Fall Shapiro Lecture
featuring Dr. Deborah Weissman
"Towards a Jewish Theology of Other Religions"
Deborah Weissman, Ph.D. to give Fall 2010 Shapiro Lecture on Tuesday, November 16 at 4:00 p.m.
Amidst a struggle against extremists in various communities, religious diversity and the need for coexistence are among the central features of life in modern society. Can contemporary Jews develop a theology of other religions that is both faithful to the Jewish tradition and respectful towards the beliefs and practices of others? What resources exist that could inform such an approach?
Dr. Deborah Weissmanwas born in New York and settled in Jerusalem in 1972. She holds a BA from Barnard College and an MA from New York University, both in sociology, and a Ph.D. in Jewish education from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Her main field of academic research is the social history of Jewish women’s education.
Dr. Weissman is a prize-winning Jewish educator, who has had extensive experience in both formal and informal Jewish education, both with Israelis and with Diaspora youth and adults. For nine years she was the director of a teacher training institute for Israeli high school teachers. Prior to that, Dr. Weissman worked for 12 years at the Hebrew University, primarily in the Melton Centre for Jewish Education and the School for Overseas Students. Dr. Weissman was one of the founders and is still an active member of Kehillat yedidya in Bak’a, a modern Orthodox synagogue that has excellent neighborly relations with its Reform and Conservative neighbors and hosts multi-faith groups from throughout the world. She is currently the Deputy Co-Chair of the Inter-Religious Coordinating Council in Israel, as well as President of the International Council of Christians and Jews.
Information: bernardincenter@ctu.edu 773.371.5432
