RABBINIC PERSPECTIVES: CONVERSATIONS FOR OUR TIMES
Presented by Rabbi Seth Bernstein
The Hebrew calendar is fascinating in many ways, revealing the history, traditions, and decisions that have shaped how the Jewish people measure time.
Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein will explore what is most significant about our calendar and the reasons behind its development, offering insights into the ways we have marked the passage of time throughout Jewish history.
Among the many questions our exploration of the Jewish calendar raises, join us to delve into…
What do unicycles, bicycles, tricycles, and four-wheel vehicles have to do with measuring time?
Throughout Jewish history, what were the major changes to the Hebrew calendar, and what were the reasons for those changes?
What role do influence and power play in changing how time is measured and how calendars are established?
How does this calendar relate to other calendars?
Which calendar or calendars do our communities live by, and why?
REgistration opens soon!
Register to receive the Zoom link to join us online. Barring any technical issues, the recording will be posted to our Program Archive.
Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Sinai in Worcester, MA, and Bet Aviv in Columbia, MD. He holds a DMIN from Andover Newton Theological School in Chaplaincy and Family Systems.
His Chaplaincy positions include twenty years in hospital chaplaincy and six years in hospice chaplaincy. For twenty-six years he volunteered in Disaster Spiritual Care with the American Red Cross. He taught in the Rabbinical Program at HUC-JIR in New York for three years and in the Doctor of Ministry program for twelve years. In addition to teaching other DMIN courses, he created the course, “The Theology of Shame, Guilt, and Forgiveness.”
Seven years ago, Rabbi Bernstein offered a course on “Jewish Communities and the Aftermath of Crises” for the Haberman Institute for Jewish Studies
He and his wife, Marsha, are the parents of two children and the grandparents of four grandchildren.
We extend a special thank you to Andrew R. Ammerman for sponsoring our 2026 program lineup. He dedicates the semester’s learning in loving memory of Josephine and H. Max Ammerman and Stephen C. Ammerman.