Social Vision II: January, 2021

Neo-hasidism and the Renewal Movement

Sam Shonkoff – Assistant professor of Jewish studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, Estelle Frankel – practicing psychotherapist, author, spiritual director and popular public speaker, Rachel Werczberger – Lecturer, Tel Aviv University, Program of Religious Studies & The Academic College of Yezreel Vally, Jonah Gelfand (he/him) received his Masters in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in 2022 and is a Fellow at the IJSS.

Paths to Utopia: Social Vision and Economic Questions

Catherine Casey – Professor of Organization and Society, Loughborough University, Philip Wexler – Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Unterberg Chair in Jewish Social and Educational History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Previously, Dean of the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester, NY., Heinz Sünker – Emeritus Professor of Social Pedagogy and Social Policy, Universität zu Wuppertal.

In the Footsteps of the Footsteps: Elliot Wolfson’s Keynote Address

Elliot Wolfson – Fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is the Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies and Distinguished Professor of Religion at University of California, Santa Barbara, Eli Rubin – Holds a PhD in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from University College London, and is a research writer and editor at Chabad.org.

Theory and Application of the Rebbe’s Social Philosophy

Richard Sugarman – American academic and political consultant. He is a professor of religion at the University of Vermont and “a world-renowned expert on the Lithuanian-born philosopher Emmanuel Levinas.”

Deliberation on the Future of Jewish Education

Zohar Raviv – International vice president of education for Taglit-Birthright Israel, Erica Brown – director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an associate professor of curriculum and pedagogy at The George Washington University, Dr. Barry Chazan – Professor of Education and Director of The Masters Program in Jewish Professional Studies, Spertus College and Founding Director of Education, Birthright Israel.

Reimagining Education

Yotam Hotam – Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and a Research Fellow at the Center for German and European Studies at the University of Haifa, Myers Peter McClaren – Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies, Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies, Chapman University.

Higher Education: Elevating Transformational Learning & Personal Development

Tricia Seifert – Associate professor in the Adult & Higher Education program at Montana State University, Claire Robbins – associate professor in the School of Education at Virginia Tech, Sean McCarthy – associate professor in the School of Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication at James Madison University (JMU), Ben Selznick – Assistant Professor of Strategic Leadership with a focus on postsecondary analysis and leadership at James Madison University.

Practical Environmentalism

Rebecca Mertusewicz – Professor of Teacher Education, Eastern Michigan University., Bill McKibben – Founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice. His 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change and has appeared in 24 languages. Erik Peckar – co-founder of Vineyard Power, creators of the fist offshore wind farm in the United States.

A Conversation About Diversity

Charles Howard – The University Chaplain and Vice President for Social Equity & Community at the University of Pennsylvania, Shalhavit-Simcha Cohen is a multi-award-winning Musician and PhD Researcher and recipient Harvard University’s Bok Prize for Public Service, Jonah Gelfand (he/him) received his Masters in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union in 2022 and is a Fellow at the IJSS.

A Paradigm Shift in Warehousing Human Beings

Charles Lipskar – Principal of the Landow Yeshiva in Miami Beach in 1969. He founded The Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside, Florida, as well as the Aleph Institute in 1981, Catherine Casey – Professor of Organization and Society, Loughborough University, Philip Wexler – Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Unterberg Chair in Jewish Social and Educational History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Previously, Dean of the Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester, NY., Heinz Sünker – Emeritus Professor of Social Pedagogy and Social Policy, Universität zu Wuppertal.

Hasidic Feminism: In Theory & Practice

Michal Etzion – Doctoral student in the Gender Studies program at Bar Ilan University planning a dissertation on the subject of Chabad shlichot, Naftali Loewenthal, Adjunct Lecturer in Jewish Spirituality, University College London, UK, Chava Green – Sfter graduating with her BA in Women’s and Gender Studies, Chava attended Mayanot Women’s Program in Jerusalem and Machon Alta in Tzfat. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Jewish studies at Emory.

Socio-Mystical Justice and Incarceration

Kathy Humphrey – 11th president of Carlow University, Liel Leibovitz – Editor at large at Tablet Magazine and the co-host of the podcast, Unorthodox.

Race and Racism: An Interview

Spiritual Environmentalism (January 2021)

Janna Siller – Farm director at Adamah, a farm and fellowship program., Nathaniel Berman – Rahel Varnhagen Chair in Brown University’s Department of Religious Studies, Ariel Mayse – Assistant Professor Standford University Department of Religious Studies and serves as the rabbi-in-residence at ATIQ: Jewish Maker Institute, Ellen Bernstein – Founder of the first national Jewish environmental organization, Shomrei Adamah, Keepers of the Earth, credited with helping launch the joint field of Religion and Ecology