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Advanced Learning Institute: Mondays 9:30-10:30 AM (Pacific)

Upcoming Classes

Looking for in-depth Jewish learning? Join our ongoing group of adult learners and engage with gifted Jewish scholars from around the country. 

Upcoming Classes 

March 25 | Jews in Theory with Rabbi Jack Shlachter
April 1 | From Redemption to Resurrection with Rabbi David Lazar
April 8 | From Redemption to Resurrection with Rabbi David Lazar
April 15 | From Redemption to Resurrection with Rabbi David Lazar

ALI Archives

To see a menu of recent courses and to view recordings click here.


 

From Redemption to Resurrection: The Journey from Passover to Easter with Rabbi David Lazar

Mondays - 9:30 am PT | 12:30 pm ET
April 1, 8 and 15

During the weeks between Easter and Passover, we will explore how evolving Christian theology utilized some of Passover’s symbols and themes to craft its own story of redemption.

About Rabbi David Lazar
Born in Los Angeles in 1957, Rabbi Lazar has lived and practiced across the spectrum of Jewish observance, from his liberal Conservative familial roots to Orthodoxy in his teens, followed by his move to Israel, where he began his rabbinical studies while serving in the IDF Armor Corps. In 1981, while farming in the Gaza Strip, he met and married Sascha Meijers; they are the parents of five grown daughters and proud grandparents of three. Since his ordination by the Schechter Institute in 1993, Rabbi Lazar has led congregations in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Stockholm, and Palm Springs. As a Jewish educator in a variety of frameworks, he continues to promote inclusive Jewish practice and interfaith dialogue. Rabbi Lazar was among the earliest international LGBTQ advocates, performing the first gay wedding in Israel in 2001, years before same-sex marriage was legal there. His non-profit service includes the Israel AIDS Task Force, the Jerusalem Open House, and the Rabbinical Assembly. David and Sascha Lazar now live in Palm Springs, California, where Rabbi Lazar serves as spiritual leader of Or Hamidbar.

Register for From Redemption to Resurrection: The Journey from Passover to Easter 

We look forward to having you join this ALI class
Thank you!

 


 

Jews in Theory with Rabbi Jack Shlachter

March 18: Jews at Los Alamos During the Manhattan Project
Los Alamos, New Mexico, was non-existent until the exigency of developing an atomic weapon forced the creation of the Manhattan Project and this secret science community in 1943.  A snapshot of the Theoretical Division roster at Los Alamos reveals a leadership structure that is disproportionately of Jewish heritage; the division leader, deputy division leader, chief consultant, and six of the eight group leaders were Jewish by some definition of the term.  Of the roughly 80 individuals in the division, four (all Jewish) would go on to become Nobel Laureates. These colorful individuals were unique characters, and their backgrounds and connections to Judaism were quite varied. This talk will explore members of this leadership team as well as some of the other Jewish, key individuals at Los Alamos during World War II and speculate on the connection between their presence at Los Alamos and their Jewish roots.

March 25: A Jewish Perspective on the Relationship Between Lewis Strauss and J. Robert Oppenheimer
In June 1954 the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) revoked the security clearance of Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the scientific leader of the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs.  Particularly in Los Alamos, the canonical view today of the clearance clash between Oppenheimer and 1954 AEC Chairman Lewis Strauss paints Oppenheimer as the victim and Strauss as the villain.  This presentation will focus on the Jewish dimension of these two individuals and reflect on how their opposing approaches to their respective Jewish heritage may have contributed to the revocation.  We'll begin by exploring the history of the Jewish presence in the United States and the mechanisms used by Jews to integrate into American society.  A little-known connection between Strauss and the Los Alamos Jewish Center will be described.  Through the efforts in part of the Los Alamos-based J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee, in December 2022 the Secretary of Energy apologized for the clearance revocation and vacated the June 1954 decision In The Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Jack Shlachter is a physicist who worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory for over thirty years with briefer stints at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York, the Atomic Energy Agency, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, the latter two based in Vienna, Austria; he led both the Physics Division and Theoretical Division during his LANL career.  In parallel, Jack is an ordained rabbi who led the Jewish congregation in Los Alamos for many years, was the rabbi in The Jewish Center of The Moriches, NY, during his years at Brookhaven, and now serves as rabbi of HaMakom, a congregation in Santa Fe, NM as well as the Los Alamos Jewish Center.  He has also provided itinerant rabbinic support to far-flung Jewish communities including those in Vienna, Austria,  Beijing, China, and Warsaw, Poland.

Register for Jews in Theory with Rabbi Jack Shlachter

We look forward to having you join this ALI class
Thank you!

 


 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784