Martini Judaism: For Those Who Want to be Shaken and Stirred with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin

On this weekend immediately following Simchat Torah, Rabbi Jeff Salkin will explore how Judaism demands that we be iconoclasts. Through the study of Jewish history and sacred texts, we will learn various ways in which Judaism not only accepts skeptical questions but demands them of us.

You can attend one of these sessions or all of them. The cost is free. We welcome Ner Tamid members and anyone else interested in Jewish learning. Location: 936 Broad Street, Bloomfield NJ 07003. RSVP online at www.nertamid.org by October 17 or to Laurie Schifano at 973-338-1500 x5/lschifano@nertamid.org.

Friday, October 17 – immediately after our 8:00 p.m. Erev Shabbat service

• Session 1. The Gods Are Broken! The legend of Abraham breaking his father’s idols is Judaism’s most famous (non-biblical) story. Do Jews still have the courage to break contemporary idols? What does brokenness mean in Jewish text and history?

Saturday, October 18

• As part of our 10:00 a.m. Casual Minyan Shabbat morning service: Session 2. In the Beginning: Rabbi Salkin will participate in our monthly Casual Minyan, where we learn from each other by wrestling with the sacred texts. For this Shabbat morning the day after Simchat Torah, we engage ourselves with the very first words of Genesis.
• 12:30 p.m. – Shabbat lunch and an afternoon study session.
• Session 3. Jewish History: Going with the Flow: So you think that Jewish history is boring and/or too difficult to learn? A unique visual map of Jewish history will help you understand our story in a new way, so that we can examine how it may actually all fit together.
• 7:00 p.m. – Singing and studying with a nosh and some wine. Session 4. Fixing the Broken Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen’s Jewish TextsThis year, the poet-singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen turned 80, and he continues to grow in popularity. Many of his songs are, in fact, Jewish texts. We will sing and study Who By Fire, The Story of Isaac, If It Be Your Will, and Hallelujah.

Sunday, October 19

• 11:00 a.m. – A study session for parents, with coffee and a nosh
• Session 5. Parenting Jewishly: Over the years, there have been numerous child rearing gurus: Benjamin Spock, T. Berry Brazelton, and Penelope Leach. But there are Jewish ways to raise kids as well -- and that means asking ourselves some challenging questions about the Jewish future. Join Rabbi Salkin as we ponder: what does it mean to raise Jewish kids in the 21st century?

About Rabbi Salkin

Rabbi Jeff Salkin is one of American Judaism’s most quoted rabbis. His essays have appeared in numerous periodicals, including Forward, Wall Street Journal, and Moment. He has a regular blog – http://www.jewishjournal.com/martini_judaism. He has also written for scholarly journals and encyclopedias. He has served congregations, created an adult study institute, produced religious television shows, and has worked as a Jewish communal executive and activist. Rabbi Salkin presently divides his time between writing, teaching, and serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Am in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Gratitude: This Scholar-in-Residence weekend is sponsored by Tamar Weiss in loving memory of her husband Emil Weiss (z”l), who was the first president of Temple Ner Tamid and truly loved to learn about Jewish history.

All sessions of The Emil Weiss Scholar-in-Residence Weekend are free and open to the public.