Through close readings of the relevant Talmudic passages and their medieval and modern commentaries, we will use this concept to examine how we can set priorities in our own busy lives.
This audio was originally recorded on 07/22/2014 as part of Drisha's Summer Daytime Learning.

Multitasking and Mitzvot (2/3) with Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld

This season of Turn it & Turn it is on the topic of: "Mitzvot"
Are you always busy, juggling a million different commitments? Do you wonder how to set priorities within all the different opportunities and tasks that come your way? We will explore the Talmudic principle of "oseik b'mitzvah" the exemption from certain mitzvot for one who has a prior commitment to a different mitzvah. Through close readings of the relevant Talmudic passages and their medieval and modern commentaries, we will use this concept to examine how we can set priorities in our own busy lives.
This audio was originally recorded on 07/15/2014 as part of Drisha's Summer Daytime Learning.