Tikkun Zoom Shavuot 2025 Schedule

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Jethro and Ruth are two non-Jews who change Jewish life for the better. All of our lives include many people who are not formally Jewish and yet are essential to the community we are building. There are also non-Jews who remain staunch adversaries to our people. The story of Moses’ father-in-law Yitro and Naomi’s daughter-in-law Ruth are essential to the holiday of Shavuot. The Torah includes Yitro’s narrative right before the revelation at Sinai. Not only was Yitro not Jewish, but he was also a Midianite priest, a people known to be fierce enemies of our biblical ancestors. Ruth is a Moabite, another people deeply at odds with our ancestors. And yet they both become fused to us and the core narrative of Shavuot as they transform from strangers to becoming intimate parts of our Jewish family. We’ll consider how these figures might help us transform our families and our communities.

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How is Torah meant to be studied? Torah is most often thought of as a source of knowledge and is studied appropriately. In this session we will learn about the hasidic practices of studying Torah as a way to be in direct communication with God, and the transformative power of such learning. If we have time, we will explore such learning in relation to the mitzvah of caring for the stranger who has come to live in our community.

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The inclusion of “Song of Songs” in the Biblical canon and Jewish liturgy has an engaging history replete with delightful commentary on its natural and cultural (theology) elements. This session will focus on Chapter 2, its seasonal plant and animal imagery, including, in some interpretations, the birdsongs integrated into its trope.

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The name Abraham Joshua Heschel (d. 1972) is iconic in many Jewish and interreligious settings. His blend of religious piety and social engagement has inspired countless people over the decades. In this session, we will explore Heschel’s unique synthesis of spirituality and social justice through a close reading of a few of his writings. In so doing, we will explore the theological and ethical principles that animated his work and how it might inform our ongoing efforts to help create a more just and compassionate world. 

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Sharing our values through stories has the power to move people and inspire change. Join us to learn how to harness your own experiences to move to action!

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Rabbi Berkman will share some of the many poems she has written since October 7, 2023 and we will discuss writing poetry as a tool for being present to our pain, to complex emotions, and for generating strength and hope.

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Unlike other religious and mythological narratives, the Book of Genesis opens with a stunning description about the fundamental nature of our world. But it is later Midrashic texts that truly help us understand that this story is not about the world at all – it is about us, what it means to be human, and our complex relationship with God.

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Join Rabbis Elaine Zecher and Andrew Oberstein for a lively and provocative podcast style discussion about our life after life. What happens to us? What role does our soul have? Do we get to meet the Divine? Let the questions flow and our thinking expand.

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In Rewriting Ruth, we crack open this ancient story and remix it through the fierce, tender, and rebellious voices of feminist Hebrew poets and songwriters.

Through powerful poetry, raw lyrics, and deep conversation, we’ll trace the journey of Ruth and Naomi—not just as biblical heroines, but as archetypes of love, loss, migration, and chosen family.

Expect chills, goosebumps, and maybe a spontaneous singalong. Whether you’re a poetry nerd, a music lover, a Torah geek, or just Ruth-curious, this is your invitation to connect with Shavuot in a fresh, fierce, and deeply personal way.

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In challenging and uncertain times, we are not the first in Jewish history to ask how to persevere. Our ancestors, too, faced profound upheaval—and their responses can serve as enduring guides. In this session, we will explore a Talmudic passage that grapples with life in the aftermath of one of the most devastating events in Jewish history: the destruction of the Second Temple. Together, we will consider how Torah study offered — and continues to offer — a redemptive path forward.

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Together, participants will examine competing revelations at Sinai (Ex 19-20) and at the Burning Bush (Sneh), as well as what each model has to teach us about the nature of Israel’s mission.

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Curious what the High Priestess and the High Priest (aka the Kohen Gadol) might have in common? In this class, we’ll explore how Tarot and Torah mirror each other’s wisdom through archetypes, storytelling, and imagery. Come for the sacred symbols, stay for the spiritual surprises — no prior experience needed!

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After October 7th, Israel found itself in its worst food crises ever. Leket Israel has been working on solving it, using ingenuity and the values of the Torah as our guide. Today we are believed to be the worlds largest gleaning operation! How did this come to be out of tiny Israel?

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A piyyut is a liturgical poem. Someone wrote the classics… how about you write some new (or recycled) ones? Let’s start with Akdamut. Most Ashkenazi congregations read the 90-verse Akdamut during the Torah reading on Shavuot. Come learn about Leviathan and Behemoth, and hear Shari’s work-in-progress, an Akdamut rap.

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Solomon ibn Gabirol lived during the “Hebrew Golden Age” in 11th century Spain. His prolific philosophic writing and unique poetry over a very short life influenced Jewish, Christian and Islamic writers for centuries thereafter. This session will present key texts and poems of Ibn Gabirol.

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Many Israelis say, “If I didn’t read or watch the news, I wouldn’t know we were at war.” We will study a poem and related literature calling into question such statements and exploring the impact of ongoing war on the individual and national psyche.

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Once we determine what makes a prophet a prophet and how the Jewish community interfaces with them, we will look at haftarot both traditional and not. Join in for this dynamic dialogue.

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Have you ever been in a learning space and wished that us liberal Jews were slightly less inclusive, at least of one particular (annoying, boring, persistent) person? That is the nudnik problem! In this session, we will explore the what and why of nudniks, what may inspire us to hate or appreciate them, and consider traditional and modern strategies for addressing the nudnik problem.

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This interactive session will explore the utility and importance of advance care planning as well as the history and current use of an ethical will.

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This program is an intimate, Tiny Desk-inspired performance and interview series hosted by Cantor Alicia Stillman, blending music, conversation, and spiritual reflection. In this special episode, Cantor Stillman welcomes acclaimed poet and performer Regie Gibson alongside award-winning musician and storyteller Guy Mendilow for a soulful exploration of identity, resilience, and cultural memory. Set in the warm, inviting space of the cantor’s office, this unique session offers a powerful fusion of sound and story that transcends genres and speaks to the heart.

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Amir Grinstein is a marketing professor at Northeastern and the co-founder of 50:50 Startups. 

In his research, teaching and social entrepreneurship work he follows the principles of Both/And Thinking. In this session/course he will present this idea — that allows us to capture the complexity of many situations in real life — and demonstrate how it is manifested in 50:50 Startups — a non-profit startup incubator that helps Israelis and Palestinians to develop startups together.

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We all share a powerful connection to immigrants and all have a story about how our families came to the United States. Come and share your own story, and I will discuss my grandmother’s escape from Nazi Europe to Shanghai, with musical pieces about her journey.

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How caring, cultivating and cuddling these remarkable little creatures helps to create a sense of gratitude and connection to the greater world and develop a sense of “being my best self.” You, too, can find the sacred in small and miraculous places!

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