EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JCC HOUSTON
Bobbi and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living & Learning
The 26th Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program
Secret Jewish Histories: Revealing the Hidden Worlds of Jewish Culture January 24‒February 14
erjcchouston.org
The 26th Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program
Secret Jewish Histories: Revealing the Hidden Worlds of Jewish Culture Sunday, January 24‒Sunday, February 14 Dr. Yossi Chajes, University of Haifa Lectures, intimate learning sessions, and mini-courses will explore rarely considered dimensions of Jewish life and thought during this 3-week residency. Jewish magic, women mystics, and kabbalistic diagrams, along with timely sessions devoted to the ancient wisdom of the holidays of Tu B’Shvat and Purim, will examine rich, unique, and fascinating aspects of Jewish culture. J.H. (Yossi) Chajes (Ph.D., Yale University) is Associate Professor in the Department of Jewish History at the University of Haifa and the director of its Center for the Study of Jewish Cultures. A former recipient of Fulbright, Rothchild, Wexner, and Hartman Fellowships, he is the author of Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism (2003) and has been a visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Israel Institute of Advanced Studies. Dr. Chajes was also a student and accompanist of the legendary Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach for many years, and has been invited by communities around the world to teach and to lead inspirational musical services.
$10 Member | $15 Public (per lecture) $36 Member | $54 Public (series pass)* FREE for full time students with valid ID and full time Jewish professionals* *Please note that Series Passes do not cover Tastings, Super Bowl Sunday Brunch & Learn, Erev Yom Limmud Kumsitz, and the Yom Limmud Learning Session. A separate charge will apply. All programs take place at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC unless otherwise indicated.
For more information and a complete list of programs, please visit erjcchouston.org/horvitz or contact Rabbi Samantha Safran at ssafran@erjcchouston.org. Preview Appearance: Tastings Saturday, January 23 I 8:00 PM Experience a comprehensive sampling of the arts, culture and education season in one spectacular setting. This intimate evening of fine food and fine art features a gourmet, multi-course, Tu B’shevat-themed meal wherein each course will be paired with a different performance—dance, music, spoken word, short film, and Jewish thought. Enjoy a sneak preview of Dr. Chajes as our featured Jewish thought presenter.
Opening Lecture & Reception Secret Jewish Histories: Leveraging Knowledge of the Past for a Richer Present Sunday, January 24 | 4:00 PM FREE How can historical knowledge help us find contemporary meaning? Dr. Chajes will address this question by offering a glimpse into the many subjects he will explore during his time in Houston. Personal and professional reflections will allow you to become acquainted with our unusual Scholar. Reception immediately following the lecture.
Kabbalah 101 Monday, January 25 | 7:30 PM It seems that “Kabbalah” is everywhere these days, from rock stars to rabbis. Can someone please explain what all the fuss is about? In this session, Dr. Chajes will provide a concise “Ted-style” introduction to the history and basic concepts of the Kabbalah.
Melton Learning: Dybbuks and Jews Tuesdays, January 26 & February 2 | 6:00 PM $18 Dinner I FREE Program for Registered Melton Students Thursday, Feb 4 | 12:00 PM $15 Lunch I FREE Program for Registered Melton Students From ancient to contemporary sources, we will look at tales of the possessed, techniques of exorcism, the heroes and the victims of this phenomenon and the messages it conveys about spirit possession. The dinner learning will be offered in two cumulative sessions; the lunch will be one session combined.
Mini-Course I: Jewish Magic, Magical Judaism Wednesdays, January 27, February 3 & February 10 I 7:30 PM This mini-course will begin with an exploration of magic in biblical and rabbinic sources, and then turn to medieval and modern Jewish approaches, examining techniques, critiques, and legends. How is magic faring in different expressions of contemporary Jewish culture?
Rice University Lunch & Learn: The Old New Age: Jewish and Christian Kabbalah in the Seventeenth Century Wednesday, January 27 I 12:00 PM Rice University Jewish Studies Dept. Christians took an interest in Kabbalah as early as the thirteenth century, but typically with conversionary motives. Jews, they imagined, might be convinced of the truth of Christianity if the Kabbalah could be used to prove it. Because of this, Kabbalah became a kind of ecumenical project at this historical moment; although fleeting, its influence may be detected even today.
Mini-Course II: Adults-Only Purim Thursdays, January 28 & February 4 7:30 PM Purim has often been diluted in modern Jewish celebrations, but in fact has long been understood in rabbinic thought as the climax and culmination of the Jewish holiday year. In these sessions, we will study some of the most profound teachings in our tradition, including a musical element—truly mature Torah, for adults only.
Mid-Residency Lecture Kabbalah and the Visualizing of the Invisible Sunday, January 31 | 4:00 PM FREE Complex graphical scrolls have been a genre of kabbalistic literature in their own right since the Renaissance, and from the late seventeenth century were indispensable to kabbalists. We will explore the origins and functions of this littleknown genre through close examination of these beautiful artifacts.
Hebrew Speaking Professionals Organization: The State of the Spirit: A Discussion of Spiritual Trends in Israel Today Sunday, January 31 I 7:30 PM This lecture will be entirely in Hebrew.
For the better part of a century, the Land, and subsequently the State of Israel largely sufficed with two labels for the religious orientation of its Jews: Dati (“religious”) and Hiloni (“secular”). However, this dichotomy has gradually given way to a rather more complex spectrum. We will discuss this trend and the political consequences for Israeli society.
Mini-Course III: Jewish Women Mystics Mondays, February 1 & 8 | 7:30 PM This course will explore the mystical activity of premodern Jewish women. Rather than looking at the gendered nature of Kabbalistic symbolism, we will examine textual evidence that exposes the worlds of female Jewish mystics. What do we know of their practices? Should they be considered “kabbalists”? How did male kabbalists relate to them? Why have they been forgotten?
Rothko Chapel Meditation Session Wednesday, February 3 I 12:00 PM Rothko Chapel Join Dr. Chajes at the famed Rothko Chapel where he will lead us in a session of Jewish devotional, meditative song. Centuries-old chants, inspirational poetic readings from kabbalistic masterworks, and modern Jewish “spirituals” will open our hearts and minds at midday.
Shabbat Sermon & Study Session: Deepening the Internal Prayer Experience Saturday, February 6 | 9:30 AM Congregation Brith Shalom Dr. Chajes will deliver the d’var Torah at services on Shabbat morning and then lead a Shabbat afternoon discussion group.
Super Bowl Sunday Brunch & Learn: What’s Going to Happen? Pre-Game Reflections on Divination, Clairvoyance, Angels, and Gambling in Jewish Tradition Sunday, February 7 I 11:30 AM Green Vegetarian Cuisine $15 Member | $20 Public In the spirit of the day, Dr. Chajes will ask how Jews over the ages have dealt with and have overcome the uncertain future. The discussion will touch upon Jewish concepts of prophecy, techniques to divine the future and to deploy angels, and the fraught theological status of gambling.
Following the Maps: Exploring the Kabbalistic Diagrams Tuesday, February 9 I 7:30 PM This session will be a follow-up to the midresidency lecture, and will explore in more detail the kabbalistic maps and diagrams discussed.
Closing Lecture What We Have Learned: Reflections on Secret Jewish Histories and What They Mean for Us Now Thursday, February 11 | 7:30 PM FREE An opportunity for reflections on what the very diverse topics addressed over the previous weeks have in common, and what the implications might be for us today. A personal, ideological—but non-denominational—plea for more fluid and expansive conceptions of Jewish thought.
Erev Yom Limmud Havdalah & Kumsitz Musical Gathering Saturday, February 13 | 8:00 PM Merfish Teen Center | $18 Ages 21 and over
Kick off Yom Limmud with this evening of story and song led by Dr. Chajes. A Kumsitz, derived from the Yiddish words kum ("come") and sitz ("sit,") is a reflective and inspirational gathering that often marks the end of Shabbat. Coffee, wine, and dessert will be served.
Yom Limmud Learning Session: The Surprising Aftermath of the Self-Proclaimed Messiah of 1666 Sunday, February 14 | 10:00 AM Congregation Beth Israel Yom Limmud Pricing Applies
In 1666, the entire Jewish world was caught up in messianic frenzy over Shabbetai Sevi—until his conversion to Islam. The fascinating ideas that this messianic movement generated had a long and significant afterlife in the Jewish world. We will explore the various ways in which Sabbatianism lived, and lives on.
Scholar-in-Residence Program At a Glance Date
Time
Program
Location
Saturday, Jan 23
8:00 PM
Tastings Arts Dinner*
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Sunday, Jan 24
4:00 PM
Opening Lecture & Reception: Secret Jewish Histories: Leveraging Knowledge of the Past for a Richer Present
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Monday, Jan 25
7:30 PM
Kabbalah 101
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Tuesday, Jan 26
6:00 PM
Melton Dinner & Learn: Dybbuks and Jews I
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Wednesday, Jan 27
12:00 PM
Rice University Lunch & Learn: The Old New Age: Jewish and Christian Kabbalah in the Seventeenth Century
Rice University
Wednesday, Jan 27
7:30 PM
Mini-Course IA: Jewish Magic, Magical Judaism
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Thursday, Jan 28
7:30 PM
Mini-Course IIA: Adults-Only Purim
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Sunday, Jan 31
4:00 PM
Mid-Residency Lecture: Kabbalah and the Visualizing of the Invisible
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Sunday, Jan 31
7:30 PM
Hebrew Speaking Professionals Organization: The State of the Spirit: A Discussion of Spiritual Trends in Israel Today
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC This lecture will be entirely in Hebrew.
Monday, Feb 1
7:30 PM
Mini-Course IIIA: Jewish Women Mystics
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Tuesday, Feb 2
6:00 PM
Melton Dinner & Learn: Dybbuks and Jews II
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Wednesday, Feb 3
12:00 PM
Rothko Chapel Meditation Session
Rothko Chapel
Wednesday, Feb 3
7:30 PM
Mini-Course IB: Jewish Magic, Magical Judaism
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Thursday, Feb 4
12:00 PM
Melton Lunch & Learn: Dybbuks and Jews
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Thursday, Feb 4
7:30 PM
Mini-Course IIB: Adults-Only Purim
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Saturday, Feb 6
9:30 AM
Shabbat Sermon & Study Session: Deepening the Internal Prayer Experience
Congregation Brith Shalom
Sunday, Feb 7
11:30 AM
Super Bowl Sunday Brunch & Learn*
Green Vegetarian Cuisine
Monday, Feb 8
7:30 PM
Mini Course IIIB: Jewish Women Mystics
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Tuesday, Feb 9
7:30 PM
Following the Maps: Exploring the Kabbalistic Diagrams
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Wednesday, Feb 10
7:30 PM
Mini Course IC: Jewish Magic, Magical Judaism
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Thursday, Feb 11
7:30 PM
Closing Lecture: What We have Learned: Reflections on Secret Jewish Histories and What They Mean For Us Now
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC
Saturday, Feb 13
8:00 PM
Erev Yom Limmud Havdalah & Kumsitz Musical Gathering*
Merfish Teen Center Ages 21 and over
Sunday, Feb 14
10:00 AM
Yom Limmud Learning Session: The Surprising Aftermath of the Self-Proclaimed Messiah of 1666*
Congregation Beth Israel
*Please note that Series Passes do not cover these events. Separate charges apply.
About the Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program Dr. Leo Horvitz’s commitment to the Jewish community is legendary. The Scholar-in-Residence Program was originally established in 1989 by his wife, Bunny, to honor the memory of Dr. Horvitz who served the Jewish community of Houston in many capacities. In 1995, to honor the blessed memory of Bunny Horvitz, the program was renamed the Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Program. The series continues to reflect their dedication to excellence in Jewish education for the entire community. The Evelyn Rubenstein JCC thanks the Horvitz family for its continued support of this program.
Bunny and Leo Horvitz Scholar-in-Residence Committee Joe Pryzant, Chair | Ira Black | Devora Borik | Rhoda Goldberg Bernice Heilbrunn-Potvin | Paul Horvitz | Julia Mazow | Ron Moses Lydia Musher | Nancy Pryzant Picus | Shirley Warshaw This program is made possible in part by a grant from Humanities Texas, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Houston 5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096-3907 713.729.3200 | erjcchouston.org