31ST ANNUAL TIKKUN LEYL Saturday, June 8 – Sunday, June 9, 2019 6pm - Sunrise

LIST OF TEACHERS Adina Allen, Konehet Amanda Nube, Maggid Andrew Ramer, Arik Labowitz, Rabbi Aron Wolgel, Avi Rose, Aya Elizabeth Baron, Old Root Barry Barkan, Rabbi Bridget Wynne, Rabbi Burt Jacobson, Cat Zavis, Rabbi Chai Levy, Claire Sherman, Dan Fendel, Rabbi Dan Goldblatt, Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, David Biale, Rabbi David J. Cooper, Deena Aranoff, Rabbi Dorothy Richman, Eli Wirtschafter, Fred Werner, Gerry Tenney, Jason Harris, Rabbi Jay Asher LeVine, Jerry Strauss, Maggid Jhos Singer, Joel Gerwein, Rabbi Joshua Ladon, Judy Kunofsky, Lorelai Kude, Rabbi , Marcia Falk, Rabbi Margie Jacobs, Reb Martin Potrop, Rabbi , Mike Perlmutter, Naomi Seidman, Rachel Biale, Maggid Raja Anderson, Reba Connell, Rabbi Dr. Rebecca Joseph, Renna Khuner-Haber, Robin Braverman, Rabbi/Cantor Sara Shendelman, Shimon Walner, Shoshana Fendel, Steven J. Zipperstein, Tamar Zaken, Victoria Sutton, Rabbi Yanky Bell, Rabbi Yehuda Ferris, Rabbi Yoel Kahn, Rabbi Yonaton Cohen, Dr. Yosef Rosen, Yossi Fendel, and Rabbi Zelig Golden

SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS Aquarian Minyan, Bend The Arc, Chochmat HaLev, Congregation Beth El, Congregation Beth , Congregation Netivot Shalom, Hebrew Free Loan, JCC , Jewish Community High School of the Bay, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Family & Community Services of the East Bay, Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay, Jewish , Jewish Studio Project, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Lehrhaus Judaica, in Berkeley, Minyan Dafna, Moishe House Berkeley, Moishe House Oakland, Or Zarua Reconstructionist Havurah of the East Bay, Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, of North America, Temple Isaiah, Temple Sinai, Tikkun Magazine, Wilderness , and YeaShOre Community

The JCC East Bay gratefully acknowledges the support of our individual donors and the following: the Koret Foundation, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund, the Israel & Mollie Myers Foundation, the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay, the Grossberg Abrams Foundation, and Taube Philanthropies.

Jewish Community Center of the East Bay Berkeley Branch: 1414 Walnut Street, Berkeley 510.848.0237 / www.jcceastbay.org Oakland Branch: 5811 Racine Street, Oakland

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT SCHEDULE, TEACHERS, AND TOPICS

Room Teacher/Event Topic

* Denotes use of musical instruments, audio/visual, writing, etc. Ø Denotes mindfulness/contemplative session . Denotes session presented by Wilderness Torah

6:00pm – 6:50pm *Auditorium Mincha Service led by Aquarian Minyan and Beyt Tikkun Fran Avni, Ami Goodman, Shoshana Dembitz, and friends (musical instruments used)

7:00pm – 8:00pm Auditorium Rabbi Yoel Kahn Revealing Texts on Revelation: Midrash from to Amichai Library Tamar Zaken Names and Identity: Perspectives on Name Changing in Israel from Sephardic and Mizrachi *Room 7 Gerry Tenney & Mike Perlmutter Singing Simple Yiddish Songs (Family-Friendly) .Yard Wilderness Torah Stories and Songs with the Elders (Rabbi Lynn, Rabbi Dan, and more!) South Hall Rachel Biale #MeToo in the ? Game Room Chevrah Room 13 Marcia Falk Sensuality, Spirituality, and Nature in Jewish Women’s Poetry Room 14 Parents/guardians children ready for childcare/sleeping Room 19 Rabbi Burt Jacobson The Ba’al Shem Tov’s Path to Enlightenment Room 20 Maggid Andrew Ramer Celebrating the 7 Days of Shavuot Room 22 Old Root Barry Barkan Kaballah, Climate Change, and the Reemergence of G-d

8:10pm – 9:10pm Auditorium 9:00pm - Egalitarian Ma’ariv Service led by Joel Siegel of Netivot Shalom Library Reb Martin Potrop All of in One Hour Room 7 Claire Sherman & Judy Kunofsky Singing Around the Campfire, but No Campfire or Marshmallows. And You Can Sit in a Chair. .Yard Rabbi Zelig Golden Awakening Earth-Based in the Great Turning South Hall David Biale Hasidism: A Revolution in Jewish History? Game Room Chevrah Room 13 Rabbi Lynn Gottleib The Fast I Have Chosen: Teshuvah as Reparations for Racism Room 14 Childcare Room Room 20 Rabbi Dr. Rebecca Joseph Room For Sweets Can Always Be Found! Room 22 Shoshana Fendel Was Moses an Environmentalist?

9:25pm – 9:40pm *Auditorium Community Gathering and Welcome

9:40pm – 10:00pm Courtyard Kiddush, Motzi, Handwashing, and Food (all food is kosher and under the supervision of Rabbi Yonatan Cohen) Kitchen Self-serve Beverages

10:00pm – 11:00pm Auditorium Steven J. Zipperstein Who Was Philip Roth and Does Knowing Him Better Help Reading Him? *Library Rabbi/Cantor Sara Shendelman Spirituality, Blessing, Ritual, and Healing Room 7 Rabbi Dan Goldblatt The Disabled Patriarch: The Unbinding of Isaac .Yard Arik Labowitz Breaking the Tablets South Hall Deena Aranoff Becoming a Collective Self Game Room Chevrah Room 13 Rabbi Michael Lerner & Cat Zavis Revolutionary Love and Prophetic Empathy: A Jewish Activist Antidote to Reactionary Nationalism Room 14 Childcare Room Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Room 19 Maggid Jhos Singer A Jewish Take on Surviving Crisis Room 20 Rabbi Bridget Wynne Creating Hope Ø Room 22 Rabbi Margie Jacobs This Day: Hasidic Wisdom and Contemplative Practice for Renewal and Repair

Out of respect for teachers and participants, please be mindful of arriving to your session on time and remain as quiet as possible outside of sessions. 31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT SCHEDULE, TEACHERS, AND TOPICS

Room Teacher/Event Topic

* Denotes use of musical instruments, audio/visual, writing, etc. Ø Denotes mindfulness/contemplative session . Denotes session presented by Wilderness Torah

11:10pm – 12:10am Auditorium Avi Rose & Maharat Victoria Sutton Mixed Messages about Jewish Poverty: Ancient Times and Now Art Room Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming *Library Eli Wirtschafter & Joel Gerwein The Torah of the Incarcerated: Re-membering the Forgotten Room 7 Rabbi Adina Allen What is Torah? Mixed Metaphors and the Midrashic Imagination .Yard Aya Baron Redemption Rests in the Hands of the Righteous Women South Hall Rabbi Daniel Lehmann Pluralism and Joshua at Sinai Game Room Chevrah Room 13 Rabbi Chai Levy Revelation: A Magical Mystery Tour Room 14 Childcare Room (Childcare ends at 12:00am) Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Room 19 Dan Fendel Who is Talking to Whom in a Taharah Room? Room 20 Rabbi Joshua Ladon The Problematics of Jewish Responsibility for “the Other" Ø Room 22 Konehet Amanda Nube Red Tent & Chai Lounge

12:20am – 1:20am Auditorium Naomi Seidman The Music of Library Jason Harris Heroines: Haviva & Hannah *Room 7 Yossi Fendel Solving at Sinai: Puzzles, Patterns, and Property Partitioning .Yard Dr. Yosef Rosen Aesthetic Tikkun: How to Decorate the Shekhinah on Shavuot (as per the Zohar) South Hall Rabbi Dorothy Richman Singing at Sinai: Alone/together Game Room Chevrah Room 13 Rabbi David Cooper Can an Atheist Pray? Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Room 19 Rabbi Yonatan Cohen Praying for the Welfare of the Government Room 20 Rabbi Yanky Bell How Do We Know That We Heard G-d at Sinai? Ø Room 22 Renna Khuner-Haber + Eli Wirtschafter Circle: Music for the Soul

1:30am – 2:30am Auditorium Rabbi Yehuda Ferris The Day G-d Gave Us the Torah.... Or Not? Library Resting Room Room 7 Robin Braverman Six Are the Matriarchs: Bilhah & Zilpah Through the Lens of the #MeToo Movement .Yard TBD South Hall Rabbi Jay Asher LeVine Blessed Are Those Who Contemplate Poverty Game Room Chevrah Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Ø Room 22 Reba Connell Tikun Olam meditation and chanting

2:40am – 3:40am Auditorium Jerry Strauss Saying Goodbye to Chronic Pain on Shavuos Library Resting Room Room 7 Maggid Raja Anderson Free Will and Predetermination .Yard Rabbi Zelig Golden The Nature of Revelation – Text and Experience South Hall Shimon Walner Double session (2:40-4:50) – Blessings Workshop: Practice Channeling Divine Energy Game Room Chevrah Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Ø Room 22 Self-led Meditation

Out of respect for teachers and participants, please be mindful of arriving to your session on time and remain as quiet as possible outside of sessions. 31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT SCHEDULE, TEACHERS, AND TOPICS

Room Teacher/Event Topic

* Denotes use of musical instruments, audio/visual, writing, etc. Ø Denotes mindfulness/contemplative session . Denotes session presented by Wilderness Torah

3:50am – 4:50am Auditorium Resting Room Library Resting Room Room 7 Rabbi Yonatan Cohen Is It a Mitzvah to Save a Terrorist in Danger? .Yard Community Offering South Hall Shimon Walner Double session (2:40-4:50) – Blessings Workshop: Practice Channeling Divine Energy Game Room Chevrah Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Ø Room 22 Self-led Meditation

5:00am – 5:30am Auditorium Rabbi Aron Wolgel Singing 'Til the Morning Comes Library Resting Room Room 7 Rabbi Yonatan Cohen Oy , My Rebbe! .Yard Fred Werner Pre-Sunrise Dawn Bird-Chorus Meditation South Hall Lorelai Kude Yesh Mazal L'Yisrael: Jewish Astrology Game Room Chevrah Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Ø Room 22 Self-led Meditation

5:40am – 7:00am .Yard Egalitarian Shacharit Service led by Wilderness Torah South Hall Orthodox Shacharit Service led by Congregation Beth Israel Room 14 Congregation Beth Israel Youth programming Kitchen Self-serve Beverages Ø Room 22 Self-led Meditation

Out of respect for teachers and participants, please be mindful of arriving to your session on time and remain as quiet as possible outside of sessions. 31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

TIKKUN LEYL SHAVUOT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

7:00pm – 8:00pm

Revealing Texts on Revelation: Midrash from Rabbis to Amichai  What do we mean by "revelation"? What "happened" then – and/or is still happening now? We will read and discuss a range of teachings, including classic rabbinic midrash, modern Jewish philosophers, and the incomparably rich poetry of Yehuda Amichai. Rabbi Yoel Kahn is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth El, Berkeley. (Auditorium)

Names and Identity: Perspectives on Name Changing in Israel from Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews  When immigrants from Arab and Muslim countries arrived in the young State of Israel, many of them had their names changed by government officials, teachers, or social workers. What effect did this have on these new Israelis and how did they react? To answer this question, we will read some classical Jewish texts on names as well as modern perspectives about changing names in Israeli society. Tamar Zaken is an educator and community worker based in the East Bay. She spent many years directing Jewish service learning programs at Memizrach Shemesh, an Israeli Beit Midrash for Social Change inspired by the commentaries and writings of Mizrachi and Sephardic Jews. Tamar was the JCC East Bay Shamash resident, and Interim Director of New Generations at the New Israel Fund. She currently serves as Associate Director at Lehrhaus Judaica. (Library)

*Singing Simple Yiddish Songs (Family-Friendly)  Kids and families are welcome to a sing, hum, clap, or dance along to simple Yiddish songs. Gerry Tenney has taught songs to kids for 40+ years and brings along special guest, Mike Perlmutter, who has been an active performer and organizer in the Bay Area , Balkan, and experimental music scene for 20 years. He plays clarinet, bass clarinet, and saxophone with Saul Goodman's Klezmer Band and the Chochmat HaLev Sacred Music Ensemble. Outside of music he works for the City of Oakland supporting volunteer initiatives to clean, green, and beautify Oakland. (Children under 6 should be accompanied by an adult). Session includes musical instruments. (Room 7)

#MeToo in the Talmud?  Join Rachel Biale as she discusses gender-based harassment and devaluing, not to mention assault and rape, which were not invented in our time. We will examine these issues in Biblical and Talmudic passages and excavate embedded assumptions about sex and gender. Bring a mental trowel. (South Hall)

Sensuality, Spirituality, and Nature in Jewish Women’s Poetry  Marcia Falk will present the poetry of two very different twentieth-century women: the Israeli-Hebrew mystic Zelda and the American-Yiddish innovator Malka Heifetz Tussman. She will read the poems in the original languages as well as in her English translations. She will conclude with related poems from her own latest book, Inner East: Illuminated Poems and Blessings. Marcia Falk is the author of The Book of Blessings and The Days Between, re-creations of Jewish from a nonpatriarchal perspective. Her translation of the Song of Songs is internationally acclaimed. She was a professor of literature and creative writing for two decades and now lectures widely. Marcia is also a painter. Her latest book, Inner East, combines her poetry and blessings with her original artwork. (Room 13)

The Ba’al Shem Tov’s Path to Enlightenment  Israel Ba’al Shem Tov was the founder of Hasidism. In this class, we will explore core teachings of the Ba’al Shem having to do with spiritual awakening, enlightenment, and individual liberation. Rabbi Burt Jacobson is the founding Rabbi of Kehilla Community Synagogue. He is writing three books about the Ba’al Shem Tov. (Room 19)

Celebrating the 7 Days of Shavuot  We are entering a new era in global and Jewish history. For most of us, Passover is the major holiday of the year, and in this class we will learn to re-craft Shavuot – when we celebrate the giving of the Torah – into a central, prayerful, meditative, week-long celebration of ongoing Divine revelation. Led by Maggid Andrew Ramer, author of Queering the Text, Torah Told Different, and Fragments of the Brooklyn Talmud. (Room 20)

Kaballah, Climate Change, and the Reemergence of G-d  Hidden in plain sight in Bereshit is the quintessential teaching of Kaballah that holds within it the key to human survival in this terrible time of climate change, strife in the Holy Land, and worldwide plundering of people, resources, and wealth. G-d hasn’t left. But now humanity has an urgency to lift the veil and manifest the Divine Presence in the world. Old Root Barry Barkan received “smicha” as a “master of blessing” from Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi, the emissary who became the rebbe of the global, trans- denominational Jewish Renewal movement. (Room 22)

8:10pm – 9:10pm

All of Jewish History in One Hour  This session is fun and interactive for all levels of Jewish knowledge! Through 4000 years of Jewish history, grasp the trail our people has traveled from Sarah and Abraham through the present and you’ll contribute your knowledge and thoughts too. Meet extraordinary literary, political, and spiritual figures and events. Reb Martin Potrop has been a Jewish Educator and Community Organizer for 40 years, he is the former Director of SFSU Hillel and JCCs in Marin, Dallas, and Portland. He is a member and leader of Aquarian Minyan. (Library)

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

8:10pm – 9:10pm continued

Singing Around the Campfire, but No Campfire or Marshmallows. And You Can Sit in a Chair  Join artist, lay-cantor, and one of the founding members of Congregation Netivot Shalom, Claire Sherman, and Judy Kunofsky, Executive Director of KlezCalifornia, which connects people and communities with Yiddish culture, in singing easy-to-follow Jewish songs, mostly in Hebrew and a few in Yiddish. (Room 7)

Awakening Earth-Based Judaism in the Great Turning  Rabbi Zalman Shachter Shalomi z'l called for a new Gaian consciousness for Judaism in the new paradigm. Wilderness Torah’s mission is to awaken and celebrate the earth-based traditions of Judaism. Join Rabbi Zelig Golden to discuss Judaism's Goddess-worshipping roots and the implications for an earth-based culture for climate change activism. We will look at original texts, discuss broad strokes of epochal history, and learn about Wilderness Torah's approach to the Great Turning. Rabbi Zelig is Wilderness Torah's Executive Director, a teacher, and thought leader on the cutting edge of the earth-based Judaism movement, a lover of the natural world, husband to Rachel Ruach, and father of two gorgeous daughters. (Yard)

Hasidism: A Revolution in Jewish History?  We will examine the ways Hasidism created innovations in Polish Judaism and how it later came to be one of the pillars of conservative Orthodoxy. The session will introduce the audience to the new interpretations of Hasidism presented in the book Hasidism: A New History of which David Biale of University of California, Davis was the Project Director of the eight-author team who wrote the book. (South Hall)

The Fast I Have Chosen: Teshuvah as Reparations for Racism  Explore in Jewish text and spiritual traditions a pathway to Jewish reparations for US genocide of Indigenous Culture and to descendants of the transatlantic slave trade. Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb is a fierce human rights advocate. Currently, Lynn is chair of Interfaith Movement of Human Integrity, on the Steering Committee of The Truth and Reparations Campaign, and Director of Youth and Family Programming at Chochmat HaLev. Lynn is also a performing and visual artist, and teacher of The Torah of Nonviolence. (Room 13)

Room For Sweets Can Always Be Found!  "Honey and milk shall be under your tongue" (Song of Songs 4:11). Along with dairy products, honey has long been considered the food par excellence for celebrating Shavuot. Come learn about the history and significance of this sweet custom and taste a few revelatory treats. Rabbi Dr. Rebecca Joseph is the Winter/Spring 2019 Shamash Resident at the JCC East Bay. (Room 20)

Was Moses an Environmentalist?  Climate change is among the greatest problems facing humanity today. What is our duty as Jews to combat it? This session will discuss various sources relating to environmentalism, nature, and our responsibilities regarding them. Shoshana Fendel is finishing up 11th grade at Berkeley High School and will be teaching this class with some of her 7th grade students at Amitim, Congregation Netivot Shalom's B'nai Mitzvah program. Shoshana is one of three generations of Fendels teaching at the Tikkun this year (see Dan and Yossi Fendel). (Room 22)

10:00pm – 11:00pm

Who Was Philip Roth and Does Knowing Him Better Help Reading Him?  Steven J. Zipperstein, Koshland Professor at Stanford, is writing a biography of Philip Roth for Yale's Jewish Lives series. Until his death last year, Zipperstein spoke often with Roth, has explored his correspondence in archives and has interviewed many close to him. In this session, he will discuss what he has learned and whether this has changed his sense of Roth's work? Zipperstein's most recent book is Pogrom: Kishinev and the Tilt of History published by Liveright/WW Norton in 2018. (Auditorium)

*Spirituality, Blessing, Ritual, and Healing  We have wonderful tools to help us connect with the Divine: meditation, ritual, prayer, blessing, music, and mindfulness. This class will explore finding Divine truth, our own inner truths, and help restore balance and clear blocks to find our path to joy and healing. Rabbi/Cantor Sara Shendelman is teacher, healer, mystic, and musician. She was ordained by Reb Zalman z’l, Reb Sholomo z'l, and has been named an Eshet Hazon, Woman of Vision. Session may involve use of a Tibetan bowl. (Library)

The Disabled Patriarch: The Unbinding of Isaac  Through examination of texts, we explore the most enigmatic of the three Patriarchs. We will consider the Patriarch Isaac as someone who was victimized by both his father, Abraham, and his son, Jacob. What might it mean for our tradition if we acknowledged the power of a mentally or emotionally disabled forefather of our tradition? Rabbi Dan Goldblatt is a leader of Jewish Renewal, ordained by Reb Zalman z’l, and has been the spiritual leader of Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville for 25 years. (Room 7)

Breaking the Tablets  Join teacher, musician, and spiritual leader Arik Labowitz in an exploration into the gravity and mystery of the act of Moses smashing the tablets and its implications for Shavuot, for Torah, and for our lives. (Yard)

Becoming a Collective Self  Join Deena Aranoff, Director of Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, to explore the theories of Moshe Feldenkrais as they provide a foundation for traditional Jewish commitments. (South Hall)

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

10:00pm – 11:00pm continued

Revolutionary Love and Prophetic Empathy: A Jewish Activist Antidote to Reactionary Nationalism  Judaism has a powerful approach to heal and transform the world. Yet much of the efforts to challenge reactionary nationalism and the destruction of the environment has been divorced from our biblical and Jewish wisdom. Join Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun magazine, and Cat Zavis, Executive Director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, in a multi-generational conversation amongst activists and others who recognize the dangers facing our country and planet and who are interested in moving beyond "resistance" to talk about a positive vision for the world we want and how to bring that into activism and electoral politics. (Room 13)

A Jewish Take on Surviving Crisis  Life is notoriously unpredictable, surprising, and temporary, so we invent epic stories that help us feel in control. What happens when those stories "crash"? How are we likely to respond and where will our reactions lead us? Maggid Jhos Singer is a congregational leader at Chochmat HaLev, an Elitalk speaker, a Fellow with SVARA: a Traditionally Radical , and a Jewish Educator at the JCC of , who also holds an MA in Jewish Studies from Graduate Theological Union and is married to the lovely Julie Batz. (Room 19)

Creating Hope  Hope seems to be in short supply in these frightening and turbulent times. We'll explore the differences between optimism and hope, and ways we can draw on Jewish tradition to create hope, along with others who are making that choice. Rabbi Bridget Wynne directs Jewish Gateways, an open and diverse community for exploring personally meaningful Jewish tradition. (Room 20)

This Day: Hasidic Wisdom and Contemplative Practice for Renewal and Repair  “There is nothing new under the sun.” Or is there? When we face personal or political challenges, is it tempting to respond with reactivity, fear, or despair. Yet it is precisely in such times that we most need to draw on our creativity to imagine a new paradigm. Through study of Hasidic sources and mindfulness meditation practice, we will gather tools to move from reactivity to wise response, and from despair to possibility. Rabbi Margie Jacobs teaches Jewish Spirituality and mindfulness meditation, and facilitates Jewish ritual. (Room 22)

11:10pm – 12:10am

Mixed Messages about Jewish Poverty: Ancient Times and Now  Deuteronomy tells us that there will be no poor among us, but also tells us that we're obligated to help the poor among us. Still today, many deny the existence of poverty in our Jewish community, and also today, we struggle to muster the support needed by many of our friends and neighbors. Join Avi Rose, Executive Director of Jewish Family and Community Services of the East Bay, and Maharat Victoria Sutton, Director of Education and Community Engagement at Congregation Beth Israel, to puzzle this out together. (Auditorium)

*The Torah of the Incarcerated: Re-membering the Forgotten  Join Eli Wirtschafter of KALW and Joel Gerwein of Bend the Arc as they use the story of Joseph's imprisonment in Egypt as a frame to listen to and discuss the stories of inmates from Solano State Prison, and share opportunities to get involved in criminal justice reform from a Jewish perspective. This session will include the playback of recorded audio interviews. (Library)

What is Torah? Mixed Metaphors and the Midrashic Imagination  Torah as iron, Torah as water, Torah as dew. How do the metaphors that we use for Torah change our experience of – and relationship to – this foundational piece of our tradition? In this interactive text study, we'll dive deep into the diverse metaphors our rabbinic ancestors used to describe what Torah was to them, as we explore what Torah is for each of us today. Rabbi Adina Allen, co-founder and Creative Director of Jewish Studio Project, is a spiritual leader, writer, and educator who believes in the power of creativity to revitalize our lives and transform Jewish tradition. (Room 7)

Redemption Rests in the Hands of the Righteous Women  Rabbinic midrash amplifies and politicizes the role that women played in the Israelite's path to liberation from slavery in Egypt. We'll gather around the fire and delve into some of these stories, looking closely at two texts that are the focus of Aya’s Graduate Theological Union master's thesis. Through Serah bat Asher and an unnamed collective of righteous women, we will explore rabbinic constructions of gender, and begin to imagine pathways to individual and collective freedom that liberate us all from enslavement to the gender binary. Aya Baron was Wilderness Torah's Youth Programs Director, 2015-2018, and is completing her MA in Jewish Studies at Graduate Theological Union before pursuing rabbinic ordination at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College beginning this fall. (Yard)

Pluralism and Joshua at Sinai  In this session, we will explore rabbinic texts that present pluralistic aspects of the Sinai revelation and the unique role of Joshua before, during, and after the revelation at Sinai. Rabbi Daniel Lehmann, who previously served as president of Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts, and founding Headmaster of Gann Academy, the New Jewish High School of Greater Boston, is in his first year as president of the Graduate Theological Union. (South Hall)

Revelation: A Magical Mystery Tour  "And God spoke..."!?! How might we possibly conceptualize the revelation at Sinai? As we move deeper into the night, we'll leave our rational minds to enter the dream-like, imaginative realm of rabbinic texts about revelation. Our "magical mystery tour" of these texts will be accompanied by niggunim and silence. Rabbi Chai Levy is rabbi of Congregation Netivot Shalom. (Room 13)

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

11:10pm – 12:10am continued

Who is Talking to Whom in a Taharah Room?  The liturgy that accompanies a taharah (ritual preparation of a body for burial) can be seen as a conversation among several participants. We will look at who these participants are and what the conversation is about, and at other aspects of the liturgy. Dan Fendel is a faculty member of the Gamliel Institute, an online institution for Chevrah Kadisha education; co-founder of the East Bay Chevrah Kadisha Consortium; and co-chair of the Chevrah Kadisha at Temple Sinai in Oakland. Dan is one of three generations of Fendels teaching at the Tikkun this year (see Shoshana and Yossi Fendel). (Room 19)

The Problematics of Jewish Responsibility for “the Other”  When modern Jewish thinkers invoke responsibility for "the other" they encounter the problem of defining a difference between Jews and non-Jews. This class will look at how modern thinkers have tried to express Jewish responsibility. Rabbi Joshua Ladon is the West Coast Director of Education for the Shalom Hartman Institute. (Room 20)

Red Tent & Chai Lounge  Drop into lunar time in a lunar lounge. Enjoy chodesh chai tea, and delve into the healing properties of each Rosh Chodesh month with a musical soundscape and meditation. Amanda Nube is a Kohenet ceremonialist. She is the author of Healing Mama, and hosts red tent and Rosh Chodesh circles whenever possible. (Room 22)

12:20am – 1:20am

The Music of Bais Yaakov  This session will be a workshop/concert/singalong of the Yiddish songs of Bais Yaakov, drawn from a 1931 songbook discovered in the YIVO archive. We will begin with a brief description of the movement to provide a Torah education to Orthodox girls, and move on from there to singing together from the songbook, analyzing the character of the movement from the lyrics. Naomi Seidman is a leading member of “The Bais Yaakov Project,” Chancellor Jackman Professor of the Arts in the Department for the Study of Religion at University of Toronto and is an adjunct faculty member at the Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union. (Auditorium)

Heroines: Haviva & Hannah  Part talk, part visual presentation, part audience participation, we'll tell the story of Hannah Senesh and Haviva Reik, two young Jewish women who sacrificed their lives to save others during World War II. In this adaptation of Jason Harris' Jew Oughta Know podcast episode on Hannah's poetry, we'll consider the nature of courage and wisdom in this heartbreaking and inspirational tale of dedication and bravery. Jason is the Associate Director of Lehrhaus Judaica, a former congressional staffer, and the creator of Jew Oughta Know, a podcast on Jewish and Israeli history. (Library)

*Solving at Sinai: Puzzles, Patterns, and Property Partitioning  Some Torah is received, and some must be solved. Three separate cases of inheritance connect surprisingly in a Halachic puzzle that went unsolved for a millennium. Yossi Fendel is a member of both the National Puzzlers League and Congregation Netivot Shalom. Yossi is one of three generations of Fendels teaching at the Tikkun this year (see Dan and Shoshana Fendel). The teacher will be writing on a whiteboard, but the students need not write. (Room 7)

Aesthetic Tikkun: How to Decorate the Shekhinah on Shavuot (as per the Zohar)  We often think of tikkun in terms of justice and politics. Tonight we will learn how the Zohar transforms tikkun into an aesthetic practice directed at beautifying the Shekhinah. The Zohar text we'll study describes the learning of Shavuot night as an act of beauty-making and we ourselves will explore the intersections of wisdom and beauty. Dr. Yosef Rosen is a teacher of Jewish mysticism & magic. (Yard)

Singing at Sinai: Alone/together  What happened at Sinai? What could communication between the Divine and humans sound like? How/does it still occur? We'll use text and song to explore these questions in an experiential workshop. Rabbi Dorothy Richman is the Rabbi of Makor Or: Center. (South Hall)

Can an Atheist Pray?  Too often we assume that spirituality is only for those who define their belief as a belief in G-d. This session is about prayer (and is not for atheists only), but we will consider what a life with spirituality can hold whether we have a G-d-belief or not. If atheists can pray, then everyone can pray. Rabbi David J. Cooper is rabbi emeritus at Kehilla Community Synagogue, a social activist, and liturgist. (Room 13)

Praying for the Welfare of the Government  Many prayer books include a prayer for the welfare of the government. In this session we will explore the historical, halakhic, and haggadic origins of this prayer. Rabbi Yonatan Cohen serves as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in Berkeley. (Room 19)

How Do We Know That We Heard G-d at Sinai?  Moses went up the mountain, sat down at his desk, and took dictation for forty days and forty nights. G-d said, "In the beginning..." and that's just what Moses wrote...until he got all the way to the end, right? Or did I get it all wrong? Because if I'm right, then I've got a lot of questions. And if I got it wrong, then you're going to have to fill it in, 'cause otherwise, I'm going to sound like a real heretic...Rabbi Yanky Bell directs the Chabad Center in El Cerrito together with his wife Shternie. Their center is open to all Jews regardless of affiliation or background. (Room 20)

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

12:20am – 1:20am continued

Nigun Circle: Music for the Soul  Sometimes words just get in the way. The Ba’al Shem Tov taught that wordless singing is a channel to the divine even clearer than prayer. Come join us as we sing nigunim – wordless Jewish melodies old and new. There will be no talking between the songs, as we let the nigunim, and the space between them, become a meditation. Renna Khuner-Haber and Eli Wirtschafter co-organize the Nigun Collective, a monthly group that gathers to sing wordless Jewish melodies. Find us on Facebook or at www.nigun.community. (Room 22)

1:30am – 2:30am

The Day G-d Gave Us the Torah.... Or Not?  Making sense of the holiday of Shavuot, we explore the tenuous link to the historical event of Matan Torah and the advantage of the omission of the date in the Torah. Rabbi Yehuda Ferris is the co-director of Chabad of Berkeley with Miriam and the proud father and grandfather of the Ferris Wheels. (Auditorium)

Six Are the Matriarchs: Bilhah & Zilpah Through the Lens of the #MeToo Movement  The #MeToo Movement has brought forward the voices of women previously unheard, women who were used as sexual objects, disrespected by men, and not supported by both men and women in the past because of the past’s culturally accepted norms. Perhaps this lens can help us finally embrace our foremothers, Bilhah and Zilpah, and afford them their rightful place among the matriarchs of the Jewish people. Robin Braverman has a MA in Jewish Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. She teaches creative approaches to Jewish learning and practice that express Jewish values in social action and everyday life and go beyond Jewish denominational differences. (Room 7)

Blessed Are Those Who Contemplate Poverty  A full chapter in the midrash Vayikra Rabbah is devoted to contemplating poverty. We'll weave in and out of ideas and stories – some inspiring, some challenging. What do we owe each other, and how do we balance self-interest with communal holiness? Rabbi Jay Asher LeVine, a rabbi at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, teaches weekly midrash classes and spearheads social justice in the congregation. (South Hall)

Tikun Olam meditation and chanting  Repair the cosmic fabric together by weaving together deep mindfulness, song, and messianic eco midrash by local legend Maggid Andrew Ramer. Reba Connell writes feminist, queer, and eco midrash and is a lay leader at Or Zarua Reconstructionist Havurah: join us first Saturdays and more, www.orzaruaeastbay.org. She has completed several trainings in teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the method created by Jon Kabat-Zinn. She also created a nine-month program, Nourish Your Mood: Mindful Eating with the Brain in Mind. (Room 22)

2:40am – 3:40am

Saying Goodbye to Chronic Pain on Shavuos  Join Jerry Strauss in his session about revelatory moment of Shavuos as the perfect time for releasing chronic pain. This workshop aims to allow you to experience living pain free now. Jerry's own experience with Parkinson's disease has given him a unique, practical perspective on health and day-to-day wellness. For over 35 years, Jerry has been helping people manage and relieve chronic pain, allergies, and phobias using neurolinguistic therapy approaches.

Free Will and Predetermination  How does one square the circle of the idea that "All is foreseen, yet free will is given?" We will look at some different points of view, and strive to understand them. Maggid Raja Anderson is the Maggid of The Omer Project, counting the Omer on the 49 avenues in western San Francisco, and the YeaShOre Community, which has hosted Havdalah Bonfires for 24 years. (Room 7)

The Nature of Revelation – Text and Experience  On Shavuot we receive Torah. Revelation can be a myth or it can be direct experience. Join Rabbi Zelig Golden by the Wilderness Torah fire to unearth ancient roots of human revelation from ancient texts, the prophets, early masters, and personal experience. After this exploration, we will dive into the field of revelation with subtle drum, chant, and fire contemplation to pray for the revelation we seek on this night. Rabbi Zelig is Wilderness Torah's Executive Director, a teacher, and thought leader on the cutting edge of the earth- based Judaism movement, a lover of the natural world, husband to Rachel Ruach, and father of two gorgeous daughters. (Yard)

Blessings Workshop: Practice Channeling Divine Energy – Double session (2:40am-4:50am)  Are you sometimes at a loss for words when you want to wish someone well or offer them a blessing? In this workshop, we will use meditative visualizations and guided exercises to strengthen your ability to channel Divine energy into words of blessing. No previous experience required. Shimon Walner blends his mystical orientation with years of pragmatic practice to guide participants in the direction they want to grow. (South Hall)

31ST Annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot  June 8-June 9, 2019  JCC East Bay

3:50am – 4:50am

Is it a Mitzvah to Save a Terrorist in Danger?  In 2015, the Israel Medical Association instructed all doctors and medics to triage all casualties at a terror scene according to the severity of their wounds. The directive explicitly said, “including the terrorists who carried out the attack.” We will examine a number of Halakhic responses to this ruling. Yonatan Cohen serves as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley. (Room 7)

Blessings Workshop: Practice Channeling Divine Energy – Double session (2:40am-4:50am)  Are you sometimes at a loss for words when you want to wish someone well or offer them a blessing? In this workshop, we will use meditative visualizations and guided exercises to strengthen your ability to channel Divine energy into words of blessing. No previous experience required. Shimon Walner blends his mystical orientation with years of pragmatic practice to guide participants in the direction they want to grow. (South Hall)

5:00am – 5:30am

Singing 'Til the Morning Comes  Come join the impromptu choir! We’ll sing together (mostly without words), welcoming the morning with a variety of melodies. Rabbi Aron Wolgel is the Dean of Student Life at the Jewish Community High School of the Bay. (Auditorium)

Oy Rebbe, My Rebbe!  In this session, we will study students' recollections and eulogies of their teachers, , and mentors. The relationship between teacher and student reveals essential truths about the nature of Torah. Yonatan Cohen serves as the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel, Berkeley. (Room 7)

Yesh Mazal L'Yisrael: Jewish Astrology  A fun and fascinating look at the abundant representation of astrology in text, art, artifacts, household items, ritual objects, and assorted ephemera from Talmudic times through the modern age, demonstrating that astrology was a common component in the lives of Jewish communities despite the ’s explicit ruling: “One must not inquire of the astrologers and not consult lots.” How are we to reconcile the gap between lived realities and the Jewish legal text? Lorelai Kude, a professional astrologer for 30+ years with an MA in Jewish Studies from Graduate Theological Union, writes about Jewish astrology for the Post and on her blog at www.astrolojew.com. (South Hall)

CHAG SHAVUOT SAMEACH!