Previous Courses

 

	The recent failures in the financial industry have drastically changed the way we think about business. At JLI, we deeply believe that business should be a force for good. Our newest course, Money Matters, presents timeless Talmudic wisdom on real-world ethical quandaries. This course will call into question your business theories, challenge your assumptions, and help you gain clarity on the values that matter to you. Sign up today for a truly remarkable experience. Visit www.jewishhunterdon.com/jli CLE Approved in PA NY and pending in NJ Join us for Six Week Course Starting January 24, 2012 Location: Chabad Jewish Center 90 Beaver Ave Clinton, NJ 08809 Fee: $90 (textbook included) For more information: Call: 908-238-9002 Email: [email protected] Click here to sign up for a remarkable experience today. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ COURSE OVERVIEW Hot Tips: The Ethics of Insider Trading Information is a valuable commodity—this fact has been made clear by recent stories of high-profile prosecutions on insider trading charges. But is it fair to require companies to make information readily available to people who did not expend the time, effort, and money to attain it? Can stealing or misusing information be likened to property theft? How do we set up markets which ensure that risk is apportioned fairly? In this lesson, we will compare and contrast what American law and Jewish law have to say on the subject. By the Sweat of Their Brows: Wages of the Working Poor While a lucky few go home with millions, many more return home in poverty. What is the best way to solve the problem of the "working poor"? Should employers be obligated to pay their employees the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs? This lesson will explore this hotly debated issue from both the angle of Jewish law, as well as from the perspective of "going beyond the letter of the law"--a central pillar of Jewish business ethics. Morally Bankrupt? The Ethics of Debt Discharge In times of old, when a debtor was not able to repay his debts, he was sold as a slave or thrown into prison. Today, we have bankruptcy laws that protect individuals from this fate. But is it ethical to borrow without repaying? If someone earns the money later in life, should they be obligated to repay their settled debts? This lesson explores the Jewish legal perspective on bankruptcy, emphasizing how we can incorporate secular local laws and customs into Jewish law. State of the Union: The Right to Organize, to Bargain Collectively, and to Strike The controversy over union rights is recurrently strewn across U.S. headlines. What does Jewish law have to say about whether workers should have the right to unionize and bargain collectively? And does it matter whether they are public- or private-sector employees? Should the right to strike be granted, despite the harm it can cause to society? Does the type of industry make a difference? This lesson will present the Talmud's enlightening spin on unionization, collective bargaining, and strikes. Fabulously Wealthy or Filthy Rich? The Ethics of CEO Compensation In the recent economic downturn, much fury has arisen from reports that CEOs of Americas biggest companies take grand bonuses and huge salaries. Is it morally wrong to seek extravagance? Are those who criticize their good fortune just jealous, or is their disgust valid? This lesson will discuss some of the moral problems related to CEO compensation, including some conflicts of interest. Buyer Aware: Another Side to Business Ethics Let's be honest: who isn't looking for a bargain? On the other hand, how often do we question the ethics of our deal-seeking? Can we move to more expensive vacant seats at a ball-game? Is there anything wrong with engaging a sales person with questions about a product when we have little or no intention of buying it there? This eye-opening lesson addresses various scenarios relating to the average market purchase that most of us face daily. Click here to register Select Past Endorsements: "If my first-year students had been exposed to this material before starting law school, they would be better prepared for the rigors of the Socratic method." Professor Alan M. Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Harvard Law School "Many thanks for sharing with me the exciting Rohr JLI curriculum...and for the excellent idea of bringing the treasure of Jewish law, a major point of Jewish life and Jewish ethos, to the attention of interested people." Elyakim Rubinstein, Israel Supreme Court Justice, Former Attorney General of Israel "JLI's course offers a fascinating context for exploring the relationship of law and ethics, and shows the unique contribution that the Talmudic system can make to this central issue." Professor Suzanne Stone, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization, Yeshiva University

 

"You Be The  

 Judge"

Behind the Steering Wheel of Jewish Law

 

For over a thousand years, our mostimportant cultural activity has been the study of Talmud. It has sustained us through persecution and exile, shaping the discourse of our people and serving as the crowning achievement of our intellectual tradition. Perhaps you have been curious about the Talmud, but thought it was complex and inaccessible to anyone lacking extensive training. Not anymore. This fall, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is proud to launch “You Be the Judge,” an innovative introduction to this magnificent work. You need no prior knowledge of the Talmud and no formal legal training. There are no prerequisites other than an open mind. “You Be the Judge” presents you with real cases brought before Beit Din, the court system of Jewish law. We provide the primary source texts from Talmud and put you in the driver’s seat. You will have the opportunity to question, discuss, and argue, based on principle and precedent. You will experience firsthand the exhilarating mental exploration that characterizes traditional Talmud study. Join us this fall in the ancient study halls of Jerusalem and Babylonia. Add your voice to other voices that span the millennia. You take the lead. You Be the Judge.

Beyond Never Again

 

Explore the ways in which the Holocaust continues to affect our generation and colors what it means to live as a Jew today.

The Holocaust forces us to grapple with the existence of evil and suffering. It challenges us to find faith and optimism in the face of devastation and despair. And it awes us as we encounter heroes of the spirit who fought for truth and decency in the darkest of times.

Lesson 1: Wrestling With G‑d
Why do evil people prosper? Why does G‑d permit the suffering of the innocent? Moses, Jeremiah and Job asked these questions, and we still grapple with them today. A non-believer may consider world events as random, requiring no explanation, but the believer is forced to struggle with these questions. Judaism believes in a benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient G‑d, and that ultimately, there will be a time when all suffering ceases. Thus, there is no easy answer to explain the Holocaust, nor do we seek one. For if we were to explain suffering, we might accept it. Our response to global suffering must be to decry its existence and fight for its eradication.

Lesson 2: The Voice of Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out
We cannot hear the universal message of the Holocaust unless we appreciate the particulars of its evils. While people of many nationalities suffered during the war, we must recognize that the Holocaust was disproportionately a war against the Jews. Each of the six million Jews who perished has a story that deserves to be told. Their stories remind us that every lost life represents the loss of an entire world.

Lesson 3: In Their Death They Were Not Parted
Judaism affirms the value of life and forbids suicide. And yet the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of G‑d’s Name) involves the willingness to face death under certain circumstances. How are these two values reconciled? In this class, we take a historical view of both individual and collective martyrdom, considering examples like King Saul and Rabbi Akiva, the martyrs of the Crusades and those who perished in the Holocaust.  We will explore the religious context within which martyrdom takes place and consider how these ideals impact our modern world.

Lesson 4: A Tree of Life to Those Who Cling To It  
Halacha (Jewish Torah Law) serves as a guide for life, even in the most trying of times. In this class, we will examine actual halachic advice sought during the Holocaust.  The responses have much to teach us about Jewish values, but the more astonishing fact is that these questions were asked at all. Some of these questions reveal the sacrifice to which Jews were willing to go in order to observe mitzvoth. Some reveal the moral courage of Jews who debated whether they were permitted to save their own lives at the expense of others. All are testament to an inner integrity and strength that transcended the horrors of that time.

Lesson 5: Out of the Depths I Call To You
While we must never be complacent with regard to the suffering of others, we can learn to find meaning in the face of our personal challenges. Life’s purpose unfolds on many levels, and it is impossible to know the true impact of a given event. While we cannot always know why something happens, by fostering our appreciation that G‑d is intimately involved with the universe, we can learn to use every experience as a catalyst for positive transformation. Faith is not a crutch for the weak, but a scaffold for life constructed with inner strength. Trust in G‑d is not born of simplistic denial of harsh reality, but of profound humility in the presence of the divine plan.

Lesson 6: When Night Will Shine Like Day
When examining human behavior in light of the Holocaust, we are presented with a number of paradoxes. The most culturally and scientifically advanced society on earth used their sophistication to create the most efficient genocidal machine the world has ever known. And many of the righteous gentiles who sacrificed their own safety and well-being were poor, uneducated, and provincial in their world-view. What can we expect of humanity after the Holocaust? Can we prevent human progress from falling prey to moral bankruptcy? How can we retain faith in the future of the universe—and what we can we do to ensure a brighter tomorrow?

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Course Endorsements

The Holocaust changed the Jewish world, Jewish life and the self-understanding of many Jews. It is therefore impossible to understand present-day Jewry and Judaism without learning about the Holocaust and the moral and religious questions it raises. 
 
The planned JLI course, “Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust Speaks to Our Generation,” is a most valuable contribution to the effort to have the knowledge about and implications of this enormous event made accessible to youngsters, and lead them to positive Jewish awareness.
 
Professor Dan Michman, Chief Historian
Yad Vashem: Israel Holocaust Memorial Museum
Chair, Finkler Institute of Holocaust Research
Bar-Ilan University, Israel

 

My friend Rabbi Jacob Biderman has brought to my attention the course “Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust Speaks to Our Generation” which The Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is planning to offer.  

I strongly support this course, as information is our defense against the repetition of history, and keeping memory alive is our moral obligation.

Simon Wiesenthal

 

I was pleased to receive word of the upcoming new series offered by the Jewish Learning Institute, “Beyond Never Again” which will provide a unique learning opportunity for people from all walks of life to explore the meaning and message of the Holocaust.

I applaud your efforts to create and offer this insightful, outstanding program to the wider community.  By bringing great minds, hearts and souls together in learning, reflection and commitment, the victory of the bright flame of sacred life over evil and tyranny is much strengthened.  I look forward to hearing of its great success.

Fred S. Zeidman, Chairman
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

 

Sixty years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is again rampant in Europe and throughout the world.  In Germany, Neo Nazi skinheads are singing songs beseeching the return of Adolf Hitler.  Suicide bombings are a fact of life anywhere in the world.  In times such as these, studying the Holocaust has never been more important.  I commend the JLI for undertaking a course of study on the Holocaust and I encourage all who can attend to do so.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Los Angeles, CA

 

In my youth, I personally fought the Nazis with the partisans in Tatra Mountain and Pressburg. We fought for our survival; we fought for Jewish survival. I applaud the efforts of the JLI because the fight for Jewish survival and continuity goes on.
 
I urge anybody to whom the future of the Jewish people is dear to join these courses and take part in this magnificent opportunity. Securing Jewish continuity today requires character and courage. These courses talk to the heart of who we are as a people today, and provide the necessary tools to secure a strong Jewish tomorrow.

A. Romi Cohn
Author, The Youngest Partisan
Recipient of the Milana Rastislava Stefanika medal from the government of Slovakia.

 

The Commission is pleased and completely supports your effort in this course… It is efforts like this that will help to eradicate prejudice, bias and intolerance wherever and whenever they exist.

Dr. Paul B. Winkler, Executive Director
New Jersey State Commission on Holocaust Education

 

The Bible teaches us that man was created in the Divine image. The Holocaust raises serious questions with regard to this statement. That is why we need to confirm our belief in the goodness of creation and of man’s ability to differentiate between good and evil… I welcome this Holocaust education initiative and urge community-wide participation. 

Dr. Mordecai Paldiel, Director
Yad Vashem Righteous Persons Project
Israel Holocaust Memorial Museum

 

The Holocaust Memorial-Miami Beach enthusiastically supports your efforts in offering an outstanding six lessons seminar, "Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust Speaks To Our Generation".   Even today, 60 year after the last camp was liberated, we grapple with unanswered questions about G‑d, Judaism and the Holocaust.  We appreciate your courage in confronting this important part of our history.

Avi Mizrachi, Executive Director
Holocaust Memorial-Miami Beach

 

I am very excited to hear about the planned JLI course “Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust Speaks to Our Generation” and look forward to partnering with JLI in this endeavor… Having participated in past JLI courses, I can personally attest to the excellence of those offerings.

Tova Weiss, Director
Holocaust Education Resource Center (HERC)
Scranton, PA

 

The Holocaust Memorial of San Antonio welcomes the new course offered by the Jewish Learning Institute as a meaningful addition to the educational services available in our community. “Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust Speaks to Our Generation” seeks to bring new understanding of the Jews’ personal and collective reaction to suffering during the darkest period of their history.

Maxine Cohen, Director
Holocaust Education Center & Memorial Museum
San Antonio, TX

 

The six lessons outlined are a solid introductory foundation to some key questions and issues related to the Holocaust.

Dr. George Halasz
Holocaust Educator, Department of Psychological Medicine,
Monash University. Melbourne, Australia
Co-Author, Children of the Shadows: Voices of the Second Generation

 

The Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois welcomes the newly established course, “Beyond Never again,” offered through JLI.  This unique learning opportunity will provide a forum for in-depth discussion on many of the complex and enduring issues raised by the Holocaust, including moral courage, the endurance of faith, and contemporary religious intolerance.   We are pleased that JLI acknowledges the imperative and urgency of Holocaust education and is seeking to bring these lessons to a wider audience.

Richard S. Hirschhaut, Executive Director
Holocaust Memorial Foundation of Illinois
Skokie, IL

 

Sixty years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is again rampant in Europe and throughout the world.  In Germany, Neo Nazi skinheads are singing songs beseeching the return of Adolf Hitler.  Suicide bombings are a fact of life anywhere in the world.  In times such as these, studying the Holocaust has never been more important.  I commend Rabbi Mintz for undertaking a course of study on the Holocaust in Aspen and I encourage all who can attend to do so.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Founder and Dean
The Simon Wiesenthal Center
Los Angeles, CA