Fall Learning Series: Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life
“Two Are Better Than One:” Friendship in Jewish Text, Thought, and Life
Eight Mondays, October 23–December 11, 2023
1:00–2:30 p.m. ET
Friendship is a critical component of our daily lives, our mental health, and our Jewish communal experiences. Ecclesiastes (4:9) posits, “Two are better than one,” underscoring the significance of companionship and partnership in Jewish tradition and the role they play in a life well lived.
In this series, JTS scholars will explore the concept of friendship through Jewish texts, history, and thought. They will examine a range of paradigms for friendship and consider what values emerge from each. Together, we will reflect on friendship in times of joy and times of crisis, both with those in our inner circles and with our neighbors and fellow citizens more broadly.
Note: Each Monday series has its own Zoom link. Please register for “Two Are Better Than One” to receive the correct Zoom link for the fall 2023 series.
SESSION TOPICS AND FACULTY
October 23
FRIENDSHIP IN THE GHETTO, THE FOREST, AND BEYOND: A STORY OF TWO YIDDISH POETS
With Dr. David Fishman, Professor of Jewish History, JTS
October 30
ACROSS THE ATLANTIC: LIFESAVING FRIENDSHIPS DURING THE HOLOCAUST
With Dr. Edna Friedberg, JTS Fellow and Senior Curator, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
November 6
BE MY GALENTINE? FEMALE FRIENDSHIP IN THE HEBREW BIBLE
With Dr. Yael Landman, Assistant Professor of Bible, JTS
November 13
FRIENDSHIP AND INTERFAITH ENGAGEMENT
With Dr. Benedicte Sere, Visiting Professor, JTS, and Associate Professor of Medieval History, University of Paris Nanterre
November 20
DO GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS? A TALMUDIC TEACHING
With Dr. Aaron Koller, Adjunct Professor, JTS, and Professor of Near East Studies, Yeshiva University
November 27
FRIENDSHIP DURING CRISIS: LEARNING FROM THE BOOK OF JOB
With Rabbi Mychal Springer, Adjunct Professor, JTS, and Manager of Clinical Pastoral Education, New York-Presbyterian Hospital
December 4
BEYOND THE “FOUR FRIENDSHIPS” OF ARISTOTLE, CICERO, AELRED, AND AQUINAS: THE NATURE OF FRIENDSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY
With Rabbi Eliezer Diamond, PhD, Rabbi Judah Nadich Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS
December 11
FRIENDSHIP IN THE CITY: COMMUNITY, POLITICAL THEORY, AND JEWISH THOUGHT
With Dr. Shira Billet, Assistant Professor of Jewish Thought and Ethics, JTS
Note: Each Monday series has its own Zoom link. Please register for “Two Are Better Than One” to receive the correct Zoom link for the fall 2023 series.
