Feb

25 2018

JFC - Israelity: We Declare: Reflections on Israel's 70th Birthday

2:00PM - 5:30PM  

8485 Ridge Rd.
Cincinnati, OH

Join us for a journey exploring the realities of Israel and our vision for its future. Israel’s Declaration of Independence is the runway for this discussion about the vision Israel’s founding fathers and mothers had when they put pen to paper in 1948 and how it is lived and breathed today.

By diving deep into the text, through workshops led by Rabbis, educators, and Hebrew Union College scholars, we will examine our culture and our past, as well as our vision for the future of the State of Israel.

Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Zohar Raviv.

Facilitators will include:

  • Dr. Jonathan Cohen
  • Dr. Arna Poupko Fisher
  • Rabbi Ezra Goldschmiedt
  • Rabbi Ofer S. Beit Halachmi
  • David Harris
  • Rabbi Shena P. Jaffee
  • Rabbi Lewis Kamrass
  • Rabbi Jan Katzew
  • Maia Morag
  • Rabbi Eric Slaton
  • Rabbi Irvin Wise
  • Rabbi Gary P. Zola

The event will culminate in a re-enactment and festive reading of the Declaration of Independence, including Dr. Gary Zola playing the role of David Ben-Gurion and Barb Miller as Gold Meir.

We Declare is presented in partnership with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in celebration of Israel at 70.


The schedule for the afternoon:

2:00-2:10 Opening remarks

2:10-3:10 Keynote speaker Zohar Raviv

“We Declare”: Envisioning a Future for Israel with an Ear to the Past

Israel’s Declaration of Independence serves as the textual backbone for the existence of the State of Israel, its historical rationale, and ethical trajectory. Dr. Zohar Raviv will offer a contextualized look into this document, interweaving five different ways to understand Israel within our collective memory as a people, and wrestling with the profound challenges in its wake as we declare the vision for the next 70 years of the state of Israel.

3:10-3:20 Break, nosh and find your class

3:20-4:30 One hour Limud workshop of your choice (See the full list of workshops and speakers here.)

4:30-5:00 Declaration Re-Enactment