Havurah Shadrach invites you to a two-part series featuring panelists here and in Israel who represent a wide range of points of view about Israel today.  Our intention is not to host debates but to learn from people with extensive personal experience living in Israel, and to expand our capacity to understand perspectives we may not share. 

There is hardly a more controversial topic among Jews today than current political and social issues in Israel.  Many congregations choose to avoid the subject out of fear of division, even though our tradition has long recognized the value of respectful disagreement (machloket lashem shamayim) as a vehicle to better understanding and decision making.  Our hope with these programs is not to change minds, but to open them, and to continue the Reconstructionist tradition of courageous conversations and questions which make our Jewish lives relevant.

Rabbi Katie Mizrahi will moderate both sessions and both will include time for questions from the audience.  The first will present perspectives from two panelists critical of the current Israeli government, but who have drawn different conclusions about Zionism as a whole.  

Session I:  Sunday April 16, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
In-Person and on Zoom

Lunch following Session I is generously provided by Havurah Shadrach.

Panelists:

Dave Richman is a senior judge on the Colorado Court of Appeals.  He visits Israel annually to study Talmud at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and to visit his daughter, who lives in Jerusalem. Dave also teaches Talmud at the Hebrew Educational Alliance.

Sarah Kaplan Gould (they/them) is an educator and writer who was raised at B'nai Havurah (B’Mitzvah in the sanctuary in 2004!), and has been involved in different capacities with B'nai programming in the last two years. Among many other local Denver groups, Sarah organizes with Jewish Voice for Peace Denver/Boulder (JVP), Colorado Palestine Coalition (CPC), and Tirdof Anti-Zionist Havurah.

Session II: Sunday, May 21, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Zoom only
To register for Session II, CLICK HERE

Please register below.