This series is an opportunity to engage with the classic texts of Halakha - Gemara, Rishonim (Medieval commentary) and Response literature - around one of the most significant area of Jewish Law. The texts of our tradition will not only be used as a model for thinking through core legal questions, but also as a springboard to ask big questions about the nature of the Jewish People.

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Jewish identity has a complex nature. Some are under the (mis)impression that a person can either be fully Jewish or fully not Jewish. Part of my goal is to challenge that communal assumption in ways that might be helpful when trying to create a framework to deal with the messy reality of 21st century Jewish life.

 

I invite you to join me on this journey over the next several months.

I would also love to hear your thoughts on these issues as the weeks progress, and the ideas develop. Each email will stand on its own,

but you will have a greater appreciation for the conclusions if you join me from the beginning. Please sign up for the email below.

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Rabbi Jeffrey S. Fox
Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Maharat