Michal Hartman opened the first meeting on the topic of
From Crisis to Covenant with a discussion on Talmudic texts that reflect on pluralism, tolerance, and deviance that will accompany them throughout the entire seminar.
Yehuda Kurtzer followed with a session
Beyond Crisis: Framing a New Conversation About Israel.
Donniel Hartman then spoke to the group about
The Boundaries of Criticism around Israel.
The evening ended with a roundtable discussion in which Michal asked each of the participants to share one take from the evening. A range of responses were offered, among them, many mentioned the "daunting task" of seeing Israel through a new narrative.
The next session will feature
Elana Stein Hain on the topic of
Power and Powerlessness. Michal Hartman will peruse Ruach Tzahal, and an IDF officer will talk about the challenges and use of power in the army.