We are delighted to welcome author SCOTT D. SELIGMAN back to A Tree with Roots! Scott is a public historian with a specialty in uncovering long-forgotten yet fascinating and pivotal moments in our history.

The struggle over the place of religion in public schools has deep roots. In the 19th century it was an intramural struggle between Protestants and Catholics. But at Christmastime in 1905, when the Presbyterian principal of a Brooklyn elementary school urged his Jewish students to be more like Jesus, Jews entered the fray in a big way. It was just the trigger activist Albert Lucas had been waiting for. Fresh from battling Christian settlement houses brazen about their intent to convert Jewish children, Lucas accused the public schools of illegal proselytizing and demanded limits on religious content in the schools.

After the Board of Education let the principal off with a slap on the wrist in 1906, the New York Jewish community staged a boycott of school Christmas pageants, prompting widespread student absences. The protest prompted policy changes—but also an antisemitic backlash. Jews were accused of “waging war on Christmas” and of being less than true Americans. Scott Seligman’s new book The Great Christmas Boycott of 1906 describes how this moment shaped the Jewish community’s long term efforts to challenge Christian influence in public life and traces the dispute to the present day.

Scott D. Seligman is a national award-winning writer of narrative non-fiction and biography with an interest in the history of hyphenated Americans. He has written three books on American Jewish history, including The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902, which was a finalist in the 2020 National Jewish Book Awards and won gold medals in history in the Independent Publisher Book Awards and Reader Views Literary Awards.

The book is available from the publisher at a discount of 40% for A Tree with Roots: Order here and use the discount code 6AF25.

We’re delighted to welcome RABBI MICHAEL MARMUR back to A Tree with Roots for a discussion of his crucial, engaging, new book of Jewish theology.

In LIVING THE LETTERS: An Alphabet of Emerging Jewish Thought, Rabbi Marmur employs the structure of the Hebrew alphabet to create an accessible and meaningful approach to emerging Jewish theology. He presents a case for the urgent relevance of Jewish life at a time of deepening rupture and accelerating change. For each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Marmur proposes a concept, gleaned from theology, philosophy, ritual, politics, community, and other fields, inviting readers to use them in imagining a Judaism of tomorrow.

Simply put: the new book is the most exciting work of Jewish theology I (Neal) have read in years, by one of our most insightful and engaging teachers. It’s also the first book of Jewish philosophy to engage the implications of post-Oct. 7 Jewish life.

MICHAEL MARMUR is Associate Professor of Jewish Theology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. He previously served as the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at HUC-JIR, and was Dean of the Jerusalem campus. He served for three years as Chair of the Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights. After some 20 years in administrative capacities, he now concentrates his energies on teaching and writing. 

The 9th of Av is the most melancholy day in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the historical Exiles: from Judaism, from God, and from one another. Built into the themes of the day - and a remarkable thread running through Jewish literature - is a rejection of zealotry and fanaticism.

But what do we mean by “zealotry”? Surely there’s a big difference between “fanaticism” and “authentic religious enthusiasm and commitment”? And what is the connection between zealotry and the destruction of Jerusalem itself on Tisha B’Av, as the Talmud seems to assert?

At a historical moment when the exile and and isolation seem to feel particularly severe, you’re invited to join our online community to study some timely Jewish texts and discover how Tisha B’Av’s sorrow can be timely this year - and how it can offer us inspiration and a way forward.

Photo: The Arch of Titus in Rome, commemorating the Romans’ destruction of Jerusalem and looting of the Temple treasures in 70 CE. (NG)

B’tzeit yisrael mi-mitzrayim / Beit Ya’akov me-am lo’ez: “When Israel came out from Egypt / The House of Jacob from a ‘people of strange speech’…”

Psalm 114 is familiar from its prominent place in the Passover Haggadah - and from the Hallel-songs that are sung on each Jewish holiday. Embedded in this ancient and beautiful poem is a profound meditation on a universal vision of freedom: freedom for Israel and for everyone, as the natural world rejoices in liberation. Yet other parts of the poem (‘a people of strange speech’?) are an enigma. There’s a lot going on in these familiar words, and the remarkable subtlety and beauty of the Psalm reveal a lot about the meaning and possibility of Pesach.

Come join our spirited community of. learners as we explore the meaning of these words, especially their context in the Seder. ALL ARE WELCOME: We promise plenty of great material for your Seders this year.

“HA LACHMA ANYA: This is the bread of affliction… Let all who are hungry come and eat.”

The opening lines of the Seder are some of the Haggadah’s most famous words. They commence a seder with themes of empathy and compassion—but also vulnerability and brokenness. This history of this passage is fascinating: What kind of Jew wrote these words? Why are they in Aramaic when the rest of the Haggadah is in Hebrew? Why do we open our celebration of freedom with the words “Now we are slaves”? Do we mean it when we say let all who are hungry…? And what will these words mean to us this year, our second seder in the post-Oct. 7 world?

Come join our blossoming online community of learners as we dive deeply into the history, commentary, and meanings for our lives. We promise lots of material for your seders this year!

Image: North American Coalition on Ethiopian Jewry

Thursday, March 6 | 12:00 noon Eastern time

We’re delighted to welcome back RABBI DALIA MARX to A Tree with Roots, as she leads us in text study and spiritual preparation for PURIM.

Rabbi Dalia Marx is one of the foremost scholars and exciting teachers of liberal Judaism working in Israel today: Rabbi David Ellenson ז״ל called her “arguably the foremost student of Jewish liturgy of her generation” and “a unique genius.” She is a 10th generation Jerusalemite, earned her doctorate at Hebrew University, and rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She was the lead editor of Tfillat HaAdam (2020), the Siddur of the Israeli Reform movement, as well as a wide array of academic and popular writings on Jewish liturgy, the Babylonian Talmud, and Israeli literature.

Her recent book, From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar, is unlike any previous exploration of the Jewish year. It is a fascinating spiritual journey through the calendar, artfully blending traditional and contemporary perspectives on each Hebrew month and its holidays—with a fantastic collection of classic and contemporary Israeli poems and prayers.

All are welcome to join us for this unique opportunity to study with one of our favorite teachers of Jewish life and liturgy.

There is no charge for this special event. If you’d like to support our work, you can do so here, with our gratitude!

Five years ago - before the Covid pandemic that jumpstarted online learning communities - we had an inspired idea: to create a virtual classroom where students from all over could participate in spirited, high-level Jewish learning opportunities. We called it A TREE WITH ROOTS (and you still get bonus points for knowing the Bob Dylan song from which we cribbed the name!). Today, we’ve grown by leaps and bounds: students from all of North America and around the world share our weekly Torah classes, Jewish literacy modules, special programs for holidays and events, and conversations with authors and Jewish thought leaders.

ALL ARE INVITED to join us as we celebrate our FIFTH ANNIVERSARY on Monday, December 30, at 7:00 PM Eastern time. We’ll light our menorahs and share a special class in celebration of Chanukah, with our own customary blend of insight, spiritual uplift, and participation. Whether you’ve been with us from the beginning or have recently discovered our work, we hope you’ll join us and share a night of Chanukah with our online community.

There is no charge to join us for this class. Would you support our work on this special milestone? Help us continue to grow with a special contribution here. And thank you!

A Tree with Roots welcomes historian and storyteller SCOTT D. SELIGMAN to share a fascinating chapter of American history - with resonance for each of us today.

On July 30, 1902, tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of New York’s Lower East Side to bid farewell to the city’s chief rabbi, Jacob Joseph. Without warning, scraps of steel, iron bolts, and scalding water were launched at the mourners, courtesy of antisemitic factory workers. The police compounded the attack, under orders from superiors, who made no effort to distinguish aggressors from victims. To the Yiddish press, the attack was not unlike those that many remembered bitterly from the Old Country. But this was America, and the Jewish community, fed up with being persecuted, responded to the assault, setting a pattern for the future by pursuing Jewish rights and justice for the victims. Scott Seligman’s new account of this history, The Chief Rabbi’s Funeral: The Untold Story of America’s Largest Antisemitic Riot, is the first book-length account of this seminal event and its aftermath.

Scott D. Seligman is a writer and historian. He is the national award-winning author of numerous books, including The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots that Shook New York City (2020), and Murder in Manchuria: The True Story of a Jewish Virtuoso, Russian Fascists, a French Diplomat, and a Japanese Spy in Occupied China (2023).

Scott specializes in bringing little-known but crucial moments in history to life with drama and meaning. We are delighted to introduce him to our A Tree with Roots Community! Register below to receive the Zoom link and Passcode:

Special for A Tree with Roots community: Scott Seligman’s book THE CHIEF RABBI’S FUNERAL will be published in December. Beginning November 18, it can be ordered directly from the publisher at this link, for a 40% discount with the code 6AF24.

A Tree with Roots is delighted to welcome RABBI HANNA YERUSHALMI to our community for a soulful and powerful demonstration of how poetry puts words to our pain since October 7.

Hanna’s poems have been an online phenomenon in the past year. Many of them have gone viral, shared over and over again as expressions of a community’s trauma and resilience. Her poetry has been anthologized in two extraordinary and powerful collections: STRIP OF LAND - A Collection of Poems about Israel, and Oc7ober Shiva (both 2024). Many of these beautiful pieces have been incorporated into communities’ liturgies and memorials, timely reminders of shared empathy and hope.

Hanna Yerushalmi grew up in the Midwest, where kindness is a priority and listening is the first step in a relationship. And so relationship became the lens through which she views the world. Over the years this lens propelled her to the rabbinate and working in relational life. She is an ordained rabbi and served a congregation in Philadelphia, PA, as that community’s first woman rabbi. Currently she is a licensed professional counselor and works in a therapy practice with couples and individuals around issues of intimacy. In addition to her work as a therapist, Hanna is a writer, teacher, and motivational group leader. She lives in Annapolis, MD together with her husband and four children.

All are welcome to join us for a deep and spiritual exploration with a uniquely talented teacher. Register for the Zoom link and Passcode below:

Friday, July 5
17:00 Israel time | 10:00 A.M. Eastern time | 9:00 A.M. Central time

As Shabbat arrives in Israel, our online friends around the world are invited to welcome it together. We’ll study a selection from Parashat Korach, the week’s Torah portion, as we explore the enigmatic image of Aaron’s staff, which overnight blossoms with almond flowers. Why Aaron? Why almonds? The lens of midrash and Jewish commentary interprets this image as a powerful symbol of community a hope—a perfect way to welcome a summer Shabbat evening.

All are welcome to join us—register below for the Zoom link and Passcode. And after the class, you’re invited to flip over to Facebook Live at Kehillat Natan-Ya to join us for their spirited Shabbat service and Neal’s Friday night d’rash from the synagogue.

Neal has the pleasure of being a scholar-in-residence at Kehillat Natan-Ya in Netanya, Israel, through the generosity of Anita and Fred Finkelman and the gracious invitation of Rabbi Edgar Nof.

To receive the Zoom link, register at the link below:

Thursday, July 4
15:30 Israel time | 8:30 A.M. Eastern time | 7:30 A.M. Central time

Neal will be in Netanya, Israel for a series of classes this summer, open everyone around the world.

Since Biblical times, and especially since the advent of the State of Israel, we have sought to understand the relationship between Jews living in the Diaspora and those living in the Land of Israel: The complete negation of the Diaspora? “Poor cousins” in need of support? A wheel with spokes radiating outward? Many models have been proposed, but our world, especially post-Oct. 7, demands a rethinking. We’ll look at some of those historical models, and propose other ways of thinking of the interconnected nature of Jewish peoplehood today.

Neal has the pleasure of being a scholar-in-residence at Kehillat Natan-Ya, through the generosity of Anita and Fred Finkelman and the gracious invitation of Rabbi Edgar Nof.

To receive the Zoom link, register at the link below:

ATWR is delighted to welcome TAMAR BIALA, an extraordinary and creative teacher of Jewish texts, as we prepare for the holiday of Shavuot.

Tamar Biala is the editor of Dirshuni: Contemporary Women’s Midrash, a groundbreaking anthology of interpretations of the Hebrew Bible composed by Israeli women. It’s a profoundly beautiful and important new collection of contemporary writings that could stand alongside those of the ancient rabbis in their canon of Midrash. (The Hebrew versions of Dirshuni were added to the Sefaria.org site this past year.)

Tamar has taught at Jerusalem’s IASA (a high school for gifted children from all over Israel), and taught for a number of years at the Shalom Hartman Institute’s teacher training program, as well as seminars for the officer corps of the Israel Defense Forces. She has also taught in a variety of pluralistic batei midrash in Israel. Currently she is working on the Toratah project, regendering the Bible in revealing and eye-opening ways. She and her family live in Jerusalem.

Register here:

There is no charge for this event. If you’d like to support our growth, we warmly welcome your support:

The Passover Seder culminates with the famous phrase, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” How did this cry become the climactic words of the seder? In what times and places was it controversial? And how do these words reflect our celebration of freedom this year—as we look at the Seder through “Oct. 7 eyes”?

Join Neal and our blossoming online community, as we prepare our souls for Pesach—and we promise lots of great material and conversation-starters for you to share with your Seder this year!

Image: Barcelona Haggadah, mid- to late 14th century; British Library

A Tree with Roots is delighted to welcome Rabbi Dalia Marx, PhD, live from Jerusalem, to teach us about the spiritual promise of springtime and Passover’s imminent arrival—at this time of grief and war.

Rabbi Dalia Marx is one of the foremost scholars and exciting teachers of liberal Judaism working in Israel today: Rabbi David Ellenson ז״ל called her “arguably the foremost student of Jewish liturgy of her generation” and “a unique genius.” She is a 10th generation Jerusalemite, earned her doctorate at Hebrew University, and rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She was the lead editor of Tfillat HaAdam (2020), the Siddur of the Israeli Reform movement, and the author When I Sleep and When I Wake: On Prayers between Dusk and Dawn (2010, Hebrew) as well as a wide array of academic and popular writings on Jewish liturgy, the Babylonian Talmud, and Israeli literature.

Rabbi Marx’s new book, From Time to Time: Journeys in the Jewish Calendar, is unlike any previous exploration of the Jewish year. It is a fascinating spiritual journey through the calendar, artfully blending traditional and contemporary perspectives on each Hebrew month and its holidays—with a fantastic collection of classic and contemporary Israeli poems and prayers.

There is no charge for this event. If you’d like to support our online classroom, we’d welcome it warmly:

Jewish spiritual life has been in turmoil for the past five months, since the horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, the ongoing war in Gaza, and the concomitant rise in antisemitism locally and around the world.

As Purim approaches, we’ll read the Book of Esther through “Oct. 7 lenses.” A spiritual and satirical masterpiece, Esther makes startling and timely observations about hatred, antisemitism, and self-defense. And the objects of its satire are never far from home.

Join Rabbi Neal Gold and our growing online community of learners for a spirited and heartfelt exploration of just how we can celebrate Purim at such a time of grief and fear. Some clues, we’ll discover, are to be found in the Megillah’s rich and multitiered text.

Image: Illuminated Scroll of Esther, Ferrara, Italy, 1616.
Courtesy of National Library of Israel.

7 Monday evenings, February - April 2024:
2/12, 2/26, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8

This class, originally scheduled for Me’ah, is now being offered as a special program for A TREE WITH ROOTS:

NOW, MORE THAN EVER: An online course to understand the roots and dynamic history of modern Israel.

Zionism sprouted from modernity, the 19th century social and intellectual trends that challenged just what, exactly, it meant to be a Jew in a new era of history. Simply put, the genesis and development of Zionism remains one of the most astonishing and fascinating moments in Judaism’s four thousand-year history. Zionism was not a single ideology, but a cluster of ideas that reflected a new era’s thinking about the Jew’s place in the modern world. We’ll explore how those ideas impacted the Jewish people in Israel and in America. We’ll discuss the writings of the movement’s key thinkers and writers, including often-neglected figures from the worlds of Mizrahi Judaism and women writers. We’ll look at art and literature, and we’ll explore how Zionist ideology was implemented in key political documents in Israel’s history.

This class is not offered from a particular political point of view. It is hoped, however, that by the end of the course, all of us will be able to articulate the reasons why the State of Israel needed to come into existence, why it looks the way it does - especially against the background of the current war.

This is a new endeavor for A TREE WITH ROOTS: A two-hour weekly course, with syllabus and background “homework” readings. Students will be offered background readings and asked to participate in real-time, with Zoom cameras turned on. There is a suggested enrollment fee of $200 (waivable for those who have already contributed $200 or more to ATWR in the past 12 months), and enrollment will be limited in order to maximize participation. Questions can be emailed to us at: ndzahav@gmail.com.

4 Wednesdays, January 24, 31; February 7, 14 | 7:00 pm Eastern time

The latest in our series of Jewish Literacy modules!

“Judaism emphasizes action" we’ve been told; but that cliché undermines the centrality of a nuanced Jewish faith that has come down to us throughout the generations. In this 4-week series, we’ll explore an overview of Jewish faith:

Does the Torah ever command belief? Is there a dogma of Judaism?

What is the place of faith—and doubt—in Jewish tradition?

What are the essential rubrics of Jewish faith?

Is there such thing as “heresy” in Judaism? Can (dis-)belief be an obstacle to participating in Jewish life?

…And more. We’ll explore some of the most challenging and insightful texts about faith in Jewish tradition, starting with the Bible and encompassing Maimonides, Kabbalah, and contemporary Jewish masters. If you’d like to discover more about the foundations of Jewish belief, and the permissibility (and perhaps even the gift) of doubt and questioning, this course is for you!

If you would like to support the growth of A Tree with Roots, we would welcome it with gratitude:

Image: An illuminated manuscript of SEFER HA-IKKARIM by Yosef Albo (Spain, 15th C), with the opening word YEDIAT (“Knowledge of [Fundamental Principles]”) highlighted.

We’re delighted to welcome Dr. Ruth Calderon to A Tree with Roots: an opportunity to study with a world-class teacher and to understand the painful situation in Israel through the lens of Jewish spiritual wisdom.

Ruth Calderon is a renowned educator and Talmud scholar working to promote Israeli and Jewish culture, Hebrew, and the cultivation of the study of Torah in a liberal, pluralistic, and humanistic public sphere. She served as a Member of Knesset for the Yesh Atid party and as Deputy Speaker in the 19th Knesset.

Ruth founded two Israeli institutions devoted to the study of sacred Jewish texts: Beit Midrash Elul in Jerusalem and Alma-Home for Hebrew Culture in Tel Aviv. She served as the head of the culture and education department of the National Library of Israel. She is the author of A Bride for One Night: Talmud Tales and A Talmudic Alpha Beta, which present beautiful and personal readings of classic Talmudic stories.

All are welcome to join us for this intimate event with an extraordinary scholar.

There is no charge for this event. If you’d like to promote our work and help us grow, we warmly welcome your support here:

Chanukah is about LIGHT. At a time when the world seems defined by strife, war, and pain, we can draw inspiration from individuals who are models of empathy and compassion. The RABBANIT BRACHA KAPACH of Jerusalem (known to so many simply as “the Rabbanit”) was one such hero; for me (Neal), she was a most profound teacher and exemplar of Tzedakah, kindness, and hope.

On the occasion of her 10th yartzeit (anniversary of her death), A Tree with Roots is privileged to host a class in her honor with Neal and two teachers who were closest to her and who carry forward her life’s work:

DANNY SIEGEL, master Torah teacher and poet; founder of the Ziv Tzedakah fund and author of over 30 books of poetry, Torah teachings, and prose that instructs us how to change the world.

EINAT KAPACH, filmmaker and lecturer; her films include Jephtah’s Daughter (1997) and Two Legacies (2008). Einat is granddaughter of the Rabbanit Kapach and Rabbi Yosef Kapach.

To learn more about the Rabbanit Kapach, you can read here the memorial that Neal wrote in 2013 at the time of her passing.

If your life was touched by the Rabbanit, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to mark this milestone with us. But if you never met her (or even heard of her), we know you’ll still enjoy the opportunity to learn with great teachers and be inspired by stories of how individuals can transform the world in grassroots and profound ways.

3 Mondays, October 16, 23, and 30, 2023 | 7:00 pm Eastern time

The sixth in our series of Jewish Literacy modules!

Judaism crucially takes place in the context of relationships: with family, lovers, neighbors, community, and with God. In this 3-week series, we’ll explore Jewish spiritual wisdom in these contexts:

What are my responsibilities towards the most important relationships in my life?

What is the meaning of marriage in the Jewish context?

What does it mean to “honor” parents? And what are the obligations of parents to children?

What is so unique about the teacher-student relationship?

Does Judaism prioritize a communal or an individual encounter with God?

…And much more. We’ll some of the most enlightening and provocative texts from Jewish tradition, and discover just how the most important relationships in our lives reveal essential truths about faith and about God. All are welcome: If you’d like to discover more about Judaism’s wisdom for our daily lives, this series is for you.

We invite you to support our Jewish virtual classroom! If you enjoy these classes, we’d welcome your tax-deductible support with grateful appreciation:

Image: a 16th Century Ketubah (marriage contract) from Rome, Italy

3 Sundays: October 15, 22, and 29; 12:00 noon Eastern time (9:00 am Pacific)

A Tree with Roots is delighted to host a three-week serieswith master teachers on the themes of Tzedakah, human dignity (“Kavod”), and world-repair (“Tikkun Olam”), including extraordinary people who are doing this work in fascinating ways.

30 years ago, a group of rabbinical students in Jerusalem established the KAVOD Tzedakah Fund, with the intention of seeking out, supporting, and promoting individuals and organizations that beautifully and creatively do the work of justice, caring, and peace. We named it “Kavod,” since human dignity was the common denominator of all these projects. Three decades later, the Kavod Tzedakah Fund has distributed over $1.7 million in the United States, Israel, Ukraine, and around the world. Kavod has also trained numerous “Tzedakah Fellows” in conjunction with Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and inspired countless others in the art of grassroots, no-overhead Tzedakah-giving.

Here’s the schedule:

October 15: Torah study with RABBI YOSHI ZWEIBACK, our mentor and teacher DANNY SIEGEL, and a discussion with RABBI SUSAN LIPPE and KRIS WADE of The Other Ones Foundation, doing extraordinary work with homeless men and women in Austin, TX.

October 22: Torah study with RABBI JACQUELINE ELLENSON, and a discussion with RABBI JAY MOSES and DR. BETH WEINSTOCK of BirdieLight, working to save the lives of young people with education and action around the dangers of Fentanyl, the #1 cause of death among 18-45 year-olds in the US.

October 29: Torah study with RABBI DAVID ELLENSON and RABBI SYDNEY MINTZ, and a discussion with RABBI YOSHI ZWEIBACK and JONATHAN ORNSTEIN, CEO of JCC KRAKOW, on the frontlines of work and rescue of Ukrainian refugees.

All are welcome to join us for some truly enlightening and inspirational sessions about the skills of Tikkun Olam:

Participants are requested to learn more and to make a donation of any amount to the Kavod Tzedakah Collective at www.kavod.org.

Four Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:15 pm Eastern time: August 29; September 5, 12, 19

Come join the growing A TREE WITH ROOTS community as embark on spiritual preparation for Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.

The Akedat Yitzchak—the “Binding of Isaac” in Genesis 22—remains one of the most harrowing and enigmatic passages of the entire Torah. For centuries, it has also been indelibly linked with the liturgy of the Days of Awe, as the Torah reading for the Second Day of Rosh HaShanah and lingering in the prayers of the Machzor. But why? The connection between this story and the New Year is far from obvious.

In this four-week course, we’ll explore the Akedah from a variety of angles: its interpretation in classical Midrash; a comparison with Christian and Islamic understandings; and the place of the Akedah in modern Israeli life and literature. All along, we’ll mine these interpretations for fresh meanings for our own spiritual context, as part of our preparations to deepen the power of Rosh HaShanah 5784.

There is no charge for this event, but if you’d like to support our work and growth, we’d welcome it:

We’re pleased to announce a new initiative for our growing community: an online reading and discussion of a provocative new play: BELFAST KIND by Margo Connolly. The play is an exploration of the identities of a group of adolescent girls living in Belfast during the early 1980s, the period of “the Troubles” when cultural and political tensions were pulling Northern Ireland apart. At the center of this is a bat mitzvah girl, whose struggles with her multifaceted identity seems to be universally relevant for modern Jews. We really enjoyed the play and are eager to discuss it with A Tree with Roots.

A Tree with Roots is delighted to enter into this partnership with the Jewish Plays Project and their Founder & Executive Artistic Director David Wilinsky. Registrants will be invited to read the play in advance and to participate in reading selected passages during the program. Then we’ll explore the Jewish themes that emerge from the play, in conversation with Neal, David, and Margo, the playwright.

Space is limited to maximize participation - register below today:

There is no charge for this event. If you’d like to support the continued growth and development of A Tree with Roots, we’d gratefully welcome it here.

The Ninth of Av is the most solemn - and most misunderstood - day in the Jewish calendar. The essence of the day is Exile - from G-d, from Jerusalem, and from one another. Yet in the sadness of the day, there is deep spiritual meaning and yearning.

The Rabbis wrote a remarkable saga about the loss and destruction of Jerusalem; it’s a masterpiece of religious writing. We’ll explore the meaning of Tisha B’Av through the Talmud’s saga of the people of Jerusalem, who saw the city’s walls all aflame, in a historical moment that has some startling resonance with our own time.

All are welcome. Register here:

There is no cost for this class. If you’d like to support our growth, we’d welcome it here:

Image: Arch of Titus, Rome, commemorating the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and seizure of the treasures of the Temple. (Photo: NG)

Neal will be in Israel in June - and you’re invited to join online with the NATAN-YA community in the city of Netanya in pre-Shabbat Torah study with Neal and spirited Shabbat services where he’ll be speaking.

Friday, June 30 - 17:15 Israel time / 10:15 am Eastern time / 7:15 am Pacific time
Balaam’s Curses and Jewish Peoplehood Today In Numbers 22-24, the foreign prophet Balaam is hired to curse the Jewish people—but all that comes out of his mouth are words of blessing. By carefully reading his “prophecies,” what can we learn about the state of Jewish peoplehood today?

Friday, June 30 - 18:30 Israel time / 11:30 am Eastern US time / 8:30 am Pacific US time
“Who is a Rabbi?”:  Shabbat Services celebrating Rabbi Edgar Nof’s 10 years at Natan-Ya: עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב says the Mishnah, “Acquire yourself a Rabbi.” In honor of Rabbi Nof’s 10 years at Kehillat Natan-Ya, we’ll explore the meaning of the title “Rabbi” – and why the Sages saw Moses (and not others, like his brother Aaron) as their role model. 

Neal is delighted to be the Fred and Anita Finkelman Scholar-in-Residence of Congregation Natan-Ya and Bridges for Hope, in honor of the Finkelmans’ grandson Matanel Yizhar Chodoff.

Each of these programs will be broadcast Live on Facebook at Natan Ya קהילת ״נתן יה״ Congregation, and the class will also be shared on Zoom. To receive the Zoom link, please register here: