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
Oct 2 | Sukkot Decorations and Jewish Folk Art
Oct 9 | Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text
Oct 16 | Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text
Oct 23 | Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text
Oct 30 | Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text
ALI Archives
Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text with Rabbi David Lazar
Monday, October 9,16, 23 and 30
In this 4-part series, Rabbi David will share some of the highlights of his interfaith encounters over the last 2 decades.
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 Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text
Sukkot Decorations and Jewish Folk Art with Rabbi David Lazar
Monday, October 2
From promoting mitzvot to promoting social and political agendas, from describing this world to describing the world to come, from encouraging us to leave the comfort of our homes to encouraging us to welcome others into our midst, Sukkot decorations tell a colorful story of how Jews have observed and thought about this holiday over the last 230 years.
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 Sukkot Decorations and Jewish Folk Art