Shavuot Scholar-in-Residence program
June 1 @ 9:15 pm - June 3 @ 9:00 pm
$59
Four separate talks over the course of the Shavuot holiday. Only the dinner on the first night requires RSVP, advance sign-up, and payment. The rest are open and free.
Sunday, June 1, 9:15 PM — Dinner program
“Beyond Matzo Balls & Chopped Liver: The Diversity of Jewish Cuisine”
With 95% of American Jewry being of Ashkenazi descent, sometimes that culture’s cuisine is seen as synonymous with Jewish food. In a series of mini-talks over dinner, Joel will help us explore, and become familiar with, traditional Jewish cuisine in its broader context. We will learn to see the diversity of the Jewish people, along with our underlying unity, by looking at the food traditions of Jews from around the world.
$59
Monday, June 2, 2:15 AM — During the all-night Tikkun Leil
“Dairy on Shavuot: Custom, Calendar, and Culture”
Eating dairy foods on Shavuot is one of our most beloved and widely-observed food customs. Beyond exploring the origins of this custom, we’ll place this custom within the continuum of many other food practices that Jews connect with our numerous holidays. Most importantly, we’ll uncover the significance of this tradition, and its relevance to Jewish values.
Monday, June 2, 6:45 PM — Afternoon Tea Room
“Movers & Shakers: Jews as Transporters of Food”
From oranges to chocolate, wine to sugar, most foods today have spread beyond their birthplaces. How did they get from place to place, when, and who brought them? From ancient times until modernity, Jews have been disproportionately involved in transporting ingredients and dishes from place to place. This talk tells the surprising stories of the wandering Jew’s gastronomic impact, and the reasons that underlie our role in culinary history.
Tuesday, June 3, 8:00 PM — Neilat HaChag
“Bearing Arms or Breaking Bread: Food in the Arab-Israeli Conflict”
What can we learn about the Arab-Israeli conflict if we view it through the lens of food? From Jaffa oranges, to the “hummus wars,” to today’s most popular street foods, this talk explores the historical weaponization of food, but also the foods that provide hope for our future. In the shadow of October 7, what does Israel’s cuisine say about where its society is heading?
