It's Happening In Miami

Surfside, FL — A unique and timely educational series, ”Judaism & World Religions,” will be offered this spring at The Shul in Surfside. Taught by Dr. Nathan Katz, an internationally respected scholar of religion, the course is free and open to the entire community.

Held on Mondays at 2:00 PM, the course invites participants into a thoughtful and engaging exploration of how Judaism relates to other major world traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Catholicism, and Islam. Through both academic insight and personal experience, Dr. Katz brings a rare depth of understanding to interfaith dialogue.

Each session will highlight a different tradition and its relationship to Judaism:

•   April 13 — How to Learn About Other Religions: The Dialogue Decalogue

•   April 20 — Hinduism: Two Meetings of Swamis and Rabbis

•   April 27 — Buddhism: The Dalai Lama’s “Jewish Secret”

•   May 4 — Jainism: Meeting a Dying Jain Nun

•   May 11 — Catholicism: Vatican II and the Jews

•   May 18 — Islam: A Miami Dialogue

The course will take place at The Shul, 9540 Collins Avenue, Surfside, FL (Classroom 3, 2nd Floor), with a Zoom option also available for those who prefer to attend virtually.

“This series offers a rare opportunity to learn about other faiths in a way that is both intellectually rigorous and deeply respectful,” said a program organizer. “At a time when understanding across differences is more important than ever, this course creates space for meaningful conversation and connection.”

No prior background is required, and all are welcome.

For more information, please contact 305-868-1411 or email [email protected].

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, a celebratory lecture series will explore Jewish contributions to the American experiment in liberty. Co-sponsored by The Shul of Bal Harbour and CYS College of Jewish Studies, the series will be held three Tuesdays in February. All free and open to the public, the programs will take place 7:30 p.m. at The Shul, 9540 Collins Ave., Surfside.

“In marking 250 years of American independence, this program offers an opportunity not only to celebrate the nation’s history, but also focuses on specifically Jewish contributions,” said Rabbi Zalman Lipskar, spiritual leader of the congregation. “This is especially important at a time when some unfriendly voices seek to diminish the Jewish role in American history and society. The fact is, Jews have been significant players from colonial times up to the present.”

“The Jewish role becomes obvious from even a cursory visit to Independence Hall in Philadelphia,” added Dr. Nathan Katz, Dean of the College. “There, the iconic Liberty Bell is engraved to read ‘Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land, and Unto the Inhabitants Thereof’ (Leviticus 25:10).”

Kicking off the series on Tues., Feb. 4 will be Dr. Gideon Elazar of Bar-Ilan University in Israel. He will discuss the central role the biblical notion of the Covenant plays in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

The unique contributions of Jewish women to the emerging nation will be discussed in two programs. On Tues., Feb. 10, Dr. Hasiya Diner, Professor Emerita at New York University and an eminent historian of American Jewish life, will speak on how Jewish women contributed both to their own community and to the general population. Capping the series Tues., Feb. 24, Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern of Yeshiva University will examine the roles and meanings of Queen Esther in American culture.

For more information, contact Lydia Hassan at The Shul at 305-868-1411.