Rabbi Joshua Cahan, rabbi of Kehillat Shalom
since 2005, received his rabbinic ordination from the Jewish
Theological Seminary. He taught high school rabbinics and worked as
a hospital chaplain in the New York area before returning to JTS
this Fall to pursue his doctorate in Talmud. He has also taught
courses in Talmud and prayer in other settings around New York.
For the past 7 summers, Rabbi Cahan has
directed the Beit Midrash Program at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, which
has offered interested campers an intensive Talmud study experience.
The program has grown from 25 students its first summer to over 70
participants, including a number of KS teens. He also runs the
Northwoods Kollel, a full-time Jewish studies institute for
undergraduates at the camp, and developed Jewish singing programs
that now attract almost 200 campers and staff every week.
Rabbi Cahan grew up outside of Washington, DC,
where he studied at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and was
active in USY. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Yale
University, focusing on contemporary ethical theory, where he also
founded Magevet, Yale’s Jewish a cappella singing group (now
in its 14th year!!!). After college, he worked as an
educational resource worker in Yekaterinburg, Russia for the Joint
Distribution Committee before spending time studying at the
Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He has also spent time studying
at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat,
Israel.
While his academic focus is in Jewish law,
Rabbi Cahan’s interest in Jewish studies are wide-ranging. Feel free
to bring up topics in Bible, philosophy, Jewish history, prayer, or
whatever else is on your mind. Anything he can’t answer on one foot
he is happy to research. He is also an accomplished baal tefillah
(prayer leader) and loves sharing his melodies with anyone who will
listen (or whomever he can corner
J).
The
rabbi is in about once a month to teach, daven, and schmooze. Please
feel free to set up a time to meet during one of these visits, or
email him at
cahan@aya.yale.edu
At the beginning of the summer I spoke on Shabbat about the
importance of building up basic Jewish literacy, especially in the
form of becoming familiar with the basics of Jewish literature and
discourse. At that time I recommended several books that I thought
every member should have on their shelves.
I have made an arrangement with the Jewish Publication Society to
made a group purchase of these books at the prices listed below. The
prices are 40% less than the list price, plus $2-3 per book to cover
shipping, etc. This list has 2 pieces: The first 4 are books I
strongly encourage EVERY family to own (some of you, I am sure,
already have the first). The other two are really wonderful and
accessible introductions to Midrash and Talmud which I recommend to
anyone interested in a broader entry into Jewish learning.
Please join us in this project. Part of what will help us to grow as
a community is to build up a shared vocabulary of Jewish texts and
Jewish ideas, of which these books can be a key building block.
Contact Morris or myself with questions, or just order below
using Paypal by Tuesday December 26,
2006
Hebrew-English Tanakh – $43
for the hardcover or $30 for the soft cover The JPS translation is the most accurate and most
readable available. And it is important to have the Hebrew
there, to be able to refer to as you grow in your ability to
understand it.
Order Hardcover
Order Softcover
Or Chadash Siddur
Commentary - $33 for large hardcover, $20 for smaller
paperback
Excellent
new siddur commentary by a leading Conservative scholar in Israel, Rabbi Reuven Hammer, arranged
around the text of the new Siddur Sim Shalom (edited by my
father). An accessible way to approach a deeper
understanding of many of the prayers.
Order Hardcover
Order
Paperback
Legends of the Bible,
Louis Ginzberg– $21 The shortened version of Ginzberg’s classic,
Legends of the Jews. Perhaps the greatest popular adaptation
of Midrash ever made, by the towering scholar at JTS in the
first part of the century.The full 2-volume text,
just republished in 2 elegant, leather-bound volumes, much
more readable and accessible, is available for $62.
Full 2-Volume text
Marc Brettler, How to
Read the Bible – $24 An invaluable new introduction to reading the
Bible deeply and meaningfully, by a leading Bible scholar at BrandeisUniversity.
Also
recommended, from JPS:
These last 2 were written by Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, z”l, a
wonderful teacher and leader in the Conservative world who
died very young 2 years ago. His son Moshe is also a
Conservative rabbi, and his wife Shuly Rubin Schwartz is the
Dean of the JTS undergraduate program in NYC.
Swimming in the Sea of Talmud – $16
Finding Meaning in Midrash - $16
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