How important is it to compromise the letter of the law for the sake of peace among people? Whom do the Rabbis consider to be part of an average Jew’s concentric community? How are people with disabilities, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, or those who are not Jewish viewed? Which areas in life do the Rabbis feel cause the most fighting and unrest in communities? (Don’t be surprised when the Synagogue tops the list!) How does one not compromise their personal identity when interacting with people who are different from themselves? To answer these questions and more we will analyze the literary and meta-thematic structures of the Mishnayot in Tractate Gittim which deal with the laws of Darkhei Shalom– pathways to peace.

Please arrive 10-15 minutes early to pour a tea, grab some cake and settle in for a 7:30pm start.

About the Guest Speaker:

Rahel Berkovits is a senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and has been teaching Mishnah, Talmud and halakha for thirty years. Rahel lectures widely in both Israel and abroad on topics concerning women and Jewish law and a Jewish sexual ethic. She is the Halakhic Editor and an author for JOFA’s Hilkhot Nashim series, published by Maggid, and is a founding member of Congregation Shirah Hadasha in Jerusalem. In June 2015, Rahel received Rabbinic Ordination from Rabbis Herzl Hefter and Daniel Sperber.