February Learning Seminar
Hadar's February Learning Seminar is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Torah study that is rigorous, nuanced, and sensitive to the full range of human experience and emotion. Designed as a deep dive into the ideas at the heart of Hadar, while learning alongside the students enrolled in our full-time Beit Midrash Fellowship, the February Learning Seminar opens up the world of Jewish wisdom through substantive, text-based learning and conversation.
- Join us for a stimulating week of learning at Hadar exploring deep issues in our lives as Jews through the lens of Torah.
- Connect with an incredible network of people, working together to build bolder, more ambitious, and more meaningful Jewish lives.
- Learn with Hadar faculty, including Rabbi Tali Adler, Rabbi Shai Held, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, Rabbi Avi Killip, Rabbi Aviva Richman, Rabbi Ethan Tucker, and Dena Weiss.
Registration
Orientation
Dinner
Opening Lecture
Why I Still (sometimes) Believe in God
R. Shai Held
We live in a religiously ambiguous world: there are good reasons to believe in God, and good reasons not to. We live in a world suffused with profound goodness and wondrous beauty; we also live in a world overrun by suffering, oppression, and degradation. How do we make sense of our lives amidst all this? Are faith and doubt mutually exclusive, or might faith actually require us to have doubts?
Arvit
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
1) Hesed Opportunity
2) Everyday Moral Dilemmas: Project Zug Beit Midrash (Optional):
R. Avi Strausberg
Learning in havruta is a chance to open yourself up to your havruta as well as the holiness of the text before you. In this session, participants will have a chance to learn in havruta and dive into the first session of R. Strausberg's Project Zug course "Everyday Moral Dilemmas." Our havrutas and Jewish wisdom will be our partners as we wrestle with everyday moral dilemmas and turn to Torah for guidance on pressing questions of our times.
Snack Break
Jewish Law and Jewish Values: A Conversation with R. Ethan Tucker and R. Aviva Richman
R. Ethan Tucker and R. Aviva Richman
Join Hadar's rashei yeshiva for a wide ranging discussion on a values-based approach to halakhah. Framed by their insights and guided by your questions, this session will get to the heart of what a life of Jewish purpose might look like.
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
1) Communal Singing
R. Deborah Sacks Mintz
2) Everyday Moral Dilemmas: Project Zug Beit Midrash (Optional):
R. Avi Strausberg
Learning in havruta is a chance to open yourself up to your havruta as well as the holiness of the text before you. In this session, participants will have a chance to learn in havruta and dive into the first session of R. Strausberg's Project Zug course "Everyday Moral Dilemmas." Our havrutas and Jewish wisdom will be our partners as we wrestle with everyday moral dilemmas and turn to Torah for guidance on pressing questions of our times.
Snack Break
Tefilah Electives
1) Praying Anew: Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
R. Elie Kaunfer
2) Egalitarian Prayer: Halakhic Considerations
R. Micha’el Rosenberg
In this elective, we will take a whirlwind tour of the halakhic questions and sources relevant to egalitarian prayer. In particular, we'll consider three main topics: 1) Do classical sources differentiate between women and men with regard to an obligation to pray? 2) What are the requirements to be a prayer leader in a minyan? 3) What are the criteria for counting in a minyan?
Connect and Reflect
Arvit
Dinner & What's Happening at Hadar?
with Rabbis Elie Kaunfer, Avi Killip, and Ethan Tucker
Pre-Ateret Zvi Prize Program Dessert Reception
Ateret Zvi Prize Program
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
“Ask the Faculty” Panel
Come with all your questions about Jewish life, meaning and tradition!
Snack Break
Wrap up
Closing Shuir
Finding Each other: What Happens in Havruta?
R. Tali Adler
Friends or sparring partners? The havruta relationship lies at the center of the beit midrash, but what exactly is it "supposed" to look like, and what do we hope to accomplish through its structure? In this class we will study several pieces about the ideal havruta and reflect on what role this unique partnership can play in our lives.
Join Singing and Arvit at the yeshiva
Rabbi Tali Adler
Rabbi Shai Held
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Rabbi Avi Killip
Rabbi Aviva Richman
Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg
Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz
Dr. Jeremy Tabick
Dr. Jeremy Tabick is the Content Manager and faculty at Hadar, where he teaches, curates, and edits Hadar's content—both online and in print—and Project Zug courses. Jeremy received his PhD in Talmud at JTS. He graduated from the University of Manchester (in the UK) with a Masters in Physics, and is an alumnus of Yeshivat Hadar and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He lives in Riverdale with his wife and three children.
Rabbi Ethan Tucker
Dena Weiss
Rabbi Jason Rogoff
Rabbi Jason Rogoff is faculty at Hadar. He was ordained by Hadar and holds a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Jason is also a faculty member at the Hebrew University's Rothberg International School. He is the co-author, along with Dr. Joshua Kulp, of Reconstructing the Talmud: An Introduction to the Academic Study of Rabbinic Literature Volumes I and II (Hadar Press, 2014, 2019).
Rabbi Avi Strausberg
The February Learning Seminar is open to people of all learning backgrounds looking to deepen their connection to Jewish thought and texts. Please make sure you consult the schedule before registering to make sure the times of the class slots work for you.
The February Learning Seminar will take place at Yeshivat Hadar, 210 W. 93rd Street, New York, NY 10025. Programming begins Sunday evening, February 4 and runs through the evening of Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Tuition includes access to the full range of programming, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner when programming runs into the evening.
- The cost of the in-person program is $750.
- An early bird rate of $650 is available until December 1. We also have scholarship and student rates available.
- To support our programming and allow others to attend the February Learning Seminar at reduced rates, please consider signing up as a Supporter for $1,000 rate.
If finances pose an obstacle to participation, please feel free to make use of the reduced rate of $750 or contact [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate.
The February Learning Seminar will only be offered in person. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with similar topics and modalities online in the near future.
We’d love to tell you more about this program! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Morning Talmud Tracks:
1) Am I My Brother's Keeper?
Dena Weiss
How many times have we asked a stranger to watch our bag or our laptop for a brief while? What would happen if someone stole the purse or spilled coffee on the computer? Is your new friend in Starbucks liable for the damage or loss?
We'll study the third chapter of Bava Metzia together. This chapter deals with the laws of custodianship: borrowing, renting, guarding and more! What are our financial obligations to one another? This class will focus not only on the legal concepts at play, but also serve as an introduction to Talmudic methodology and the mechanics of the Talmud.
This class is designed for students who have minimal or no background in Talmud and feel most comfortable learning texts in translation. The original language will be provided, but no facility with Hebrew will be assumed.
2) What is Tikkun Olam?
R. Dr. Jason Rogoff
We'll delve into specific sugyot from Chapter 4 of Tractate Gittin, each echoing the rabbinic principle of Tikkun Olam, commonly interpreted as "repairing the world." These texts will serve as a gateway to examining the complex interplay between rabbinic authority and Torah law, the delicate balance between communal necessities and individual needs, and the essence of Jewish autonomy within a minority context.
Morning Shiur K’lali Learning:
Praying with Integrity: Exploring the Core Words of our Tradition
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
We are gifted a centuries old tradition of words that form the structure of our prayers. But often we only scratch the surface of the meaning of these prayers - and their potential power. In these sessions, which will combine havruta and class discussions, we'll turn to liturgy, midrash, hasidut and poetry to explore an approach to prayer that is honest, authentic, and vulnerable.
"This week was in a class by itself….The jewel in the crown is the faculty itself, their mastery of the material, their love of teaching, and their warmth and affection for the learners."
"I can't wait to get back to studying with you at Hadar."
"The learning was fabulous. I get more optimistic about the future feeling the energy in the room as young and old learn together. Everyone is so respectful of each other and eager to learn."
Tuition includes access to the full range of programming, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner when programming runs into the evening.
- The cost of the in-person program is $750.
- An early bird rate of $650 is available until December 1. We also have scholarship and student rates available.
- To support our programming and allow others to attend the February Learning Seminar at reduced rates, please consider signing up at the $1,000 rate.
If finances pose an obstacle to participation, please feel free to make use of the reduced rate of $750 or contact [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate. Refunds are available until 2 weeks before each program
Overview
Hadar's February Learning Seminar is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Torah study that is rigorous, nuanced, and sensitive to the full range of human experience and emotion. Designed as a deep dive into the ideas at the heart of Hadar, while learning alongside the students enrolled in our full-time Beit Midrash Fellowship, the February Learning Seminar opens up the world of Jewish wisdom through substantive, text-based learning and conversation.
- Join us for a stimulating week of learning at Hadar exploring deep issues in our lives as Jews through the lens of Torah.
- Connect with an incredible network of people, working together to build bolder, more ambitious, and more meaningful Jewish lives.
- Learn with Hadar faculty, including Rabbi Tali Adler, Rabbi Shai Held, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, Rabbi Avi Killip, Rabbi Aviva Richman, Rabbi Ethan Tucker, and Dena Weiss.
Schedule
Registration
Orientation
Dinner
Opening Lecture
Why I Still (sometimes) Believe in God
R. Shai Held
We live in a religiously ambiguous world: there are good reasons to believe in God, and good reasons not to. We live in a world suffused with profound goodness and wondrous beauty; we also live in a world overrun by suffering, oppression, and degradation. How do we make sense of our lives amidst all this? Are faith and doubt mutually exclusive, or might faith actually require us to have doubts?
Arvit
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
1) Hesed Opportunity
2) Everyday Moral Dilemmas: Project Zug Beit Midrash (Optional):
R. Avi Strausberg
Learning in havruta is a chance to open yourself up to your havruta as well as the holiness of the text before you. In this session, participants will have a chance to learn in havruta and dive into the first session of R. Strausberg's Project Zug course "Everyday Moral Dilemmas." Our havrutas and Jewish wisdom will be our partners as we wrestle with everyday moral dilemmas and turn to Torah for guidance on pressing questions of our times.
Snack Break
Jewish Law and Jewish Values: A Conversation with R. Ethan Tucker and R. Aviva Richman
R. Ethan Tucker and R. Aviva Richman
Join Hadar's rashei yeshiva for a wide ranging discussion on a values-based approach to halakhah. Framed by their insights and guided by your questions, this session will get to the heart of what a life of Jewish purpose might look like.
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
1) Communal Singing
R. Deborah Sacks Mintz
2) Everyday Moral Dilemmas: Project Zug Beit Midrash (Optional):
R. Avi Strausberg
Learning in havruta is a chance to open yourself up to your havruta as well as the holiness of the text before you. In this session, participants will have a chance to learn in havruta and dive into the first session of R. Strausberg's Project Zug course "Everyday Moral Dilemmas." Our havrutas and Jewish wisdom will be our partners as we wrestle with everyday moral dilemmas and turn to Torah for guidance on pressing questions of our times.
Snack Break
Tefilah Electives
1) Praying Anew: Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
R. Elie Kaunfer
2) Egalitarian Prayer: Halakhic Considerations
R. Micha’el Rosenberg
In this elective, we will take a whirlwind tour of the halakhic questions and sources relevant to egalitarian prayer. In particular, we'll consider three main topics: 1) Do classical sources differentiate between women and men with regard to an obligation to pray? 2) What are the requirements to be a prayer leader in a minyan? 3) What are the criteria for counting in a minyan?
Connect and Reflect
Arvit
Dinner & What's Happening at Hadar?
with Rabbis Elie Kaunfer, Avi Killip, and Ethan Tucker
Pre-Ateret Zvi Prize Program Dessert Reception
Ateret Zvi Prize Program
Shaharit (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
Breakfast
Daily Orientation
Morning Learning
1) Talmud Track
Dena Weiss and R. Jason Rogoff
9:30-10:45 AM: Seder
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
2) Shiur Klali - Group Learning Track
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
9:30-10:45 AM: Shiur
10:45-11:15 AM: Break
11:15 AM-12:30 PM: Shiur
Lunch
Minhah (Traditional Service and Learner's Service)
“Ask the Faculty” Panel
Come with all your questions about Jewish life, meaning and tradition!
Snack Break
Wrap up
Closing Shuir
Finding Each other: What Happens in Havruta?
R. Tali Adler
Friends or sparring partners? The havruta relationship lies at the center of the beit midrash, but what exactly is it "supposed" to look like, and what do we hope to accomplish through its structure? In this class we will study several pieces about the ideal havruta and reflect on what role this unique partnership can play in our lives.
Join Singing and Arvit at the yeshiva
Faculty
Rabbi Tali Adler
Rabbi Shai Held
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Rabbi Avi Killip
Rabbi Aviva Richman
Rabbi Micha'el Rosenberg
Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz
Dr. Jeremy Tabick
Dr. Jeremy Tabick is the Content Manager and faculty at Hadar, where he teaches, curates, and edits Hadar's content—both online and in print—and Project Zug courses. Jeremy received his PhD in Talmud at JTS. He graduated from the University of Manchester (in the UK) with a Masters in Physics, and is an alumnus of Yeshivat Hadar and the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He lives in Riverdale with his wife and three children.
Rabbi Ethan Tucker
Dena Weiss
Rabbi Jason Rogoff
Rabbi Jason Rogoff is faculty at Hadar. He was ordained by Hadar and holds a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Jason is also a faculty member at the Hebrew University's Rothberg International School. He is the co-author, along with Dr. Joshua Kulp, of Reconstructing the Talmud: An Introduction to the Academic Study of Rabbinic Literature Volumes I and II (Hadar Press, 2014, 2019).
Rabbi Avi Strausberg
FAQs
The February Learning Seminar is open to people of all learning backgrounds looking to deepen their connection to Jewish thought and texts. Please make sure you consult the schedule before registering to make sure the times of the class slots work for you.
The February Learning Seminar will take place at Yeshivat Hadar, 210 W. 93rd Street, New York, NY 10025. Programming begins Sunday evening, February 4 and runs through the evening of Wednesday, February 7, 2024.
Tuition includes access to the full range of programming, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner when programming runs into the evening.
- The cost of the in-person program is $750.
- An early bird rate of $650 is available until December 1. We also have scholarship and student rates available.
- To support our programming and allow others to attend the February Learning Seminar at reduced rates, please consider signing up as a Supporter for $1,000 rate.
If finances pose an obstacle to participation, please feel free to make use of the reduced rate of $750 or contact [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate.
The February Learning Seminar will only be offered in person. Stay tuned for opportunities to engage with similar topics and modalities online in the near future.
We’d love to tell you more about this program! Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
Morning Learning Tracks
Morning Talmud Tracks:
1) Am I My Brother's Keeper?
Dena Weiss
How many times have we asked a stranger to watch our bag or our laptop for a brief while? What would happen if someone stole the purse or spilled coffee on the computer? Is your new friend in Starbucks liable for the damage or loss?
We'll study the third chapter of Bava Metzia together. This chapter deals with the laws of custodianship: borrowing, renting, guarding and more! What are our financial obligations to one another? This class will focus not only on the legal concepts at play, but also serve as an introduction to Talmudic methodology and the mechanics of the Talmud.
This class is designed for students who have minimal or no background in Talmud and feel most comfortable learning texts in translation. The original language will be provided, but no facility with Hebrew will be assumed.
2) What is Tikkun Olam?
R. Dr. Jason Rogoff
We'll delve into specific sugyot from Chapter 4 of Tractate Gittin, each echoing the rabbinic principle of Tikkun Olam, commonly interpreted as "repairing the world." These texts will serve as a gateway to examining the complex interplay between rabbinic authority and Torah law, the delicate balance between communal necessities and individual needs, and the essence of Jewish autonomy within a minority context.
Morning Shiur K’lali Learning:
Praying with Integrity: Exploring the Core Words of our Tradition
R. Elie Kaunfer and R. Avi Strausberg
We are gifted a centuries old tradition of words that form the structure of our prayers. But often we only scratch the surface of the meaning of these prayers - and their potential power. In these sessions, which will combine havruta and class discussions, we'll turn to liturgy, midrash, hasidut and poetry to explore an approach to prayer that is honest, authentic, and vulnerable.
Testimonials
"This week was in a class by itself….The jewel in the crown is the faculty itself, their mastery of the material, their love of teaching, and their warmth and affection for the learners."
"I can't wait to get back to studying with you at Hadar."
"The learning was fabulous. I get more optimistic about the future feeling the energy in the room as young and old learn together. Everyone is so respectful of each other and eager to learn."
Fee Information
Tuition includes access to the full range of programming, daily breakfast and lunch, and dinner when programming runs into the evening.
- The cost of the in-person program is $750.
- An early bird rate of $650 is available until December 1. We also have scholarship and student rates available.
- To support our programming and allow others to attend the February Learning Seminar at reduced rates, please consider signing up at the $1,000 rate.
If finances pose an obstacle to participation, please feel free to make use of the reduced rate of $750 or contact [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate. Refunds are available until 2 weeks before each program