First Taus Lecture of the Season with TBE Member, Jim Shneer

Multi-Access Lecture on Sunday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m.

This talk will explore in detail how the intricacies of the Jewish calendar harmonize with annual Torah reading requirements; how the liturgical calendar of American Reform Jewry more closely resembles that of Israel than the one used in the Diaspora; and how the American Conservative Movement’s triennial Torah reading calendar, with its legacy rooted in first millennia Palestine, works.

The book* upon which this lecture is based is entitled The Jewish Calendar and the Torah (follow link to purchase).

RSVP to Shoni for check and on-file charges or pay online and specify in-person or virtual reservations.

• In-Person: $18 per person.
• Online: $18 individual; $36 household.

Future Lectures:

Wednesday, Nov. 10 – Virtually at Noon with Rabbi Rachel Adler

Wednesday, Dec. 8 – Multi-Access at Noon with Dr. Caroline Luce

Wednesday, Mar. 23 – Virtually at Noon with Professor Susan Aranoff

Tuesday, May 24 – Multi-Access at Noon with Rabbi Ed Feinstein

*The Jewish Calendar and the Torah begins with an introduction to calendars in general and then provides an in-depth look at the structure of the Jewish calendar, including the calculation of the Molad of Tishrei, characteristics of the 19 years cycles, conversion from civil calendar to Jewish calendar dates and vice versa, the Jewish calendar drift, the coincidences of Jewish and non-Jewish holidays and much more. The relationship between the calendar and the allocation of Torah parashiyot across the 14 different Jewish calendar year configurations is covered in detail. There are 14 appendices including one which describes the characteristics of every Jewish year from 4371 to 6764 (civil years 610 CE – 3003 CE).