This winter, Richmond’s Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman will offer Judaism’s Gifts to the World, a new six-session course.
Organized by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), the course will unearth the Jewish roots of some of the “most cherished values of Western civilization.”
Participants will learn how personal responsibility, the “inherent sanctity of human life,” universal education, human equality, the dignity of a day of rest, devotion to family, and a sense of purpose have their origins in ancient Judaism.
Judaism’s Gifts to the World, which is open to the public, is designed to appeal to people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning.
“At a moment in which we are witnessing a rise in anti-Semitism, it is important to explore what has been the true impact of Jews and Judaism on civilization,” said Baitelman, the local JLI instructor in Richmond and rabbi at the Chabad of Richmond congregation.
“Understanding Judaism’s historical contribution gives us a deeper appreciation for its continuing relevance, and a better understanding of how the moral and ethical institutions we take for granted came into being.”
Baitelman said Judaism’s Gifts to the World “explores the tension between social and individual responsibility, the implications of monotheism, the meaning of social equality, how Sabbath observance has laid the groundwork for the modern weekend and the underpinnings of our morality.”
The course starts Wed. Jan. 29 at 7:30 p.m. at 4775 Blundell Rd.
To register, and for more information, call 604-277-6427 or visit ChabadRichmond.com/jli.
Cost is $95/person or $160/couple and includes a textbook. Classes are 90 minutes long.
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