(Courtesy of YU) Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) will present its Community Beit Midrash at YU’s Israel Henry Beren Campus at 215 Lexington Avenue, New York City. The dates (all Wednesdays) are February 7, February 14, February 21, March 7 and March 14.

Rabbi Allen Schwartz, Raymond J. Greenwald Chair in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva College, will present “The Art of Biblical Narrative.” “Narratives of the Bible have the capacity to intrigue and inspire young and old alike,” he stated, “and often our understanding of these stories is guided by a basic conception influenced by our first encounters with these stories in our youth.” He will revisit these narratives in ways that will help participants unlock a deeper level of understanding about their profound lessons.

In “The Building Blocks of Successful Relationships,” Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff, faculty member at Stern College for Women, will analyze the underlying mechanics of human relationships and their challenges. “Much of the Bible and rabbinic literature is devoted to the complexity of human relationships,” he noted, “and this course will help us appreciate the depth of their wisdom in the realm of interpersonal relationships.”

Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean of the CJF, is very excited that “we can once again bring Torah and scholarship to the broader YU community through the Community Beit Midrash. The erudition and scholarship of Rabbi Schwartz and Rabbi Hajioff will provide us with an extraordinary opportunity to enrich our experience and learning in these two very important aspects of our lives: the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and the stories we tell to one another.”

On each Wednesday, Rabbi Schwartz will present from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., and Rabbi Hajioff will present from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

The event is open to men and women. Tuition is $275. Registration is at www.yu.edu/sternlearn.

For more information, contact Rabbi Menachem Lewin at [email protected] or 212.960.5400, x6171.