At the congregation annual meeting in June, I introduced an exciting and groundbreaking adult education program which we will present at Beth Israel this coming year. The program is being offered in conjunction with the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, a pluralistic institution of advanced Jewish study and thought.

The 12 session program, entitled “Engaging Israel”, will begin on Tuesday evening, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. and will continue through the fall and early winter. The goal of the project, according to the Hartman Institute, is to begin to create “a new narrative regarding the significance of Israel for Jewish life. This narrative will serve as a foundation for a new covenant between Israel and world Jewry, elevating the existing discourse from one with a crisis-based focus to one rooted in Jewish values and ideas.”

The program will feature video presentations by the director of the Hartman Institute, Rabbi Donniel Hartman, and discussions with world renowned scholars on Jewish thought, political theory and international law. They will discuss the meaning and significance of Zionism today and reflect on the importance for Jews throughout the world to be actively involved with the Jewish state and concerned for its future. The evenings will also feature hevruta (small group) study of traditional Jewish texts and contemporary essays which highlight the issues being discussed. Rabbi Blumenthal and I will facilitate the text study and there will be ample opportunity for discussion of the texts and the video presentations.

This curriculum seeks to fulfill a serious need in the Diaspora Jewish community. It will bring people together to talk to each other, not about politics in Israel, per se, but to talk about our individual and collective vision of what the words “Jewish State” mean to us. It will enable us to consider and share ideas about how Israel can continue to hold meaning for us and future generations of Jews who often view Judaism and peoplehood through different lenses than past generations have.

As you know, this is an issue that I raised in my Kol Nidre sermon last year. (You can find the sermon on our website). At the time, I mentioned the need for a serious dialogue on this issue; and when I learned about the Hartman Institute program earlier this year, I thought it would be an ideal framework for this conversation. Having studied at Hartman, I know that their programs are of the highest quality and I look at this as a great opportunity for study in our community.

More information on the Engaging Israel program can be found at by entering Hartman Institute Engaging Israel into an Internet search engine.

The cost for the program is $75 for Beth Israel members, $100 for non-members. All are welcome and subsidies are available. Please contact me for more information.

I hope that we can gather a diverse group to participate in the program and I hope you will be part of this important effort.

Best wishes for a continued happy and healthy summer.

This message is replaced every month with Rabbi Dobrusin's monthly message as it appears in Beth Israel Synagogue's printed newsletter, HaShaliach. It carries the same copyright protection as all of Rabbi Dobrusin's messages on this website. Unlike his other messages, the monthly bulletin message is not archived online.

Please send comments or suggestions to Rabbi Robert Dobrusin.