Downtown Lunch and Learn

TORAH STUDY DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK!

The environment is informal. The content is approachable. The people are welcoming. Come with your curiosity. Ask questions or simply listen. Try it – you’ll be glad you did.

  • 11:45 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Keating Muething & Klekamp (KMK)
    One East Fourth St, 14th Floor (4th & Vine)

Questions? Contact Celeste Lawler at 513.793.2997 or clawler@wisetemple.org

2023-2024 Schedule

The Revival of the Hebrew Language in Pre-State Israel

Matt Check, Director of Lifelong Learning

August 31

Don’t miss this session on the fascinating history of the modern Hebrew language. Eliezer Ben Yehuda not only revived the ancient language, but did so in a way that included his entire nuclear family – for better and for worse. No knowledge of Hebrew is needed for this history lesson!

Life and Death—It’s in the Courts, the Legislatures and the Talmud: A Jewish View of Abortion and Reproductive Rights

Rabbi Lewis Kamrass

October 19

With the many legal challenges being considered across the United States on the subject, this session will review Jewish ideas of when life begins, how our tradition has looked at abortion, and the ways in which Jewish tradition might inform and shape our own values in today’s changing landscape.

The Jewish “AND”

Rabbi Zachary Goodman

December 14

Explore the remarkable capacity of Judaism to embrace and reconcile conflicting truths. Through examination of texts, theological ideas and historical perspectives, we investigate the concept of “paradox” in Jewish thought and how we might hope to navigate it. By examining this rich tradition, we will gain a deeper appreciation for the nuanced and inclusive nature of Jewish perspectives on Truth.

 

Four Worlds in One: Tu B’Shvat

Aaron Torop, Rabbinic Intern

January 25

Today we celebrate Tu B’Shvat, a holiday focused on our connection to the natural world. Join us to talk about our role in nature and a mystical view of our planet. We will learn about how kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, engages with food, creation, and the holiday of Tu Bishvat. Come, eat, and join the world of the mystic together with our physical world.

Finders Keepers: A Jewish Take on the Lost Object

Rabbi Jonathan Hecht

March 21

You find a $20 bill on a lunch table downtown. Can you keep it? You are walking down the beach and a pocketbook washes up on shore. What does Jewish law say? Learn about the rabbinic conception of the “Lost Object.” During this session, we will examine one of the clearest, most interesting sections of the Talmud. Put on your legal and ethical thinking caps. We will be reading from the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Bava Metzia, Chapter 2. 

Who Wrote the Torah?

Jamie Starr, Rabbinical Student

May 2

From God to Moses to multiple writers and editors over time, there are abundant theories about the authorship of our central text, the Torah. Investigate some of these theories and discuss how the Torah can still be sacred and relevant to our lives today.