On Sunday May 5th, Congregation Rinat Yisrael will host a “Morning of Jewish Learning” featuring renowned deans, professors, and scholars from Touro College.
With six notable speakers of varied backgrounds, the topics will be widely diverse, carrying a mixed appeal. They range from Romanticism and Rav Soloveitchik, to the Roots of Satmar Anti-Zionism, to a lecture on Building a Secular Temple of Arts in Jerusalem.
Rinat has hosted several other Judaic lectures in the past, but this time David Jacobowitz, of Rinat’s Adult Education Committee, approached Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies to create a Yom Iyun. Says Rabbi Baruch Fogel, of the Office of College Affairs at Touro, “We want to expose people to very relevant topics with a twist of modern scholarship.” Fogel hopes that people walk away with new knowledge on subjects already familiar to them. Because the speakers are scholars and doctors who are experts in their fields, the lectures will be delivered in new dimensions.
The morning will commence with an introduction by Dr. Alan Kadish, president and CEO of Touro College, followed by a keynote address on Matan Torah by Dr. Michael Shmidman, Dean of the Touro Graduate School of Jewish Studies, Professor of Jewish History, and former Rabbi of Keter Torah in Teaneck. After that, there will be breakaway lectures in which participants can choose between two speakers during two separate time slots. Presenters include Dr. Maya Katz, Dr. Moshe Sokol, Dr. Zvi Kaplan, and Dr. Moshe Sherman.
In addition to providing the community with a high-level of learning, Fogel says he hopes people will see the stellar reputation of Touro’s Graduate program, and the incomparable educational opportunities it affords. The presenters will all be speaking on topics that pertain to their expertise or the courses they teach.
The timing of the Yom Iyun was well appointed. Scheduled to occur the week before Shavuot, attendees will be privileged to learn a new angle on Matan Torah, and will feel religiously fulfilled by the breadth of other Torah discussions.
The Yom Iyun begins at 10 a.m., and will run until 1 p.m. Admission is open to all and is free of charge. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call 201-837-2795.
