Texts of Destruction, Voices of Hope
How do we as Jews express ourselves when the things we value most are destroyed? Join Pardes and the Menachem Begin Heritage Center for a day of learning in observance of Tisha B’Av, studying Eicha (Lamentations) and other texts connected to the experience of and response to Jewish national tragedies.
60 NIS in advance (40 NIS for students)
80 NIS at the door
Schedule
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Dr. Yael Ziegler
Lamentations: The Poetics of National Tragedy
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm
Rabbi Alex Israel
Book Burning, Book Reading: From Jeremiah to the Maharam and Back
Rabbi Zvi Hirschfield
From Prophecy to Interpretation: Finding Hope in the Book of Eicha
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Rabbi Elhanan Miller
Jews and Power: A New Look at Talmudic Legends
Aviva Wapner
Remembrance & Renewal: Rabbinic Responses to Tragedy
2:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Memorial ceremony
In memory of Pardes teachers, students, and loved ones lost in war and terror
3:15 pm – 5:30 pm
Film and interview with director: Xueta Island
Xueta Island is a thought-provoking documentary that explores the remarkable history and enduring legacy of the Xuetas—descendants of Mallorca’s forced Jewish converts who lived under the shadow of persecution for centuries.
Blending history, personal stories, and contemporary identity, the film examines the community’s complex relationship with its Jewish roots and the growing movement to rediscover and reclaim that heritage.
The film will be followed by a live interview with the director, Felipe Wolokita.