Loading....
Keynote Speaker
TAL KEINAN
Author of God Is in the Crowd: Twenty-First Century Judaism
Tal Keinan grew up in a secular Jewish family in Florida. His interest in Judaism was ignited by a Christian minister at his New England prep school and led him down the unlikely path to enlistment in the Israeli Air Force. Using his own dramatic experiences as a backdrop, and applying lessons from his life as a business leader and social activist, Keinan takes us on a riveting adventure, weaving between past, present, and future to demonstrate Judaism’s value to humanity and chart its path into the future.
The Immigration Crisis: A conversation from the Jewish texts
Rabbi Marcelo Kormis – Congregation Beth El Fairfield
Did Darth Vader Do Teshuvah?
Rabbi Danny Moss – Temple Israel, Westport
Concluding one of the greatest plot twists in cinematic history, the evil Vader sacrifices himself to save his son, Luke. By the end of Return of the Jedi, we feel that Vader has done something noble, perhaps even redemptive. But does it count as teshuvah? Learn what thousands of years of Jewish tradition has to say on the topic! Lightsabers optional.
Jewish Standard Time
Rabbi Evan Schultz – Congregation B’nai Israel, Bridgeport
We often joke that the Jewish people operates in a slightly different time zone: Jewish Standard Time. Jewish wedding couples, for example, always know to start the ceremony 15 minutes later than indicated on the invitation! On a deeper level, however, our rituals, holidays, and worship services are designed to bring us into a different, sacred notion and dimension of time.
Good or Bad for the Jews: Is Mrs. Maisel Really Marvelous?
Rabbi Jeremy Wiederhorn – The Conservative Synagogue, Westport
Taking a close look at the Amazon Prime hit series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, we will discuss whether the portrayal of Jews is fair and helpful to our cause in today’s world.
The George Soros Problem: Old Antisemitism in New Bottles
Rabbi Jim Prosnit – Congregation B’nai Israel, Bridgeport
Financier, philanthropist — and hate figure for a new generation
An Eye for an Eye: The Morality of Revenge
Rabbi Greg Wall – Beit Chaverim Synagogue, Westport
At first glance, the Torah seems to be espousing a hardline system of strict justice, vigilantism, and corporal and capital punishment. Where are the love and compassion? Let’s explore the sources together, and come up with a conclusion that we can live by.
Torah of Music
Cantor Luis Cattan – The Conservative Synagogue, Westport
From ancient traditions to new sounds, explore the unbreakable link that united Torah music and the Jewish people.
Regina Jonas: The Very First Female Rabbi
Rabbi Ita Paskind – Congregation Beth El-Norwalk
For most of recent Jewish history, we've believed that Rabbi Sally Priesand was the first woman ordained as a rabbi (Hebrew Union College, 1972). But the story of German rabbi, Regina Jonas (1902-1944), has come to light in recent years. We will share her story and some of her teachings.
The Early Years of Rabbi Solomon B. Acrish z”l: Morocco, England, and the Deep South
Rabbi Jason Greenberg – Temple Shalom, Norwalk
Experience some lesser-known Jewish history through the incredible story of Rabbi Solomon B. Acrish z”l. Born into extreme poverty and antisemitism in Tetouan, Morocco in 1939, he escaped to England on a full scholarship to a Sephardic (Orthodox) seminary in the 1950s, and took his first pulpit assignment in Montgomery, Ala. at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Acrish spent the last 50 years of his life as a Reform rabbi in Brewster, N.Y.
2019 Taste of Torah
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Congregation Beth El Fairfield
1200 Fairfield Woods Road Fairfield, CT
2019 Taste of Torah
Saturday, February 2, 2019
Congregation Beth El Fairfield
1200 Fairfield Woods Road Fairfield, CT