Jewish Ideas to Change the World
Religion & Spirituality:Judaism
A virtual event presentation by Rabbi Jonathan Spira-Savett
The event was co-sponsored by Congregation Or Tzion & BMH-BJ
About The Event:
One of the most nuanced recent explorations of teshuvah is a television show that has been described as “the smartest, dumbest show on TV.” The Good Place follows four human beings whom we meet in a “neighborhood” of the afterlife supervised by two eternal beings. (This description will try not to spoil the show for those who haven’t watched it, but the session will definitely have spoilers!) One of the humans is a professor of ethical philosophy, and another quickly reveals to him that she has been sent there by mistake. Together, they get to work keeping her from being expelled to the “bad place”, by studying ethics and applying the concepts to working on her character. In the course of four seasons, the show explicitly teaches concepts in ethical philosophy and portrays their application to moral self-improvement. There is almost no specific religious reference in the show, beyond the gestures to “heaven” and “hell.” But what has intrigued Jewish educators are moves that seem like midrashim on teshuvah in a Maimonidean sense and on the book of Esther, and echoes of many core Jewish ethical concepts. The Tov! podcast began with the idea of just juxtaposing each episode’s theme against Jewish teaching — hardly a sophisticated educational methodology. But the further we went, the more alive certain texts become for me, particularly those about teshuvah. And the more I have been surprised at realizations about the moral significance of things like time, friendship, and theology. In the session, we’ll watch and hear some tastes from the TV show and the podcast along with my own story, and hopefully, you’ll be intrigued to watch the show on your own, or re-watch it with a new lens!
About the Speaker:
Jon Spira–Savett has served for nearly fifteen years as rabbi of Temple Beth Abraham in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is co-host of Tov! A Podcast About “The Good Place” and Jewish Ideas Jon has taught social ethics, bioethics, and environmental ethics in Jewish day schools, supplementary programs, teen philanthropy projects, and wider community adult education projects, and he serves on the ethics committee of Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua. Jon’s general writings and recordings about Torah and current events are on his blog at rabbijon.net. He is the immediate past president of the Nashua Area Interfaith Council, co-convener of the Greater Nashua Housing Justice Group, and co-founder of “How To Be President”, an initiative to transform how we learn about candidates by asking better questions. Jon was ordained and received his M.A. in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and is an active alum of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. He did his undergraduate studies at Harvard College. Jon grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a proud alum of the Talmud Torah of St. Paul, to which he owes his interest in ethical philosophy, text study, and Hebrew language.
The Tragedy of Heruta: The Madonna who Became a Whore – Gila Fine
Power of the Image: Photographic Thoughts on Torah Values – Shira Hecht-Koller
Messianism, Zionism, and Religious Radicalism: Spiritualties in Israel – Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Shmitta: From Biblical Narratives to Contemporary Perspectives – Dr. Rabbi Avital Hochstein
My Journey in Science and Engineering as a Torah Observant Jewish Woman – Dr. Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown
Devorah the Prophet: A Model of Leadership Irrespective of Gender – Rabbi Dina Najman
Finding God in Pain – Rabbi Morris Panitz
From Avoiding to Embracing: Rav Kook and the future of Shmita – Rabbi Yedidya Sinclair
To Be a Holy People, Jewish Tradition and Ethical Values – Rabbi Eugene Korn
Exciting Update: New Podcasts by Valley Beit Midrash!
Interview: Rabbi Dr. Art Green – The Relationship Between Spirituality and Ethics
Professor Jonathan Sarna – White Supremacy & Antisemitism: Lessons from the Capitol Attack
Interview: Rabbi Susan Silverman – The State of Liberal Judaism in Israel
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin – The Twenty-First Century: A Jewish Vision, One Day At A Time
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller – The Biblical Plagues and OUR Plague: An Anthropocentric “Theology” and a Lesson for Our Times
Rabba Dr Lindsey Taylor-Guthartz – Suffering Servants: How to Deal with the Missionary at the Door
Dr. Alan Morinis and Dr. Beverly Spring – Living to Die and Dying to Live: Lessons from a Mussar Teacher & a Palliative Care Doctor
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin – Moral Imagination: On Being A Good Person In A Morally Complicated World
Parshat Metzorah: On Menstruation Justice
Rabbi Asher Lopatin – Is Judaism Woke or Unwoke?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
For Heaven’s Sake
Stories Of Hope With Tzipora Grodko
Unpacking Israeli History
Meaningful People
18Forty Podcast