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BIB 101 Introduction to Bible – 2 Separate Sessions Dr. Ora Horn Prouser and Dr. Job Jindo This course will introduce the student to modern critical studies of the Bible. Selected texts of the Bible will be studied in-depth while broader thematic issues will be surveyed. Various methodologies used by biblical scholars will be Read More >

BIB 101 Introduction to Bible - 2 Separate Sessions Dr. Ora Horn Prouser and Dr. Job Jindo This course will introduce the student to modern critical studies of the Bible. Selected texts of the Bible will be studied in-depth while broader thematic issues will be surveyed. Various methodologies used by biblical scholars will be introduced Read More >

BIB 309  The Book of Judges Dr. Malka Strasberg Edinger This course explores the book of Judges, a book about Israel’s formative years as a nation learning to self-govern. The course offers an in-depth analysis of the stories, themes, and historical background of the texts, as it explores the characteristics and roles of leaders Read More >

BIB 323 Sex and the City In The Bible: Ruth, Esther, and Lady Jerusalem Dr. Job Y. Jindo This course offers a close critical reading of Ruth, Esther, and Lamentations, three biblical texts centered on female figures whose stories raise enduring questions about identity, belonging, and moral agency. Through these narratives, students will develop Read More >

What does it mean to “choose life”?

By Jaron Matlow Water is a very simple chemical molecule. It contains one Oxygen atom and two Hydrogen atoms, and it appears in the shape of the letter V. Despite its simplicity, or perhaps because of it, water has tremendous powers in the world of chemistry. These powers are the very reason life can exist Read More >

A D’var Torah for Parashat Bemidbar By Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR '15) A few years ago, for Mother’s Day, my kids gave me a DNA-testing kit from Ancestry.com. Not surprisingly, the results came back as 99% Ashkenazi Jewish with 1% various other ethnicities, depending on some algorithm or something. It was fascinating to start receiving DNA matches, including Read More >

Promises, Promises A D’var Torah for Parashat Mishpatim By Rabbi Greg Schindler (AJR '09) While last week’s Torah portion is so famous that they made a movie about it (something with Charlton Heston), this week’s parsha - Mishpatim or “Laws” - has a very different flavor. This week, we get - count ‘em - 53 different laws on a vast array Read More >

A D’var Torah for Parashat Tzav By Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR '15) One of the beautiful and amazing things about Torah study is that every time I encounter a parashah, I see something I hadn’t noticed before. This year is no different. As I began reading Parashat Tzav, where Moses is told to command–Tzav–Aaron to keep a perpetual fire–an aish tamid–burning Read More >

The biblical categories tahor and tamei, usually translated “pure” and “impure,” mean something like insider/outsider. One who is tahor can enter the sanctuary, the dwelling-place of God’s presence and the heart of Israelite ritual. One who is tamei cannot. Tum’ah, impurity, can be contracted by a variety of circumstances including contact with dead bodies, menstruation, Read More >