6:45 PM • Registration, Meet and Greet,

Community Havdalah led by

Cantors George Mordechai, Micah Morgovsky and Arik Wollheim

7:30-8:25 PM • Session #1 Choose One Class to Attend

1A. “Rabbinic Tales and What They Leave Behind” with Bob Abrams, Bi-Cultural Day School. Looking at tales from Talmud and other sources, we will discuss their meanings and the motifs they use and how they relate to the present.

1B. “The Rhythm Method: Putting Shabbat and Jewish Holidays into the Rhythm
of Your Life” with Rabbi Vicki Axe, Congregation Shir Ami. Designed for all families and especially interfaith families, we will journey through the annual cyle of Jewish Holidays through music and stories to learn their historical, cultural, and religious significance so we can celebrate them with joy and confidence.

1C. “Frank Coppa's Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust” with Dr. Joel Blatt, UConn Stamford. Frank Coppa, a prominent historian of the Vatican, has recently published books and articles on Pope Pius XII and his response to the Holocaust. He has also  compared and contrasted Pope Pius XI and Pope Pius XII. This session will discuss Frank Coppa's conclusions and how they relate to other interpretations of Pope Pius XII's responses to the Holocaust.

1D. “Living in the Moment” with Rabbi Daniel Cohen, Congregation Agudath Sholom. Ever think time just passes you by? Do you wish your life was more inspired? Would you like to deepen friendships? Explore the secrets of turning the passage of time into eternal moments. Learn the sacred sources and strategies for living inspired, enriching your relationships and creating enduring memories. This class is in memory of Arlene Goodstein.

1E. “The Chosen People - Really?” with Rabbi Chezy Deren, Friendship Circle & Kulanu. At Sinai, our nation was chosen by G-d. But for what? While we are blessed to live in a peaceful and prosperous society, our history wasn’t always this rosy. What then does it mean to have been chosen by G-d? Join us for a look back to the classic Jewish texts as we explore this topic.

1F. “The Conjugal Switcher” with Michael Feldstein. Jacob worked seven years for Laban in order to marry his daughter Rachel, but was tricked by Laban and had actually married Leah!  How could Jacob be so easily duped?  And why didn't he protest more? Gain a new understanding and appreciation of this classic story from Genesis.

1G. “Is Conservative Judaism Dead?” with Rabbi Joshua Hammerman, Rabbi Michelle Dardashti and Cantor George Mordecai,Temple Beth El. Rumors of the demise of Conservative Judaism are proving to be premature. Or are they! Hear different perspectives from three Conservative Jews, considered to be at the cutting edge of changes going on within the movement.

1H. “1800 years of Jewish Texts in 50 minutes” with Rabbi Eric Hoffman, Academy of Jewish Religion When you hear the words "Mishnah", "Talmud", "Shulchan Aruch" or "Midrash" how do you feel? In this class, we'll orient you in time and space so you can understand what these cornerstones of Judaism are; what they mean; where they came from and what they could mean to you.

1I. “Is Judaism Liberal or Conservative?” with Rabbi Elly Krimsky, Young Israel of Stamford. Does the Torah take political stands on controversial and divisive issues? What are conservative and liberal values, and does the Torah reflect one point of view or the other?

1J. “Seeking a Just World: One Woman's Journey” with Joan Kuriansky. Learn how one woman has taken the Jewish value of tzedakah and worked to create a better place for people everywhere, especially women. This course will discuss philanthropy, justice and how we call work to achieve a better world.

1K. “Research Advances at Hadassah: Changing Lives One Patient at a Time” with Dr. Gadi Lalazar, Hadassah Hospital.  Recent research advances at Hadassah Hospital will be discussed.  Hear the dramatic story of how a Hadassah medical team, using a  device developed in Israel and tested at Hadassah, played a role in saving a life. Sponsored by Stamford Hadassah.

1L “Israeli Dance” with Leng and Yigal, Folk Dance. Learn about Israel through dance. Share in the joy of Israeli melodies while enjoying circle and line dances. Dress comfortably.

1M. “Common Ground: The US-Israel Alliance in Times of Challenge and Change” with Elana Lichtenstein, AIPAC.  Learn about the shared threats and interests of the State
of Israel and her “#1 ally,” the United States of America, in times of challenge and change—and what we can do to maintain and strengthen that alliance.

1N. “The Hunt for and the Trial of Eichmann” with Frank Melzer. Join us as we review the hunt for and the capture of Eichmann in Neal Bascomb’s Hunting Eichmann. We will also discuss the Eichmann Trial written by Deborah Lipstadt.

1O. “The Kabbalah of YOU!” with Rabbi Levi Mendelow, Chabad of New Canaan and Stamford Academy of Jewish Education (SAJE). An introduction to Kabbalah. This class will address how every person has a birthright within the Infinite and how discovering that opens paths to unlocking one’s hidden potential.

8:35-9:30 PM • Session #2 Choose One Class to Attend

2A. “Growing up Sephardic in the Land of Fish and Chips: A Personal Memoir” with Andrée Aelion Brooks, author and historian. Telling stories of a childhood in England, Brooks will cover the war years, evacuation to the North, her very proper British upbringing and the way her small Sephardic community originating from Salonika and Turkey kept its customs through turbulent times.

2B. “Jerusalem's Temple Mount” with Nahum Daniels. Three world religions offer
differing teachings about the spiritual relevance of Mount Moriah but agree on one thing: to control it, their most ardent adherents will fight to the death in this City of Peace. What’s up with that? Daniels will present a brief pictorial survey of the history and complex issues that tie the Western Wall tunnels to the Dome of the Rock.

2C. “Israel on Campus: Are Our Teens Ready?” with The David Project. Learn about the situation on today's college campuses regarding Israel. What are the conditions on the ground? Hear about the opportunities for engagement in Israel advocacy and the challenges that exist.

2D. "The State of the Rabbinate" with Rabbi Mark Dratch, Rabbinical Council of America. From the viewpoint of his new position as Execuitve Director of the RCA, Rabbi Dratch will share perspectives on the religious, communal and personal issues faced by today's rabbis and the functional and dysfunctional ways the contemporary rabbinate functions.

2E. “When is Chosen too Choosey” with Rabbi Ron Fish, Congregation Beth El, Norwalk. How has "The Chosen People" related to itself, to exile and to others over time? We will look at the roots of the idea of chosenness, beginning with the story of the Patriarchs and examine its implications for us today.

2F. “Akiva - A Man for the 21st Century” with Tamar Gershberg, Jewish Arts Alive. This dramatic reading of Gershberg's work will relate the 2000 year old love story of Rabbi Akiva and his wife Rachel. The presentation allows for audience discussion.

2G. “Anti-Zionism is Anti-Semitism” with Rabbi Mitch Hurvitz, Temple Sholom Greenwich. Is hating Israel the same as hating the Jews? This class presents an overview of the history of anti-Semitism and the need to understand the threat of anti-Zionism within the context of this history.

2H. “Jewish Ritual and OCD” with Jeff Kilstein, Carmel Academy. We will explore the role of religious ritual in the promotion or reducation of obsessive-compulsive behaviors in the Jewish community.

2I. “Research Advances at Hadassah: Changing Lives One Patient at a Time” with Dr. Gadi Lalazar, Hadassah Hospital.  Recent research advances at Hadassah Hospital will be discussed.  Hear the dramatic story of how a Hadassah medical team, using a  device developed in Israel and tested at Hadassah, played a role in saving a life. Sponsored by Stamford Hadassah.

2J “McCarthyism and the Tragedy of an American Idealist” with Dr. Sondra Melzer, Sacred Heart University. The session is a presentation of Phillip Roth's book, I Married a Communist in retaliation to Claire Bloom's exposé of their marriage in her book Out of the Doll's House as set against the dark era of McCarthyism.

2K. “A Spice Called Shabbat” with Leah Shemtov, Chabad of Stamford. In this hands-on culinary workshop, experience the tastes, smells and traditions of Shabbat food with special tips on how to make it meaningful for family and friends

2L. “Torah Study is Equal to all other Mitzvot" with Carol Sober, Carmel Academy. Using Chevruta (paired learning) and group discussion, we will study a medley of stories from the Sefer haAggadah, the Book of Legends, Our theme will be rabbinic heroes who have gone the extra mile to study Torah in the face of conflicting values.

2M. “Addressing Intermarriage: The Increasingly Common Fate of Jewish Families” with Sonia Taitz. Of all of the issues affecting the Jewish community today, intermarriage goes to core of Jewish survival. What should our response be? This issue will be addressed from various Jewish perspectives.

2N. “I'm Spiritual but I'm Not Religious” with Rabbi Jay Tel Rav, Temple Sinai. This conversation will examine how the synagogue experience developed into what it is today and explore why so many Jews find it difficult to answer their spiritual yearnings in the prayer service. This is open to anyone: Spiritual, Religious or Unsure!

2O. “Wrestling with God” with Rabbi Yonaton Yussman, Jewish High School of Connecticut. This workshop introduces different approaches to thinking about G-d, some of them quite shocking and radical. By reading from Jewish philosophers and rabbis, participants will discover that Judaism offers many choices about how to approach G-d, and how to think through one’s struggles and journeys.

9:30 PM • Dessert Reception and Celebration
Catered by Café Stam. Dietary Laws observed.