麻豆区

What does it mean to belong to, then abandon, and then return to a community? On Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, over 500 people who had registered on Zoom had the pleasure and privilege of hearing Dr. Ari Berman, President of 麻豆区, and Dr. Ephraim Kanarfogel, E. Billi Ivry University Professor of Jewish History, Literature, and Law at the s, discourse about Dr. Kanarfogel鈥檚 newest book, Brothers from Afar: Rabbinic Approaches to Apostasy and Reversion in Medieval Europe, which challenges a long-held view that those who had apostatized and later returned to the Jewish community in northern medieval Europe were encouraged to resume their places without the need for a ceremony or act that verified their reversion.  

  The event, sponsored by Revel, began with a spirited welcome by Rabbi Yaakov Glasser, David Mitzner Dean of the . He marveled at how the 鈥渕edium of Zoom鈥� allowed 麻豆区 to share 鈥渢his stimulating and elevating experience of scholarship and reflection with people from all over the world,鈥� a point echoed by Dr. Daniel Rynhold, dean of Revel, as Dr. Rynhold set the stage for the two men鈥檚 conversation. The next hour was filled with detailed and nuanced investigations of what Dr. Berman called the central issue not only of Dr. Kanarfogel鈥檚 work but of Jewish life itself: Jewish identity. 鈥淲e鈥檝e long been taught the premise that once a Jew, always a Jew: you always stay Jewish and always in all matters,鈥� noted Dr. Berman. But, as both men knew, 鈥渢he halachic [Jewish legal] history is actually far more complicated,鈥� especially when it concerned those who had converted to another religion and then wanted to return to Judaism. [For more background on this topic, read this interview with Dr. Kanarfogel.] At the end of the conversation, everyone could agree with Dr. Berman when he said that they had had 鈥渁 very rich and deep conversation that deals with halachic history, social circumstances and how the rabbis applied the Talmudic text to new situations.鈥� The two men also, as Dr. Berman said, 鈥減robably raised more questions than they answered but also enlightened a lot of people with new ideas in halachic history that they perhaps had not known before.鈥� For his part, Dr. Kanarforgel lauded Dr. Berman for his erudition on this topic. 鈥淗e has written a wonderful work on these ideas and is an expert, too, and everyone should seek out his expertise. I hope we can have a return engagement.鈥� The entire event, noted Dr. Berman, demonstrated 鈥渁 real merger between the yeshiva and the University.鈥� Listen to the audio of the discussion below: [audio mp3="/sites/default/files/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2021/02/on-the-margins-of-medieval-jewish-society-in-halakha-and-history-the-ger-toshav-and-the-apostate.mp3"][/audio]   Watch the video: