Being a Secular Jew: Concepts, Practice and Possibilities
Tova Birnbaum
Tuesdays - 12 Classes
2:30 PM Eastern / 11:30 AM Pacific - Starts February 22, 2022
Course Description:
Can the ideas and rich history of Secular Judaism become a source of inspiration for Jews in North America and all over the world today — for Jews who think of themselves as “just Jewish” or cultural Jews or non-religious Jews or Jew-ish — as they seek to understand who they are as Jews and what a meaningful Jewish life could look like?
In our post-denominational era, the boxes and labels of self-identification are opening up and the possibilities are endless. Secular Judaism is a term with a rich history, theology, depth, and practice. In this course, we will explore secular Judaism and examine the ideas, concepts and practices that inspired it.
We will look at classical Biblical and Rabbinic sources, as well as Medieval, Modern, Zionist, and contemporary Jewish thought and art. Through these windows, we will explore the roles of God, Jewish law, the Land of Israel, Jewish learning, and the Jewish people, as these different approaches have wrestled with many of the same questions and challenges we still face today.
In each session we will also take time to reflect and connect the dots between the texts, stories, practices, and ideas, and our own understanding of who we are as Jews and how we would like to shape the future of our own Jewishness.
Join Elisha Ben Abuya, Queen Esther, Spinoza, Ahad Ha'am, Leah Goldberg, Yehuda Amichai, and many more revolutionaries in this deep and engaging journey!
This course is offered in partnership with the Oshman Family JCC and Bina: The Jewish Movement for Social Change
Want to know more before registering?
Join us for an information session!
Meet Tova
Tova Birnbaum was born into the ultra-Orthodox community in B’nei B’rak, Israel, and grew up in a religiously observant home. After visiting American Jewish communities as a young Jewish educator, she embarked on a journey in which she sought her own Jewish voice, spirituality, and practice. Back in Israel, Tova joined the founding group of the BINA Secular Yeshiva in Tel Aviv, where she designed Israeli secular holiday rituals and taught Theater Midrash. She brought her biographical journey to the world of alternative theater and won the award for best actress at the Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre. Tova is currently the Director of Jewish Content at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, California, and is a faculty member of the Mandel Educational Leadership Program. Tova is a secular Jewish lifecycle ceremonies officiant, teacher of Rabbinic Literature, and a lecturer in Judaic studies. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Jewish Philosophy and a master's degree in Theater. She lives in Palo Alto, California, with her husband and daughter.
