Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

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Join us as faculty of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) bring the ideas and scholarship of its faculty to bear on issues of our day.

Upcoming Episodes

Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is North America's leading institution of higher Jewish education and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. HUC-JIR educates leaders to serve North American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, and nonprofit management professionals, and offers graduate programs to scholars and clergy of all faiths. With centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York, HUC-JIR's scholarly resources comprise the renowned Klau Library, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, museums, research institutes and centers, and academic publications. In partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, HUC-JIR sustains the Reform Movement's congregations and professional and lay leaders. HUC-JIR's campuses invite the community to cultural and educational programs illuminating Jewish heritage and fostering interfaith and multiethnic understanding. While we are physically distant, we are pleased to offer opportunities for you to learn and connect with our HUC-JIR community online. We invite you to join us live for learning sessions with our esteemed faculty. Visit huc.edu/onlinelearning for more information.

Episode 1: Why Do We Fear Them? The Origin and History of Islamophobia - presented by Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Ph.D., moderated by Joshua Holo, Ph.D.

Islamophobia is not new, though the term (coined, it seems, in 1910) became popular only in the 1990s. Fear of Islam (or of Muslims) entered into Western culture and worldview since the emergence of Islam in the 7th century, and in the Middle Ages Jews were considered allies of the reviled Muslims in much of Europe. This session will examine the origins and history of Islamophobia and consider why it has so often been associated with fear and hatred of Jews. Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Ph.D., serves as Regenstein Professor in Medieval Judaism and Islam at HUC-JIR's Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles.

Episode 2: The Jewish Community in a Post-Virus Economy: An Analysis of What We Can Expect and Why - presented by Steven Windmueller, Ph.D, moderated by Joshua Holo, Ph.D. 

During this session, we will address some of the key economic realities and cultural outcomes in connection with the coronavirus, including the changing roles of leadership, the emerging impact of Jewish foundations and donor families in reshaping and defining the Jewish community, the rise of the new Jewish poor, the impact of social unrest, and an examination of the Jewish communal roadmap, as organizations and synagogues go through downsizing, mergers, and closures. Dr. Steven Windmueller serves as Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service at HUC-JIR's Jack H. Skirball Campus in Los Angeles.

Episode 3: What's Jewish about Jewish Political Thought? - presented by Andrew Rehfeld, Ph.D., President of HUC-JIR

If Jewish thought is open to conflicting interpretations, and as Reform Jews we accept that individuals are the ultimate arbiters of moral meaning of our tradition, how do we make sense of others who claim to know what a “Jewish” position is on any particular policy or issue is, be it gun control or foreign policy? But if we deny the existence of any explicitly “Jewish” position about a policy or politics more generally, how do we account for the very real and important phenomenon of an identifiable “prophetic-tradition” within Judaism that demands justice in our world? In this session, we will look at the theoretical issues behind these questions and ask, what exactly is Jewish Political Thought?