Events Calendar
Rabbi Klapper, Dean of the Center for Modern Torah Leadership, will be speaking at Desserts and Learning on Sunday November 14th at 7.30 pm at Yale University on
The Prohibition of Gerut LeChumra:
This presentation addresses the question of whether and when it is legitimate to require people whose Jewishness derives from conversion, their own or a maternal ancestor's, to reconvert, in the context of a discussion about the generally proper halakhic approach to attempts to raise Halakhic standards.
Recent Events
CMTL's third annual professional conference, "Authenticity and Authority", took place August 17-18 at BU HIllel. The invitation-only conference drew attendees from Israel, Atlanta, and Kansas City as well as the Northeast and created tremendous energy and enthusiasm for the creation of an ongoing professional community. Proceedings of the conference introduction and first session are now available.
YISharon hosted SBM for a Shabbaton Shabbat July 17-18.
CMTL's 2009 Summer Beit Midrash (July 6 - August 10) was hosted by the Young Israel of Sharon.
CMTL and YISharon jointly presented an evening lecture "Religious Challenges and Opportunities of Secular Colleges, in the Present-Day American Scene" featuring Rabbi Klapper and Rabbi Menachem Schrader, Dean of the JLIC Program (of the OU and TorahMi-Tzion) and also Director of Overseas Students at Nishmat. MP3 of the lecture is available on this website.
CMTL cosponsored the 2008 YCT Tanakh Ymei Iyyun, with Rabbi Klapper presenting three lectures.
Gann Academy and The Center for Modern Torah Leadership sponsored two evenings of extraordinary learning and conversation
July 15
The Ethical Responsibilities of News Consumers
with
Mark Jurkowitz
Associate Director, The Project for Excellence in Journalism
Mark Jurkowitz inaugurated the position of Public Ombudsman for the Boston Globe and served for many years as Media Critic for the Boston Phoenix. He is a regular on Beat the Press. Mr. Jurkowitz’s work consistently and thoughtfully explores how to properly balance the necessity of active and aggressive investigative journalism against the very real costs to privacy and reputation that such journalism inevitably generates.
July 21
Should Judges be Empathetic?
with
Jeffrey Rosen
Legal Affairs Editor, The New Republic
Jeffrey Rosen is a Professor of Law at George Washington University whom the Los Angeles Times called "the nation's most widely read and influential legal commentator”. His books include The Unwanted Gaze, a compelling argument for restoring the legal significance of personal privacy in American law, whose title was drawn from the opening conversation of Talmud Tractate Bava Batra. His most recent book is The Supreme Court: The Personalities and Rivalries that Defined America.
Each evening ran from 7-9 pm at Gann Academy (333 Forest Street, Waltham) and included a formal presentation by the featured speaker as well as small-group study of Jewish sources (in English), a response by Gann faculty member and CMTL Dean Rabbi Aryeh Klapper and extended public conversations.
Yemei Iyun
YCT Rabbinical School in conjunction with Beit Morasha of Jerusalem, Center for Modern Torah Leadership, Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, Lookstein Center for Jewish Education, and Yeshivat Maaleh Gilboa presented the seventh annual Yemei Iyun on Bible and Jewish Thought June 28-Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at the Maayanot Yeshiva HS in Teaneck, NJ. Rabbi Klapper gave shiurim on "Did Hevel Have A Sense of Humor?", "Why Only Moses Could Redeem the Bones of Yosef", and "What Is the Purpose of Teaching Talmud?"Mar 1-Yom Iyun on Torah Consumer Ethics & Jewish Buyer Responsibilities with The Center for Modern Torah Leadership and Uri L'Tzedek. To see more, go to http://yctstudent.drewkaplan.info/Files/ConsumerismYomIyun/.
Feb 1 - Dangerous “Hava Aminas” and Why the Talmud Preserves Them: Thoughts on Hashem’s Initial Rejection of our Rabbinic Tradition YOM IYUN ON TALMUD AND TORAH SHE-BAAL PEH YCT and SAR High School. For more information see www.yctorah.org
Dec. 3 - Lecture on Business Ethics at NYU Hillel. Details here.
November 21-22
CMTL Rabbinic Intern Drew Kaplan serves as Scholar in Residence at the Tremont Street Shul Traditional Minyan
November 14-15
Scholar in Residence Shabbat at Harvard Hillel Orthodox Minyan. including
Motzaei Shabbat Address, "What Should Modern Orthodoxy Be?"
Nov. 12 - "What Should Klal Yisroel's Immigration Policy Be?"
Meorot Lecture. For more information see www.yctorah.org
October 7 - "Do Angels Fast on Yom Kippur? Thoughts about metaphor and reason in memory of Dr. Michael Hammer z"l"
Sponsored by Yeshivat Maalei Gilboa, 6:10 pm at the Brandeis University Beit Midrash
Oct. 4 - "Will bad things happen if we pray badly? Toward a realistic conception of spiritual responsibility"
Shabbat Shuvah derashah following kiddush for the Orthodox Minyan at Harvard Hillel
Shabbat September 19-20 - Rabbi Klapper served as Scholar in Residence at Young Israel of Plainview, including a pre-selichot derashah on Motzaei Shabbat. For more information see www.yiplainview.com.
September 26-27 - CMTL Rabbinic Intern Drew Kaplan spoke twice at Tremont Street Shul. Friday night his topic was "Circumcision of the Heart', and Shabbat following lunch his shiur discussed the custom of not sleeping on Rosh HaShannah day.
September 21 - "Sanctity without Sanctimony - Negotiating Orthodox Space on the Pluralistic and MultiDenominational Campus", a CMTL Intercampus Yom Iyyun, took place at MIT. Students from Harvard, MIT, Boston College, Boston University, and Wellesley University. Rabbi David Ruderman, JLI Fellow at UMASS Amherst, gave the lead shiur, which used teshuvot about chalav Yisroel as a springboard for a lively discussion of the interplay between practical Halakhah and broad visions of Halakhah. A panel including students, BU Hillel Education Director and JLI Fellow Rabbi Avi Heller, and CMTL's Mrs. Deborah Klapper then discussed specific campus halakhic topics.
