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@Akiva is Partnering With

@akiva is Partnering with

Dates: February 07-14, 2020

@akiva is happy to partner with BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change in Israel on a week of residency.
 
BINA is an Israeli-born movement at the intersection of Jewish education and social activism. BINA works to advance democracy, pluralism and justice in Israel and the Jewish world through Limud (study), Ma’ase (action) and Kehilla (community), emphasizing Jewish culture and values of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).
 
During the week, BINA’s senior educator, Elliot Vaisrub Glassenberg will travel to our community to explore fresh reads of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, as well as: Israel and the refugee challenge, Israel LGBTQ rights and the secular renaissance in Israel. The week will culminate in a special celebratory communal event.   

Elliot Vaisrub Glassenberg, our BINA Scholar

About: Elliot is an American-Canadian-Israeli Jewish educator-activist. Elliot teaches and advocates on topics relating to Jewish pluralism and inclusion, refugee rights, LGBTQ rights and human rights, and his educator-activist approach focuses on the application of Judaism for social change. Elliot is a senior educator at BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change and a leading activist for refugee rights in Israel. Elliot is co-chair of Right Now: Advocates for Asylum Seekers in Israel, a blogger for The Times of Israel, and has published in Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, The Jewish Week, and elsewhere. Elliot also recently served as Central Shaliach for the Kibbutz Movement in North America. A native of Chicago, Elliot currently lives in Jaffa and holds a B.A. from McGill University, and an M.A. in Jewish Education and an M.A. in Jewish Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

What will Elliot Vaisrub Glassenberg do in Cleveland?

Main Workshop

We Declare: A Fresh Reading of the Israeli Declaration of Independence
 
Megilat Haatzmaut – The Israeli Declaration of Independence – is starting to become known as the 6th Megilah in the Jewish tradition. How can we better understand this fascinating modern Jewish document, and how can we use it as a tool for engaging our communities in meaningful learning and discussion about Judaism, democracy and modern Israel?
 

Additional Workshops

1) Jews, Israel and Refugees: Creating a Global Jewish Approach to Migration

While the USA and the western world copes with unprecedented challenges of migration, Israel hosts tens of thousands of non-Jewish refugees and migrants, in addition to Jewish olim (immigrants). What can American Jews and Israelis learn from one another and from the Jewish tradition, and how can Jews around the world work together to form a modern global Jewish approach to migration?

2) Queerness, Judaism, and Modern Israel

How can we use modern queer theory to bring new meaning and power to Judaism – for LGBTQ Jews and Jews of all genders, orientations and backgrounds? What can American and Israeli Jews learn from one another as we work to build more inclusive communities, and a more inclusive world? 

3) The Israeli Secular Jewish Renaissance: What is it and what can we learn from it?

Many young Jews today don’t connect to traditional Jewish forms of affiliation and practice, but still crave a meaningful relationship with Judaism and Israel. This is true not only for Jews in the USA, but around the world and in Israel too. How can Jews around the world work together to create new, relevant approaches to Jewish expression and engagement, and how can the Israeli secular Jewish renaissance serve as a model an inspiration?

4) Applying the Wisdom of Modern Language Learning to Hebrew Education

In recent decades, great strides have been made in the fields of language learning and instruction. How can we apply this wisdom to improve the way we teach Hebrew?