Thursdays, September 11- November 20 11 am, Sandler Family Campus
The fundamental lesson emphasized about Judaism is the belief in One God. In fact, Judaism’s most important prayer is an excerpt of a speech from Moses to Israel, repurposed as a declaration made to God. That is, of course, the Shema Yisrael, which is understood as a ringing affirmation of monotheism. Some of the best-known rabbinic stories fill in what the Bible leaves out— how the young Abraham began the march of Jewish history by coming to believe that instead of the many gods worshiped in his society, there was only one. The monotheism of the rabbis, it turns out, is based on that of the Bible but is not identical to it.
Throughout history, Judaism’s core beliefs continued to develop. The religion’s greatest philosophers, from Maimonides in the Middle Ages to the leading theologians of today, have explained the meaning of monotheism in contrasting ways. Their differences are the result of the Jewish people adapting to the changing intellectual climate of the varied societies in which they lived. In addition, Jewish mystics, from Kabbalists to Hasidim to proponents of the Jewish Renewal movement, have explored what monotheism meanings in their traditions.
It turns out there are many meanings of “one.” What is meant by, “God is one”? As so often in Jewish life, it depends on which Jewish answers are being accessed.
Offered by the Konikoff Center for Learning of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, this 10-part course will be taught by Rabbi Michael Panitz, a specialist in the history of Jewish ideas and a veteran teacher in United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s adult education programs. The course costs $60 for Simon Family JCC members; $72 for guests.
Learn more or register at JewishVA.org/KCL or contact Sierra Lautman, senior director of Jewish Innovation at United Jewish Federation of Tidewater at SLautman@UJFT.org.