ALI Recordings and Online Learning Resources

Recordings of Advanced Learning Institute Programs

Scroll down to see all recordings

What Makes Someone a Jew? with Rabbi Daniel Levine

This question in 2025 has deep personal and political consequences with roots in ancient Jewish debates. Rabbi Daniel will trace how ideas of Jewish identity have shifted across time - from biblical categories to the modern crises of belonging. We will explore why there has never been one clear answer to the question of Jewish identity and why the debate itself may be essential to Jewish continuity.

Prayer and Polemic: Defending the Cantorial Profession in the 1700s
with Cantor Matthew Austerklein

By the turn of the eighteenth century, a new paradigm for cantors had emerged among Ashkenazic Jews -- that of the musical professional. Yet this new model of cantor, with its use of choral assistants and expansive, modern musical repertoire, was staunchly opposed by rabbis and traditionalists who felt the culture slipping from their grasp. Based on his doctoral research, Cantor Matt Austerklein will guide us through these rancorous, humorous, and colorful debates about cantors which touch deeply on the cultural and religious questions of our own time

May 5, 2025 | Recording

Perspectives on Song of Songs in Sacred Literature
with Rabbi David Lazar

Unlike most books in the TaNaKah, Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) does not focus on narrative, law, wisdom or historical events. Instead it is erotic poetry in which lovers express passionate desire through the exchange of words fragrant with adoration and desire. We will explore what led our Sages to imagine that this book was suitable for the Jewish scriptural cannon and how church patriarchy reinterpreted classical rabbinic understanding.

April 21 | Song of Songs in the Haggadah and Aggadah | Recording
April 28 | Christian-Jewish Dialogue Over Song of Songs | Recording
May 12 | Song of Songs 4:1-7 - R, Maybe Even X, Rated | Recording

Proverbial Wisdom
with Rabbi David Lazar

Known in Hebrew as Mishlei, the Book of Proverbs is a collection of separate writings that address patterns of life and different value systems. Considered essential to the library of Wisdom Literature, Mishlei raises questions about values, moral behavior, the meaning of human life, and proper conduct.

What Israelis are Thinking About
Candid conversations with Shachar Gal, founder of Hands on Israel

Israeli tour guide, Shachar Gal, founded Hands on Israel as a concierge tour agency designed for families and groups seeking individualy crafted Israel experiences. Formerly, he served as an Israeli emissary for Shorashim, a Chicago-based Israel education organization.

In two candid conversations, Shachar will share boots-on-the-ground perspectives on essential matters including:

How different groups within Israel are responding to Middle East policy ideas offered by America’s new administration
The current hostage situation and long term impacts of October 7, 2023 on daily life
How politics within Israel may unfold in the coming year...and more.

February 24, 2025 | Recording
March 3, 2025 | Recording

Climate Denial, Climate Change and Collaborative Solutions
with Matthew R. Hartman, PhD and Julia R. Lupton, PhD

Drs. Lupton and Hartman will present current challenges posed by climate change denial and offer an overview of WUICAN (Wildland-Urban Interface Climate Action Network) - a consortium of community-based organizations, California Native American Tribes, land managers and universities in SoCal working together to address the climate crisis. WUICAN’s goal is to create new models for co-governance and design of climate solutions centering on the needs of impacted communities.

February 10, 2025 | Recording

Wheels Within Wheels: The Jewish Year through Time and History
With Rabbi Sarah Bracha Gershuny

A foundational aspect of living a Jewish life is moving according to the Jewish rhythm of time - holidays, fast days, new moons and sabbaths. The Jewish calendar is a composite of many different cycles accrued over millennia with roots reaching back to our pagan past, forward into a messianic future while embracing existential questions and modern nationalism along the way.

Wine, Bread and Coffee: How Jewish Sacred Texts and Merchant Livelihoods Expanded Food Appreciation throughout History
With Rabbi Micah Becker-Klein

For thousands of years, Jews peddled goods throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Our role in introducing new tastes and smells to business partners across boarders and seas cannot be overstated. Please join Rabbi Micah as he takes us on a Jewish journey into the world of bread, wine and coffee.

December 2, 2024 | Recording
December 9, 2024 | Recording
December 16, 2024 | Recording

Placing the 2024 Election in the Context of History
with Dr. Scott Spitzer, CSUF Professor of Political Science

Some argue that the 2024 election is unique and different than any previous election in our country’s history. Professor Spitzer will review a powerful model for understanding presidents in “political time” to help us interpret Trump’s 2024 victory as both a continuation and break from established political trends and what that might mean going forward.

November 25, 2024 | Recording

Placing the 2024 Election in the Context of History
with Dr. Scott Spitzer, CSUF Professor of Political Science

Some argue that the 2024 election is unique and different than any previous election in our country’s history. Professor Spitzer will review a powerful model for understanding presidents in “political time” to help us interpret Trump’s 2024 victory as both a continuation and break from established political trends and what that might mean going forward.

November 25, 2024 | Recording

Kabbalah and Catastrophe: Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish Mysticism with Professor Hartley Lachter

In his latest book, Professor Lachter analyzes innovative kabbalistic doctrines, such as the idea of reincarnation and the notion of multiple successive universes, through which Jewish mystics sought to demonstrate that the misfortunes of Jewish history were in fact necessary steps toward redemption.

If you missed any of Professor Lachter sessions, email joy@jewishcollaborativeoc.org and we will send you a recording.

Hidden Biblical Treasures: Highlights from Apocryphal Literature with Rabbi Mike Mymon

The formal biblical cannon left out essential texts written during the Hellenistic period that left an indelible mark on Jewish theology and practice. Rabbi Mike will highlight some of these essential writings and their impact on rabbinic Judaism.

October 21 | Recording

Job: When Bad Things Happen to Good People
with Rabbi Suzanne Singer
September 23, 30, Oct 7 and 14

Experiencing inexplicable pain and suffering is an aspect of the human condition that people of every faith tradition have wrestled with for millennia. The Book of Job invites us into a conversation about the connection between suffering and punishment by exploring the story of one righteous man confronted with overwhelming misfortune through no fault of his own. Join us as we explore the complex topic of theodicy and pathways for coping in the face of disaster.

Rambam Revealed with Rabbi Mike Moshe Mymon
Monday, September 16

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (aka Maimonides or Rambam) is purported to possess (arguably) the greatest rabbinic mind of all time. Rabbi Mike will share details of Rambam's personal history and family as well as his most impactful written works including the Thirteen Articles of Faith, Guide to the Perplexed, and the Mishneh Torah.

Recording

Between Transcendence and Immanence: How Kabbalah Indelibly Shifted the Jewish View of God with Rabbi Daniel Levine
August 19, 26 and September 9

Jewish practices that are today considered mainstream - the structure and substance of prayer, Shabbat and holiday rituals, acts of social conscience - have been shaped because of and in response to the growth of Kabbalah as a formidable voice in Judaism’s understanding of God. In this course, Rabbi Daniel will reveal different layers of Kabbalah's impact on essential Jewish practices that have evolved and become fixed in the last 400 years.

“Eicha - Alas, how…?” Reading Lamentations in 2024 with Bex Rosenblatt

Since October 7th, the words of Lamentations echo: The Lord "killled all that is precious to the eye. In the tent of Daughter Zion, He poured out like fire His fury." And so, "finished by tears are my eyes, my insides are burning. My very liver is poured out to the earth over the destruction of my people."

The Book of Lamentations answers its own desperate, unfathomable loss and ensuing silence from God by offering readers a path to rebuilding community. It invites us to sit together and remember what was, trying to structure a world where such devastation can never happen to us again.

The ritual of chanting Eicha every year as an expression of lament has helped us live through every tragedy that has befallen the Jewish people. The massacre of October 7th is no exception. We will immerse ourselves in select verses from Lamentations that have been chanted and reinterpreted throughout Jewish history to help communities cope with the harsh realities of their time.

August 5 | Recording
August 12 | Recording

Jewish Life in the UK Yesterday and Today: Discoveries and highlights from JCoOC’s tour of four centers of Jewish life in Great Britain that took root in the 17th century. With Cantor Matthew Austerklein

July 29 | Recording

From Cantor to Rabbi: What a Growing Trend Reveals about our changing Jewish World with Rabbi Caitlin Bromberg

Rabbi Hazzan Caitlin Bromberg (JTS class of 2000 / AJRCA class of 2024) will share key elements from her master’s thesis that explores why so many professional cantors are choosing to return to school mid-career in pursuit of rabbinic ordination, and what this trend reveals about a changing Jewish landscape within pluralistic Jewish life.

July 8 | Part 1 | Recording
July 22 | Part 2 | Recording

Jewish Arts and Artists Through the Ages with Sylvia Conant

June 17 | Hidden Talent - Jewish Artists prior to 1850. Prior to the Enlightenment, Jewish artists needed to conceal their ethnicity and had limited opportunity for exposure or public recognition | Recording

June 24 | Modern Jewish Artists from the 19th Century through the Present Day: An Explosion of Talent Inspired by Torah, Culture and History | Recording

Shema as a promise of Unification and Jewish Community: A Pre-Shavuot Text Study with Bex Rosenblatt

Midrash asserts that Jacob’s children assured their father on this deathbed that they were committed to the oneness of God by saying: “Listen, Israel (Jacob) - God is our God. God is One!” With Bex’s guidance, we will explore how this powerful narrative might inform our own recitation of Judaism's seminal prayer.

June 10 | Recording

Changing College Campuses:What’s in Store for Jewish Students and University Administrations Going Forward with Rabbi Daniel

Rabbi Daniel Levine has been engaged with OC’s Hillels for close to a decade, working closely with Jewish students during times of turmoil and times of calm. The terror of October 7th opened floodgates of latent antisemitism on campus, and the long term impacts are irreversible. He will share his insights with us on how Jewish students can be better prepared.

June 3 | Recording

Rabbi David Lazar Live From Israel

For more than two decades, David worked as a rabbi and raised his family in Israel. Visiting his children and grandchildren, he joins us from Israel to share the state of daily life, what feels different, how Israeli’s are feeling about the current unrest and the future of the country.

May 20 | Recording | Slides

Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron with Rabbi Mike Moshe Mymom

Session 1 Yom HaShoah | Modern Zionism to the Establishment of the State of Israel (circa 1882 to 1948) through the Lens of the Holocaust

| Recording | Slides

Session 2 Yom Hazikaron | Personal Reflections of the Six Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War (1973), and the Peace for the Galilee War (1982)

| Recording | Slides

Mission-driven Haggadah Art in the Gross Family Collection with Rabbi David Lazar

April 1 | | Recording | Study Sheet

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

Session 1 | April 1 | Recording | Study Sheet

Session 2 | April 8 | Recording | Study Sheet

Session 3 | April 15 | Recording | Study Sheet

Jews is Theory with Rabbi Shlachter

Session 1 | March 18 - Jews at Los Alamos During the Manhattan Project | Recording | Slides

Session 2 | March 25 - A Jewish Perspective on the Relationship Between Lewis Strauss and J. Robert Oppenheimer
| Recording | Slides

An Insider´s Guide to the History of Eretz Yisrael with Rabbi Mike Moshe Mymon

Session 1 | March 4 - From Avraham to Joshua (Circa 1990-1250 BCE) | Recording

Session 2 | The Davidic Kingdom and Israel's Second Commonwealth (Circa 1020 BCE - 135 CE) | Recording

Governance and Leadership in Genesis with Bex Rosenblatt

Session 1 | February 5 - In the image of God: In the beginning, God created order out of chaos. As creator and Covenant Maker, how does God provide a model for humans to follow as we rule? | Recording

Session 2 / February 19
Abraham the Anti-King: Abraham consorts with kings without ever being seduced by the call of kingship. | Recording

Session 3 / February 26
Joseph in Pharaoh's Court: Finally, Joseph saves the world and enslaves a nation. | Recording

Neo-Hasidism - A Creative Approach to Making Jewish Meditation and Spirituality Accessible with Rabbi K'vod Wieder

An Insider's View into Antisemitism on College Campuses with special guest Lisa Armory

Dec 18 | Recording

The Medieval Debates that Gave Us Modern Judaism with Rabbi Daniel Levine

The Great Jewish thinkers of the Middle Ages were philosophers, poets, mystics and physicians - working out in their own minds how to reconcile evolved Jewish practice with primary philosophical schools of thought. Rabbi Daniel will take us on a 4-week journey into the great minds of the time and their enduring impact on the trajectory of Jewish thought and practice that are still manifest today.

Israel Day by Day with Aaron Miller and Johanna Rose

A meaningful conversation with two recent olim who find meaning and hope in the daily tasks of helping Israelis (displaced families, children, soldiers) in need of community support. We learned first hand how the country has come together in powerful and surprising ways and how we can help.

Nov. 20 | Recording

Understanding the Israeli-Hamas War: Historical Context and Multiple Narratives with CSUF Professor Scott Spitzer

CSUF Professor Scott Spitzer will offer insights into Israel’s current crisis and its need to root out Hamas operatives dedicated to the elimination of the state. The stakes are high and many innocent lives stand to be lost during this defensive campaign. We will come together to process and understand.

Nov. 13 | Recording

Encountering the Other Through Sacred Text with Rabbi David Lazar

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 in local and global settings. In this 4-part series, Rabbi David will share highlights and lessons learned from his interfaith encounters over the last 2 decades.

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.

October 2 | Recording

Tending to Our Souls for the High Holy Days: God’s Blessing in Genesis 22 with Rabbi Lilly Kaufman

September 18 | Recording

Prophecy and History with Hazzan Marcia Lane

What makes a prophet a prophet? What does the Torah tell us concerning when to trust or believe a prophecy? Hazzan Marcia Lane will explore early examples of prophecy and the beginning of this revolutionary literary tradition.

This series compliments Marcia’s course, Ten Haftarot in 8 Weeks but it is designed as an independent course. See below for a week-by-week class description.

Eleven Haftarot in 8 weeks with with Hazzan Marcia Lane

Join Hazzan Marcia Lane in exploring the three haftarot of rebuke before Tisha b'Av and the seven haftarot of consolation leading up to Rosh Hashanah. We will examine the history, personalities, language, and metaphors that make these prophetic passages so compelling.

Teaching God to Cry: Understanding the Book of Lamentations through Midrash with Bex Stern Rosenblatt

Bex Stern Rosenblatt will expand our appreciation of Lamentations in anticipation of Tisha b’Av through a close read of selections from Eicha Raba.

A Deep Dive Into Streams of Zionist Thought and Theory
with Rabbi Daniel Levine

In this series, we will be exploring the different types of Zionistic thinking that would eventually create the framework for the diverse array of political philosophies within modern-day Israel.

May 22 | Herzl and an Introduction to Zionism | Recording

June 5 | Ahad Ha’am and Cultural Zionism - A State for the Jews or Jewish State? | Recording

June 12 | Revisionist Zionism: The Beginning of a 100-Year Political Battle | Recording

June 26 | Religious Zionism: When Politics Becomes Holy | Recording

The Pop Culture of Prayer with Cantor Matt Austerklein

Come experience the sacred nerdiness of the rabbis! Our sages constructed the texts of the siddur almost entirely out of cultural references to scenes from their favorite stories -- from the Torah! Examining our most well-known prayer texts, we will explore how these stories behind the prayers broaden our opportunity to connect to God and the siddur.

The Book of Ruth: Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After with Hazzan Marcia Lane

April 10 | Once Upon a Time | Recording
One could view the Book of Ruth as classic fairy tale. In the first of two parts, we examine the linguistic conventions and 'markers' of the traditional fairy tale, and see how they map onto the story of Ruth. Also, we will explore the legal and agricultural motifs in the story.

April 17 | And They Lived Happily Ever After | Recording
Part 2 of the exploration of the Book of Ruth examines the manipulation of convention in order to obtain the "right" ending for the story. Also, we'll see how storytelling changes history.

Sex and the Temple with Hazzan Marcia Lane
The erotic poetry of Shir HaShirim, and the allegorical interpretations that made it 'kosher'. A look at the language, structure, and steamy nature of the Song of Songs. Audio examples of some of the popular and more obscure musical compositions inspired by Shir HaShirim.

April 3 | Sex and the Temple | Recording

Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict with Professor Scott Spitzer
Scott Spitzer, Associate Professor of Political Science at California State University, Fullerton, invites us to join him for his course on the Politics of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The class will explore the multiple and oftentimes conflicting narratives of major inflection points in Israel’s relationships with her surrounding neighbors, and with the Palestinians.

March 12 | Introduction to the Course: Early Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism | Recording

March 19 | Palestine under the British Mandate | Recording

March 26 | Competing Narratives: Israeli Independence? “Nakba”? | Recording

April 2 | | Recording

April 16 |The six-day war; Israel’s borders; Israel’s nuclear capacity Part 1 | Recording

April 23 | The six-day war; Israel’s borders; Israel’s nuclear capacity Part 2 | Recording

April 30| Yom Kippur War and the Aftermath | No recording available

May 14| Camp David, the Israel-Egypt Peace Agreement & the Lebanon War | Recording

May 21| From the First Intifadah to the 1993 Oslo Accord | Recording

June 4| Oslo unfulfilled + The Second Intifada and it’s Repercussions | Recording

June 18| Oslo 2 and What Went Wrong | Recording

June 25| Is Peace still Possible? | Recording

Cancel Culture and the Megillot with Rabbi Daniel Levine
How the Books of Esther, Shir Hashirim and Kohelet were almost excluded from the Jewish scriptural cannon

March 13 | The Attempted Canceling of the Book of Esther
Recording

March 20 | Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) and Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) Barely Missed the Cutting Room Floor | Recording

Preview of Upcoming Class "Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict" and Updates on the Israeli Parliament
Scott Spitzer gave an overview of our upcoming ALI In the Evening series "Understanding the Arab-Israeli Conflict." He also touched upon current changes in the Israeli Parliament.

March 6 | Recording

From Catastrophe to Hope: The Biblical Book of Joel with Rabbi David Lazar

The account of Joel’s words is short but it packs a wallop: it’s vivid and colorful, even scary. While some scholars assume Joel was one of the early prophets—a contemporary of the First Temple in Jerusalem—many claim he was actually one of the last prophets, writing in Jerusalem in the time of Second Temple and yearning for the time when the Dispersed would return to the Land.

Join us for a close reading of this fascinating little book, in an attempt to understand the circumstances surrounding its composition, use of other biblical materials and how it has been understood over the centuries. Course study sheets are downloadable in recorded video descriptions.

Mahloket Matters How to Disagree Constructively with Rabbi Marcia Tilchin

A six-session curriculum created by the Pardes Center for Judaism and Conflict Resolution (PCJCR) titled Mahloket Matters: – The Beit Midrash Way. The methodology of wrestling with conflicting opinions, found on every page of classic Jewish texts, can be used to increase one's desire and ability to understand and engage more constructively with conflicting political / social opinions and improving civil discourse.

Each unit examines a central question which is first analyzed through a biblical conflict story and then examines contradictory historical precedents that can be used to support or refute opposing responses to the central question of the unit.

Oct 24 | Introduction | Recording
Dec. 19 | Unit 1: Meet or Refuse to Meet? From Korah and Moses to Political Adversaries Today | Recording
Jan. 30 | Unit 2: Fear War Or Trust Peace? | Recording
Feb. 27 | Unit 3: Xenophobia Or National Security? | Recording
Mar. 27 | Unit 4: Coexist or Separate? From Isaac and Ishmael to Israelis and Palestinians | Recording
June 19 | Unit 5: "Fake News" or Uncovering the Truth | Recording

Jewish Music & Migration in Europe 1550-1650 with Cantor Matt Austerklein. (2022)
The era of Shakespeare, Galileo, and Newton was also one of great migration and musical growth for Jewish communities across the Mediterranean. This class will uncover the little told history of these diverse Jewish musical cultures which form the foundation of Jewish soundscapes today.

Oct 31st | Germany | Recording
Nov 7th | Italy #1: Salamone Rossi, Leon Moderna, & Jews in the Italian Arts | Recording
Nov 21st | Italy #2: Music of Shylock's Venice w/guest teacher Avery Gosfield | Recording
Nov 28th | Turkey | Recording
Dec 5th | Bohemia and Poland | Recording
Dec 12th | Amsterdam | Recording

From Talmud to Tachlis: The Framework of the Rabbis
Aug 15 From Narrative to Law and Back Again | Recording | Source Sheet
Aug 22 Intention or Consequentialism | Recording
Aug 29 Ritual Ethical Consumerism | Recording

Conception, Pregnancy and Birth in the Bible with Bex Stern
June 13th Class Recording  Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth in Creation
June 20th Class Recording  Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth in Genesis
July 11th Class Recording   Conception, Pregnancy, and Birth in Genesis

An Exploration with Bible Scholar Bex Stern Rosenblatt
March 1 Class Recording The Book of Esther
March 8 Class Recording The Book of Esther
April 4 Class Recording The Book of Songs | Shir HaShirim
April 11 Class Recording The Book of Songs | Shir HaShirim
May 16 Class Recording The Book of Ruth
May 23 Class Recording The Book of Ruth

Mussar and the Omer with Rabbi Marcia Plumb
A 3-week class on the connection between the spiritual practices of Mussar and moving through the Omer in a purposeful way with Mussar expert Rabbi Marcia Plumb of Congregation Mishkan Tefillah.
April 25 class recording
May 2 class recording
May 9 class recording

Shakespeare & Wisdom with Professor Julia Lupton
In this three-part lecture series, UCI Shakespeare scholar Julia Lupton explored Shakespeare as a wisdom writer, with an emphasis on his engagement with works from the Hebrew Bible. Feel free to enjoy the recordings from this recent ALI series.

Monday, March 7 Psalms, Sonnets, and Soliloquies | Class Recording
Monday, March 14: “Justice, Justice Thou Shalt Pursue” Shakespeare and Equity | Class Recording
Monday, March 21: Woman Wisdom: Shakespeare’s Female Truth-Seekers | Class Recording

Recordings of Advanced Learning Institute Programs

Eleven Haftarot in 8 weeks with with Hazzan Marcia Lane

Teaching God to Cry: Understanding the Book of Lamentations through Midrash with Bex Stern Rosenblatt

The Pop Culture of Prayer with Cantor Matt Austerklein

Other Online Programs