Lifelong learning is a hallmark of Reconstructionist Judaism. In that spirit, RRC president Dan Ehrenkrantz and various faculty members offer occasional teaching sessions via conference call for President’s Council members. You can enjoy the archives of these calls below. You have the option to listen now, or to download the files for later listening from your computer or MP3 player.

Click any link below to jump to the teaching session.
Yamim Noraim 5768 (2008) — Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz.
Pesakh 5768 (2008) — Joel Hecker, Ph.D.
Pesakh 5767 (2007) — Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz
Yamim Noraim 5767 (2007) — Jacob Staub, Ph.D.

Instructions for downloading audio files

Yamim Noraim 5768 (2008) — Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, President and Aaron and Marjorie Ziegelman Presidential Professor
Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet

Ehrenkrantz analyzes the first chapter of the Book of Jonah, traditionally read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. He delves into Jonah’s rich teachings about our attitudes toward “the other,” the meaning of prophecy and the question of identity. Ehrenkrantz pays special attention to the language and verb forms in the text, drawing lessons that are both timeless and contemporary.
Open the PDF file with text related to this session.

Pesakh 5768 (2008) — Joel Hecker, Ph.D., associate professor of Jewish mysticism
The Inner Point and the Big Picture: The Hasidic Teachings of the Rebbe of Ger on Pesach

Hecker addresses the question of how we reconcile the tension between the inner and outer being, the body and soul. How can human beings—as living, loving and, ultimately, dying creatures—forge a connection with an infinite, eternal and mysterious God? Through the writings of Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, a 19th-century Hasidic master, Hecker suggests how Pesakh offers us the opportunity to step back from our outer-focused, activity-filled lives and reconnect with the core of spirituality, of the divine spirit, that dwells in each of us.
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Pesakh 5767 (2007) — Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, president of RRC
Interpreting the Pesakh Symbols: From the Rabbinic Era to Contemporary Times

Ehrenkrantz traces the seder symbols of the raised cup of wine and the uncovered plate of matzah to show how the Rabbinic-era view of history has dominated Passover and other aspects of Jewish life. After reviewing discussions of Passover in the Bible and the Mishnah, he suggests that the Rabbinic viewpoint should no longer dominate our seders.
Open the PDF file with texts related to this session.

Yamim Noraim 5767 (2007) — Jacob Staub, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Medieval Jewish Philosophy, professor of Jewish philosophy, director of the Jewish Spiritual Direction Program
How Do We Return: Traditional Sources for a Reconstructionist Approach to Teshuvah

Staub uses two texts to illuminate the idea that the voice of divine revelation—the potential to return to good and kind behavior—is always within us and that Abraham's true strength was not his obedience to God but his recognition that people must actively interpret God's will.

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