Courses
Talmud: Structure of the SugyaTalmud with TosafotTalmud with RishonimTanakh with RashiTanakh with Mikraot GedolotAdvanced Tanakh ExegesisMahshavah I (Jewish Thought)Mahshavah II (Jewish Thought)Mahshavah III (Jewish Thought)Topics in HalakhahHasidutConversion, Apostasy and the Nature of Jewish IdentityShabbat in the Ten CommandmentsLiturgy SkillsParashat Hashavua: In God's WildernessJudaism as a Spiritual PracticeIndependent Beit MidrashSihahShiur Klali (Integrated Communal Learning)Advanced Midrash Text: Shir HaShirim RabbahBasic Torah Reading

Conversion, Apostasy and the Nature of Jewish Identity

Taught by: Shmuel Kadosh
Monday, 5:15-6:30pm (June)

How does one become a Jew ? Can one forfeit one's Jewishness? Two of the most dramatic events in Jewish law are conversion, when an individual joins the Jewish community, and apostasy, when a person attempts to leave it for another faith. The halakhah marks these two events with a series of unique laws, rituals,  and attitudes. In this series of classes, we will examine selected components of giyur (conversion) and sh'mad (apostasy). In addition to studying the black letter law (halakhah le'ma'aseh) we will explore the values underlying the halakhah to see what they tell us about what it means to be a Jew.