The Conservative Movement seminaries and institutions are partnering to offer eight series of learning in 5782 that will bring you face-to-face with the brightest and most engaging scholars our movement has to offer. 

Scholarstream 5782 features three distinct arcs of learning that stand alone or flow into each other. Cultivating Our Relationships (series 1 & 2), Defining Our Sacred Spaces (series 3, 4, and 5), and Renewing Our Resilience (series 6, 7, and 8) will offer an exploration of who we are, where we are in relation to others, and how we move forward in this complicated world.

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Series 1: Torah Relationships

All sessions @ 8pm 

Wednesday, October 6

Dr. Alan Cooper, “God, Abraham and Isaac: Who is the ‘Hero’ of the `Aqeda?” 

The story of the “binding of Isaac” (`aqeda) in Genesis 22 is a tale of problematic relationships, those among the characters as well as the reader’s relationship with a troubling and alienating story.  How can God issue such a shocking and callous command to Abraham, a faithful follower?  Why does Abraham comply without objection, in contrast to previous interactions with God?  And why does Isaac remain passive and apparently acquiescent with his life at stake?  Is there a hero in this story, in the sense of a character who is to be celebrated for his actions, and what are we supposed to learn from him?  We will take up those questions in the light of both traditional and modern Jewish commentary.

Wednesday, October 13

Liza Bernstein, “Gendered Gaps: Remembering Sarah Where She is Most Erased” 

When we study the Akeidah, the binding of Isaac, we often focus on the dynamics between Abraham, Isaac, and God. We rarely ask: where was Sarah? In this class, we will use traditional sources and gender theory to open up questions of gender, community, and parenting. Through our questioning, we will remember Sarah's story and re-member Sarah, in all her complexities, as a full part of our tradition.

Wednesday, October 20

Rabbi Bradley Artson, “Loving Peace, One Person at a Time” 

We often think of the pursuit of peace as a task for nations, communities, and public figures. And it is all that. But the work of peace is also private and individual. In the person of Aaron, first High Priest and brother to Moses, the ancient sages imagine what an integrated approach to making peace might look like.

Wednesday, October 27

Rabbi Elliot Dorff, “The Dysfunctional Families of Genesis: What They - and Later Jewish Law - Tell Us About How *Not* to Treat Our Parents, Siblings, and Children” 

We have all read the stories of Genesis many times over and have interpreted them in sermons and lessons. The goal of this session is to examine them in the context of family ethics.  What bad practices do they exemplify, and what does Jewish law tell us about how to form better family relationships and avoid family violence?

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