Recorded On:
June 23, 2025
For many American Jews, the threat of antisemitism has never felt more real and immediate. Traditional strategies to fight it are profoundly challenged by political turbulence, social polarization, and the role of Jewish community issues in the culture war. What action matters most at this moment? What do courageous leadership and strategic advocacy look like? When and how should we exercise our Jewish voice, as individuals, as leaders, or as institutions?
Recorded On:
December 7, 2023
Discover how Frank Stella, the celebrated American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, has found inspiration in Jewish themes throughout his career, from his earliest minimalist paintings influenced by the Nazi propaganda newsreels of his childhood, his mixed-media βPolish Wooden Synagogueβ works commemorating βthe obliteration of a culture,β and his Had Gadya narrative abstractions expressing a universal, aspirational message of justice and hope.
Recorded On:
December 5, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Ronda Spinak
Joshua Silverstein
Kimberly Green
Art has the ability to challenge the status quo and encourage us to change our way of thinking. Several pieces produced by The Braid, exemplify this idea, such as True Colors and Sweet Tea and the Southern Jew. The Braid is a story company and non-profit organization grounded in Jewish culture and experience. Representatives from these works will engage in discussion about their connection to their monologues, internal issues they faced when preparing these pieces, and the positive and more difficult reactions theyβve received from audience members about these pieces.
Recorded On:
November 30, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Professor Judith Lewis Herman
Rabbi John Davidson, MD
Ghadir Hani
Dr. Ayellet Cohen-Wieder
Ruhama Weiss
Hear about how our reality affects our mental health, common reactions to this reality, and the tools we have available to support ourselves and others. Coping with horror, fear, pain, and the difficulty of dealing with everyday routines affects all of us, especially these days.
Recorded On:
November 29, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Debra Band
Adriane Leveen, Ph.D.
Jean Bloch Rosensaft
βVanity of vanities, all is vanity,β βfor everything there is a season,β and βthe sun also risesβ are all drawn from the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes. Artist Debra Band describes how her exquisite calligraphy, micrography, and paintings illuminate the first ever visual interpretation of this entire poetic text. Dr. Adriane Leveen analyzes the enduring wisdom and inspiration of a text expressing the beauty and transience of human life and accomplishments.
Recorded On:
October 30, 2023
SPEAKERS:
Sivan Zakai, Ph.D.
Rabbi Rebecca Milder
Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal
Joshua Holo, Ph.D.
During this moment of trauma and heightened concern, Jewish children are grappling with how to process the terrible things happening in the world and need support from the adults in their lives. Join Dr. Sivan Zakai, Rabbi Rebecca Milder β07, and Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal as they contemplate what it looks like to support Jewish children and families, review βbest practices,β and discuss the ways in which Jewish institutions and organizations are contributing to these efforts.