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Shabbat of Community and Solidarity with Israel

As our hearts and minds are with Israel during this most difficult time, we are pivoting the theme of the Historical Weekend to a Shabbat of Community and Solidarity With Israel: Historical Lessons from Diaspora responses to times of crisis for Israel and the Jewish People.

We welcome
Dr. Zev Eleff as Scholar-in-Residence

27 - 29 October 2023
B'nai Israel Congregation, 27 Lloyd Street,
Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Dr. Eleff is the twelfth president of Gratz College. He was previously chief academic officer of Hebrew Theological College and vice provost of Touro College Illinois.

A prolific scholar, Dr. Eleff holds an international reputation for academic rigor and sophistication. He is the author or editor of nine books and more than fifty scholarly articles in the fields of Jewish Studies and American Religion.

Schedule

REGISTER IS NOW CLOSED

Historical Lessons From Diaspora Responses to Times of Crisis For Israel and the Jewish People

Friday, 27 October

5:30 pm
Doors Open - Come in and mingle

6:00 pm
Welcoming Shabbat - Friday Evening Services

6:45 pm
Catered Deluxe Shabbat Dinner

7:45 pm
Jerusalem Tales: A History of Hero-Making and Israel-Seeking
Our traditions record tales of our leading lights -- Yehuda Ha-Levi, Rambam, Ibn Ezra -- making "aliyah," or something close to it. These stories, true or not, are packed with values and meaning, and were all popularized at an important historical moment.

Saturday, 28 October

9:30 am - Noon
Saturday Morning Services - Shacharit
Sermon: Terach's Idol Shop and Baltimore Zionism: A History of Pioneers
Young Avraham's courage to smash his father's idols has a lot in common with Baltimore's Zionist legacy.

Noon
Shabbat lunch and learn: The Holy Land and "This Happy Land”
During the 1800s, in Baltimore and elsewhere, Jews were caught between American patriotism and
yearning for a return to the Holy Land

2:30 pm
Historic Walking Tour of Lloyd Street

Mincha: 5:15 pm
Shaleshutis - 5:35 pm
Lite fare
The Early and Contentious Debate over Yom Ha’atzmaut
Orthodox Jews in the United States debated Zionism, sometimes fiercely. The original arguments will surprise you:
they had less to do with Zionism and much more to do with rabbinic authority.

Songs of Healing and Solidarity

Musical Havdalah: 7:00 pm