Interfaith Course

A new course for people involved in interfaith work

Dialogue, understanding and good relations between Judaism, Christianity and Islam are essential in the modern world. This new six-week course will bridge the gap between theory and practice and present a traditional Jewish perspective. Each week you will study ancient and modern rabbinic writers on interfaith as well as learning more about current best practice and up-to-date approaches.

The course will cover topics such as understanding other faiths in the work of Maimonides, living in a multi-faith society, the halachic issues of interfaith, the history of Jewish/Christian and Jewish/Moslem relations, Rav Soloveitchik on dialogue, an in-depth study of relevant organizations in the field, and a study of how faith shapes and inspires communities.

This course is a joint venture of LSJS, Office of the Chief Rabbi and the United Synagogue.

Course teachers and advisors:

Dayan Ivan Binstock, Dayan, London Beth Din

Rabbi Dr Naftali Brawer, Jewish Moslem Relations, Office of the Chief Rabbi

Aviva Dautch, Intefaith officer, Board of Deputies

Leonie Lewis, Project Director, Office of the Chief Rabbi

Rabbi Alan Plancey, Jewish Christian Relations, Office of the Chief Rabbi

Dr Tamra Wright, Director of Academic Studies, LSJS

Dr Raphael Zarum, Chief Executive, LSJS

Jewish History

Discover the fascinating history of the Jewish people, from the destruction of the Second Temple until the modern day.

Dr Charles Landau

LSJS invites to you embark on a journey, following the triumphs, trials and tribulations of the Jews of the Diaspora.

This new course will investigate the development of Diaspora Jewry around the world, its interaction with Christianity and Islam, from the destruction of the Temple, through the Medieval period including the Crusades, and the Inquisition to the Enlightenment and the modern world.

The course will examine the great issues of Jewish history:

·         the establishment of exilic Judaism

·         the Ashkenazi-Sephardi divide

·         Medieval Judaism

·         the Rambam, Luria & R Joseph Caro

·         Messianism and Kabbalah

·         the Emancipation

·         the Reform vs. Orthodox divide

·         the split between Hasidim and Mitnagdim

·         Zionism and modern anti-Semitism.

Join us for an unforgettable voyage across the rich tapestry of Jewish history – from 70 CE to 1933 CE in just 21 weeks

“Writing a history of the Jews is almost like writing a history of the world from a highly perculiar angle of vision... no people ever insisted more firmly than the Jews that history has a purpose and humanity a destiny.”  Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews

"All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?" Mark Twain, 1899

"We are ...different from other nations, differentiated and set apart by a distinctive historic existence that is unlike that of other nations" Rabbi Abraham Kook