Temple Beth-El, a home for intellectual Judaism on Long Island, will offer fascinating discussions with its scholar-in-residence, Joshua Garroway on Friday, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7.
All are welcome at the Erev Shabbat Community Dinner prepared by TBE’s in-house caterer, W Kosher Events, on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
At the 7 p.m. Erev Shabbat service, TBE’s cantorial soloist Stephanie & The Shabbatones will elevate the prayer experience wtih a blend of Jewish and secular music.
The interim dean from Hebrew Union College will discuss What’s a Half Jew? Fuzzy Identities, Ancient and Modern, followed by an Oneg Shabbat.
“The question of ‘who is a Jew?’ can be complicated in today’s world,” explained the Sol and Arlene Bronstein, professor of Judaeo-Christian Studies/Professor of Early Christianity and the Second Commonwealth. “Many people even describe themselves with terms like Jewish, half-Jewish and Jewish-adjacent. The fuzzy boundaries surrounding Jewish identity are hardly a new phenomenon. Ancient Jews dealt with nearly the same issues.”
Preceding the 10:30 a.m. Shabbat service and Lunch & Learn, the guest rabbi will lead Torah study, focusing on The Apostle Paul: A First-Century Reform Jew?, on Saturday at 9:15 a.m.
“His disparagement of the Torah and his conferral of the Abrahamic covenant on gentiles have earned Paul the reputation as a perfidious huckster who abandoned Judaism to create another religion,” he noted. “Is it possible we’ve been too hard on Paul? Might modern Jews see him as loyal—a Jew like us?”
The Lunch & Learn: What’s a Messiah, Anyway? will begin at 12:30 p.m.
“Anticipating a messiah has been a feature of Judaism for centuries, while worshipping a messiah has become the central feature of Christianity,” Garroway pointed out. “Where did this idea come from? What is a messiah and how have Jewish conceptions changed?”
The per person cost for Friday’s dinner is $20 for the community, $10 for TBE members and free for children 18 and younger at tinyurl.com/Dec6Dinner. Register for the complimentary lunch at tinyurl.com/Dec7LunchLearn.
Temple Beth-El, a leader in shaping the future of pluralistic Judaism, has served the community for more than 95 years at 5 Old Mill Road. Learn more at www.tbegreatneck.org, 516-487-0900 or info@tbegreatneck.org.