Renewing Our Spirit: Fourth Annual Conference
In Memory of Nathan Noteh Krauss z"l
Session Synopsis

Renewing Our Spirit
		Program Summary
		Session Synopsis
		Schedule
		Speakers

Welcome to our fourth annual Torah in Motion Renewing Our Spirit Conference. For your interest and further reflection, we have prepared a brief synopsis of the issues relevant to the talk of each speaker.

Saturday Night

8:30-10:00

Returning to Religion: The Experience of the Baal Teshuvah and the Challenge to Contemporary Jewry

Dr. Lisa Aiken
Dr. Eric Lawee
Dr. Elliott Malamet
Rabbi Michael Skobac

In this symposium, four teachers will review their journeys towards religious observance and also analyse some of the key issues that confront baalei teshuvah. Do baalei teshuvah integrate well into the normative Orthodox community and is that community welcoming of them? What are the unique issues that face their children? And ultimately, from a psychological perspective, how does the baal teshuvah contend with the different parts of his or her experience ("the life before" vs. "the life after").

Sunday, November 6th

9:00 a.m.

Session A

Henna White
Ultra-Orthodox Women: Conceptions and Misconceptions

Often perceived in stereotypical ways, the Ultra-Orthodox woman increasingly balances a variety of roles: homemaker; breadwinner;  spiritual force. Ms. White's talk will deconstruct many of the familiar cliches about haredi women and offer some subtle observations about the relationship of such women to modern Jewish living.

Session B

Dr. Danny Brom
Dealing With Trauma: Israelis and the aftermath of Terror

After confronting the daily agony of suicide bombings, Israelis must now reckon with the price of survival in many areas: physical, psychological, familial. Dr. Brom is an expert in trauma and its accompanying stress disorders, and will examine where the future lies for the social fabric of Israeli society in the aftermath of terror.

10:00-11:15

Session A

Wendy Shalit
Modesty - The Last Taboo?

In 1999 Wendy Shalit's book A Return to Modesty made a major cultural impact in North America . Ms. Shalit's argument was that the present vision of the body and of sexual freedom in the West has gone astray, and that the erosion of modesty has done a huge disservice to young females. In her talk, Ms. Shalit will argue that young women must cultivate the virtue of modesty and do so without shame or regret. 

Session B

Dr. Marc Shapiro
What Must Jews Believe?: Maimonides and the Thirteen Principles of Faith

For many traditional Jews today, Maimonides' Thirteen Principles are the first and last word in Jewish theology. To deny them is seen as heresy. Dr. Shapiro's talk, based on his well-known book, examines how historically - both before and after Maimonides - these principles were debated, disputed and even avoided by many mainstream Orthodox authorities. Dr. Shapiro's thorough analysis of the relevant sources reveals a fascinating picture of how Jews have thought in subtle and complicated ways about fundamental matters of belief.

11:50-12:15  

Rabbi Saul Berman
Keynote Address - "A Fearless Orthodoxy for the 21 st Century"

Rabbi Berman, who is at the forefront of contemporary Modern Orthodoxy, will deliver an address focussing on how Jews can engage the challenges of modernity and remain fiercely committed to the practices and values of Torah Judaism. 

12:30-1:15

Lunch

1:15-2:30

Session A

Religion and Rage: Spousal Abuse in the Jewish Community

Rabbi Mark Dratch
Ms. Henna White 

Rabbi Dratch has pointed out that "Judaism asserts a religious and moral duty to protect the integrity and welfare of its community, most especially the welfare of those who are vulnerable," including victims of abuse. Rabbi Dratch, who has now turned his professional focus to this issue, and Ms. White, who received a federal grant to address domestic abuse in the Orthodox community, will discuss this topic with authority and sensitivity.

Session B 

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik
"The Man with Levi's Genes: Cloning, Biotechnology and Judaism"

Technology has created many benefits to society but leaves in its wake a host of moral challenges. In this engaging seminar, Rabbi Soloveichik will offer a Jewish perspective on new biomedical marvels and examine the ethical and spiritual implications of cloning.

Session C

Rabbi Saul Berman
"Are There Limits To Women's Torah Study?"

What is the halakhic status of women's Torah study? Is it a duty, a discretionary act, or something that should constitute a relatively restricted area in the life of a Jewish woman? Rabbi Berman will analyse the sources and provide a provocative discussion of the significant changes in modernity regarding the relationship between women and the learning of scared texts. He will also assess the future of such learning for contemporary Jewish women.

2:30-3:45

Session A

Dr. Marc Shapiro
Facts and Faith: Is Truth the Ultimate Value in Orthodoxy?

What role has censorship played in traditional Jewish societies as a means of protecting religious sensibilities or concealing possibly unpleasant truths about Judaism or Jewish leaders? What is the relationship between truth and faith? Dr. Shapiro will analyse several examples where certain truths of Jewish history were altered or concealed for ideological or theological purposes.

Session B

Dr. Lisa Aiken
Beyond Beshert: A Jewish View of Love and Intimacy

Dr. Aiken will explore how human love is a forum to experience the love of God, and how the laws and standards of Jewish romance and sexuality are designed to create intimacy, understanding and spiritual focus. Dr. Aiken will draw upon her clinical experience to provide insight into how Judaism models the best way to give and receive love.

3:45-5:00 

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik 
Is God's Love for Jews Unique?: The Challenge of Being Chosen 

One of Judaism's central premises is that God has a unique love for the Jewish people, in the merit of its ancestor Avraham. The notion of chosenness has a history of controversy, and especially is uncomfortable for many modern people, who are imbued with the tenets of equality and universality and feel that a righteous God would love all human beings in the same way. Nevertheless, as Rabbi Soloveichik will argue, the idea of a "chosen people" is central to Jewish thought and must be confronted with sophistication in order to properly understand the message of the Torah.

Session B

Rabbi Mark Dratch
Jew Against Jew: How Strongly May we Fight for Our Principles

Judaism and Jewish history are a testimony to vigorous debate and  fairminded disagreement, a truth that has resonated recently in the wake of this summer's disengagement in Israel . Rabbi Dratch will examine the "ground rules" for such debate, and discuss how well intentioned Jews can fiercely oppose one another on a variety of issues and also the difference between principled dialogue and meanspirited battle.

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