Space and Time - A Taste of Talmud
with Dr. Jesse Hefter

Please join our Talmud class for adults of all backgrounds sponsored by the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts.

The class, taught by Dr. Jesse Hefter, follows the schedule of the global Daf Yomi "Learn a Page each Day" Talmud program. Tens of thousands of people world-wide are participating in this popular format.

The class meets every Sunday evening on Zoom. Now through 9/13, sessions will be 8-9pm EDT. There will be a break for the holidays and then sessions will start up again beginning 10/18 and will then be 7:30-8:30pm EDT. The Synagogue Council office can provide you the Zoom link (info@synagoguecouncil.org) or you can contact Jesse at jesse.hefter@gmail.com. The Page-Of-The-Day material (via Sefaria.org) will be screen-shared so that we can all keep together during the session.

The Daf Yomi 7-year learning cycle just started the third tractate of the Talmud named Eruvin. Eruvin focuses on how Jewish law defines and measures outdoor spaces in terms of our movement on Shabbat.

Each Sunday evening, we will "tune in" to the exact page being studied by Jews all over the world. As is often the case in the Talmud, the exact subject of the page-of-the-day may include fascinating narratives, logical back-and-forth discussions, or what seem to be dry discourses of law but are really enduring conversations of serious Jews working together to understand the nature and focus of the Torah.

A past president of Synagogue Council, Jesse has been teaching Talmud in this program for more than 10 years.

Even if you cannot join on a regular basis or would just like to try out a session, we would love to have you as part of the group. We look forward to seeing you as we all begin to prepare for the New Year!
Aug. 30 - Sept. 13 8-9pm EDT
No Classes Sept. 30 through Oct. 11 in observance of Jewish holidays
Oct. 18 until further notice 7:30-8:30 EDT

For the Zoom link, contact the Synagogue Council office at info@synagoguecouncil.org.
COMMUNITY EVENTS*
Hold the Date for LimmudFest 2020! 

LimmudFest 2020
Sunday, November 15, 2020
11am-4pm EST
LimmudFest is moving online! LimmudBoston’s annual festival of Jewish learning will be held on November 15, 2020 online as an eFestival. Sign up now for a day of music, learning, laughter & connection. Learn, laugh, discover, sing and share at the 11th annual LimmudFest celebrating Jewish culture, learning and diversity.

Click here for more information including ticket prices, registration link, and donation and sponsorship opportunities.
AJC at the 2020 Political Conventions

This week, AJC’s Advocacy Anywhere platform is bringing you AJC at the 2020 Political Conventions! Engage with members of Congress, party officials, and AJC experts on the sidelines of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and from the comfort of your home. This week’s programs during the Republican National Convention are listed below. We encourage you to visit AJC.org/Conventions regularly, as we upload new programs, analysis, and content to keep you informed and engaged.

Watch highlights from last week's programs at the Democratic National Convention here.

Weekly Calendar of Programs

The Future of the U.S.-Israel Relationship: Challenges and Aspirations for a Vital Alliance
Monday, August 24
12pm EDT
The United States and Israel share democratic values, strategic interests, and a historic, multi-dimensional partnership that has long enjoyed the bipartisan endorsement of U.S. elected officials and broad public support. But frustration with the regional status quo, disenchantment with America’s protracted commitments abroad, and domestic political pressures raise questions about the future of that support. Can we continue to rely on U.S. bipartisan agreement on the benefits and necessity of the alliance with Israel? How will the relationship evolve in a second Trump term, or be altered under a Biden administration? Join members of Congress and thought leaders for an in-depth conversation on the status of U.S.-Israel relations and the challenges and aspirations for the next four years.


Where We Go from Here: U.S. Policy toward Iran, Negotiation Prospects, and Ongoing Threats to Peace
Tuesday, August 25
12pm EDT
The U.S. decisions to enter into, and subsequently leave, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have been a subject of debate among world leaders and arms control experts. Iran, under reimposed U.S. sanctions, continues to advance its nuclear program. It also pursues an aggressive regional agenda and ballistic missile development – areas unaddressed in the 2015 nuclear deal. With a UN arms embargo on Iran set to expire in October, are U.S. warnings gaining international traction? What are the options, diplomatic or otherwise, to address this ongoing conventional and non-conventional threat? Join leading experts and members of Congress for a critical look at the future of the JCPOA, Iran’s regional aggression, U.S. policy, and challenges for the next four years.


American Identity: Integration and Immigration
Wednesday, August 26
12pm EDT
American society and the defining characteristics of American identity have evolved dramatically over the last century, and endured further changes in just the past months. Our panel of experts and thought leaders will address challenges facing minorities today, including how our policies and national rhetoric affect African-Americans, Latinos, and others. Panelists will explore our nation's long struggle with racism, examine the impact of U.S. immigration policies, and debate whether pluralism or particularism is winning the day.


Maintaining U.S. Global Leadership
Thursday, August 27
12pm EDT
Strong and principled U.S. global leadership is critical to the security of our nation and our allies, and to projecting democratic values and safeguarding human rights abroad. Join policy experts and government officials for an in-depth discussion on how America’s approach to international affairs has changed in recent years, the forces that shape U.S. foreign policy, the rising competition for global influence, and what we can expect for the next four years.

The Future of U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security
Thursday, August 27
1:30pm EDT
In an increasingly uncertain world, what does the future of U.S. foreign policy and national security look like? In this exclusive Remote ACCESS session, on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention, we will take a deep dive with foreign policy and national security experts on the current landscape of foreign policy, successes and challenges in the field, and what we can expect in 2020 and beyond.
ACCESS, AJC's young leadership program, educates young Jewish professionals about the critical domestic and international issues facing the global Jewish community. This empowers them to shape the conversation on these issues by reaching out to diplomats and opinion makers, as well as their peers from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.


Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Republican National Convention & the Next Four Years
Friday, August 28
12pm EDT
An Exclusive AJC National Leadership Council Event
Members of AJC’s National Leadership Council will receive a separate email with information about this exclusive program. To learn more about AJC’s Donor Recognition Societies, please click here.
Prof. Nancy Harrowitz
Elie Wiesel Center for Israel Studies Summer Reading Series

Nancy Harrowitz
Wednesday, August 26
1pm
Join us for the last of our Summer 2020 Readings with BU Romance Studies Prof Nancy Harrowitz at 1 p.m, Wednesday, August 26th. Prof. Harrowitz will read from Giorgio Bassani’s The Garden of the Finzi Contini and "A Plaque in Via Mazzini."
FIDF: A Night of Heroes

Sunday, September 13
7pm EDT
Our global IDF family unites for one unprecedented night of giving and extraordinary solidarity, saluting our IDF protectors.
This first-of-its kind, one-night-only event is to celebrate the soldiers of the IDF. To honor and support them. To create for them a better everyday life and the promise of a brighter future. Our global FIDF family comes together to salute, honor, and recognize these heroes. All are invited as the beauty of our virtual event is its unlimited capacity. Invite your family, friends, everyone you know; At a time like this, we all need to be inspired by heroes.
Schusterman Center for Israel Studies

The Jews are Coming to Brandeis: A Conversation with the Creators of Israel’s Hit Satire Series, "Ha-Yehudim Baim"
Monday, September 14
12-1pm EDT
Zoom event
In English for the first time! The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University invites you to our Fall kickoff event. "The Jews are Coming" ("Ha-Yehudim Baim") is an Israeli Academy Award-winning satire now in its fourth season, airing on Kan 11, one of the official channels of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. The sketch comedy covers the history of the Jewish people from biblical times to the present, from Moses to Barbie and everything in between. Join our associate director Dr. Shayna Weiss for a lively conversation with the show's creators, Natalie Marcus and Asaf Beiser. The conversation will also feature clips from the new season, never before translated for an English speaking audience! 

Rockets, Nukes and Cyber Too - Israel's Current Security Challenges
Thursday, September 24, 2020
12-1 PM EDT
Zoom event
The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University presents the first Schusterman Seminar of Fall 2020, featuring Charles Freilich, Goldman Senior Fellow and Lecturer in Politics, Crown Center for Middle East Studies, Brandeis University. 
Cosponsored by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University.
Dr. Freilich is the Goldman Senior Fellow at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and lecturer in the politics department at Brandeis. He is a former deputy national security adviser in Israel and long-time senior fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center. He has taught political science at Harvard, Columbia, NYU, and Tel Aviv University. He is the author of "Zion’s Dilemmas: How Israel Makes National Security Policy" (Cornell University Press, 2012); "Israeli National Security: A New Strategy for an Era of Change" (Oxford University Press, 2018); and "Israel and the Cyber Threat: How the Startup Nation Became a Global Cyber Power" (forthcoming 2021). He has published numerous academic articles and over 170 op-eds and appears frequently on U.S., Israeli, and international TV and radio stations.

The Saga of the Citron: Historical and Global Perspectives
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
12:00 - 1:30 PM EDT
Zoom event
Presented by the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University, in partnership with the Historical Society of Israel. Join us to discover what the etrog, or citron, can reveal about the history of Zionism. Presentations followed by facilitated discussion. 
Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston offers virtual outreach programs, at no cost, that are appropriate for adult education, Sisterhood and Brotherhood activities.



Topics include:
-Introduction to Jewish Genealogy
-Jewish Genealogy and DNA
-Life Under the Tsars
-Finding Jewish Records from Ukraine and the Russian Empire
-Internal Jewish Migration to Agricultural Colonies in the Russian Empire
For more information and/or to schedule a date for a program, contact Susan Rosen at outreach@jgsgb.org or call the JGSGB at 866-611-5698.
*If you have an event or initiative that you would like us to include in a future newsletter, please email us at info@synagoguecouncil.org.