May 20, 2024
Gender, the Bible, and the Art of Translation
A conversation with Elias Sacks, Director of The Jewish Publication Society, exploring the following questions: How should English translators of the Hebrew Bible approach questions relating to gender? When should gender-inclusive language (such as “God” or “person”) be used for references to God and human beings, and when is gendered terminology (such as “King” and “man”) called for historically and linguistically? What does it mean to faithfully render biblical Hebrew into contemporary English, and how can translators share their methodologies and choices with readers and communities? The session examined these topics, focusing on the newest Bible translation released by The Jewish Publication Society, THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Presented in partnership with The Jewish Theological Seminary as part of their Timely Insights, Timeless Wisdom series. The source sheet for this session is available here.
Watch the program recording here.
March 17, 2024
Turning Points in Jewish History: A Polish Translation
A roundtable discussion with Rabbis Marc Rosenstein, Barry Schwartz, Menachem Mirski, Mati Kirschenbaum, Drs. Miroslaw Patalon, and Dominika Zakrzewska, exploring the Polish translation of this historical volume, which makes accessible over thirty pivotal moments from biblical times to the near present to provide the reader with “the big picture.” Its teachers will augment and embellish the Polish version using text and online sources as a core. Presented by the Friends of Jewish Renewal in Poland as part of their series, Freighted Legacies (Dziedzictwa obarczone): The Culture and History of Jewish Interactions in Poland.
Watch the program recording here.
February 7, 2024
The Jewish Catalog Turns 50: Revolutionary Manifesto of DIY Judaism
A conversation with Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Joshua Teplitsky, and Beth Wenger, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Jewish Catalog – a bestseller whose success led to second and third Jewish Catalog editions – a groundbreaking publication that revolutionized Judaism. Produced by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in partnership with the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Brandeis Library, Brandeis University, Penn’s Jewish Studies Program, and The Jewish Publication Society.
Watch the program recording here.
February 6, 2024
AJS Conversation Series: God, Gender, and Bible Translation
With David E.S. Stein; Beth Lieberman, HUC-JIR (Los Angeles); Everett Fox, Clark University; Hanne Loeland Levinson, University of Minnesota; Elias Sacks, The Jewish Publication Society. Presented by the Association for Jewish Studies.
January 21, 2024
Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?
In his new JPS book, Who Are the Jews—And Who Can We Become?, Donniel Hartman posits that we need a new shared story to replace the one that is currently putting our collective identity at risk. In this session, Donniel was joined by author and journalist Abigail Pogrebin for a conversation about the impact of the October 7 attacks on the possibilities for a new Jewish story built on collective Jewish meaning, moral rigor, and a courageous commitment to each other, one that gives us a language for understanding and addressing today’s core Jewish challenges in Israel and in the Diaspora. Presented as part of the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Ideas for Today series, in partnership with The Jewish Publication Society.
Watch the webinar recording here.
December 10, 2023
Judaism as a Civilization: The Hanukkah Gift to the Jewish People and World that Keeps on Giving
Lecture by Dr. Deborah Waxman of Reconstructing Judaism and response from Dr. Elias Sacks of The Jewish Publication Society marking the 90th anniversary of Mordecai Kaplan’s JPS classic, Judaism as a Civilization. Moderated by Dr. Jeffrey Schein. Presented in partnership with The Kaplan Center for Jewish Peoplehood, Reconstructing Judaism, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.
Watch the webinar recording here.
February 1, 2021
The Jews Should Keep Quiet: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and the Holocaust by Rafael Medoff
Watch the webinar recording here.
January 25, 2021
Stolen Words: The Nazi Plunder of Jewish Books by Rabbi Mark Glickman
Watch the webinar recording here.
October 21, 2020
Abraham’s Astonishing Legacy with JPS authors Rabbis Amy Scheinerman, Jeffrey Salkin, and Barry Schwartz (JPS Director Emeritus).
Watch the webinar recording here.
