Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) will present a new semester of its Community Beit Midrash Program beginning February 10, with a six-week series of talks by two faculty members, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, vice president for university and community life at YU, and Rabbi Dr. Edward Reichman, professor of emergency medicine, education and bioethics at YU-affiliated Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The program is open to the community and runs for six consecutive Wednesdays on the Israel Henry Beren Campus, 215 Lexington Avenue, New York City.

“The CJF Community Beit Midrash Program provides the broader Jewish community with a true Yeshiva University educational and inspirational experience,” said Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, the David Mitzner Dean of the CJF. “Studying with prominent scholars and faculty, participants engage contemporary issues through the lens of our timeless tradition.”

Rabbi Brander’s class, “Jewish Holidays: Exploring Kabbalistic, Philosophical and Halakhic Motifs,” will unlock core elements of the holiday and Shabbat through the study of halacha [Jewish law], Jewish philosophy and Kabbalah. Topics will include the mystical identity of Shabbat; Yom Kippur as a day hallowed in fear and honored in joy; the Yom Tov Sheni experience and its unique manifestation on Sukkot; exploring the development of rabbinic holidays through Purim, Chanukah and Yom Ha’Atzmaut; the multiple themes of Pesach; and the uniqueness of Shavuot.

Rabbi Reichman’s class, “Past, Present and Future: The Evolving Relationship of Medicine and Halakha,” will focus on the relationship between halacha and medicine, starting with the times of Rambam, passing through the Renaissance, and transitioning to modern times. Topics include genetics, reproduction, vaccination, organ donation and end of life. This course will conclude with a glimpse into the near future of medical halacha and the age of gene editing and 3D-printed organs.

“Rabbi Kenneth Brander and Dr. Eddie Reichman are treasures of wisdom within our YU community, and through the Community Beit Midrash Program will have the opportunity to share their wisdom and insights with the broader Jewish world,” said Rabbi Glasser.

For more information or to register, contact Aryeh Czarka at [email protected] or (212) 960-5400, ext. 6826.