Jewish Leadership Enrichment Center

Samples offered on previous programs:

Fundamental Principles of Jewish Belief and Philosophy

Lectures from
Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb

Having received his Ph.D. at Brandeis University, Rabbi Gottlieb went on to become Professor of Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. Today he is a senior faculty member at Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem. An accomplished author and lecturer, Rabbi Gottlieb has electrified audiences with his stimulating and energetic presentations on ethical, moral and philosophical issues.

Belief In G-d
Purpose of Creation
Historical Verification of the Torah
The Concept of the Chosen People
Afterlife
Free Will
Alternative Judaisms
The Concept of Evil
Where was G-d in the Holocaust
Providence and Responsibility
Mysticism, Meaning and Mitzvah
Science and Judaism
The Age of the Universe
Nature & Miracles
Cross Cultural Critique
Anti Semitism
Business Ethics

Contemporary Issues & Commonly Asked Questions

Lectures from
Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky

Rabbi Orlofsky is a former regional director for the National Council of Synagogue Youth and is a world-acclaimed lecturer and educator. As one of the most entertaining international Jewish speakers, he has been quoted in The New York Times as well as other national publications. Rabbi Orlofsky is presently a lecturer at Ohr Somayach and at the Ohr Lagolah Leadership Institute in Jerusalem.

Kashrut
Does G-d care what I eat?
Vegetarianism
Meat & Milk
What's the big deal about pig
Yamulka
Creamation
Donation of organs
Selling of the Chametz (Pesach)
Interpersonal Relations
Why Get Married
Platonic Relations
Birth Control/Abortion
The Role of Women in Judaism
Role in Synagogue
Can Women be Rabbis
Jews & Non Jews
Conversion
Enviroment
State of Israel
Land for Peace
Metaphysical Questions
Angels
Magic
Mashiach

Jewish History

Lectures from
Rabbi Berel Wein

Rabbi Wein is a distinguished Torah scholar, author of works of Talmudic commentary and responsa. He is a former dean and community rabbi, author of a series on Jewish history, a member of the Illinois Bar, a former Director of the Orthodox Union and the creator of a highly regarded series of Jewish history tapes. He is presently a senior faculty member of Ohr Somayach Jerusalem.

A Survey of Jewish History from the Patriarchs to the Present
Emphasis on the following periods:
The Prophets: From Exodus and Sinai to the Destruction of the First Temple
The Second Temple: Jews, Greeks and Romans
Talmudic Times: The Glory of Jewish Life in Babylonia
Jews in Europe: Jewish Scholarship and Faith Illuminates the Dark Ages
From Mysticism to the Enlightenment: The Jewish Experience from 1500 - 1900
Modern Jewish History: Zionism, the Holocaust, American Jewry, the Return to Tradition

Basic Judaism

Lectures from
Rabbi David Kaplan

Rabbi Kaplan, originally from Chicago attended Northeastern University and received his rabbinical ordination in Jerusalem. He has lectured widely in Israel and America and is presently a senior lecturer in the Carla Schoen Institute of Ohr Somayach Jerusalem. His modern, streetwise approach to clarifying Jewish issues is an inspiration to people around the world.

Daily Ritual
The Synagogue
Teffilin, Mezuza, Kippa, Tzitzit
Prayer
The Cycle of Jewish Life
i.Birth and Circumcision
ii.Redemption of the First Born
iii.Bar and Bat Mitzvah
iv.Marriage and Divorce
v.Death and Mourning
Between Man and Man
i.Charity
ii.Business Ethics
iii.Laws of Slander & Libel
iv. Honouring One's Parents
Cycle of the Jewish Year
Kashrut - The Jewish Dietary Laws
Shabbat - Day of Rest

Hebrew Language Instruction

The JLE Ulpan includes basic introduction to the written and spoken Hebrew language as well as classes for the intermediate and advanced levels

The Process of Jewish Scholarship

In small groups and tutorials, the participants will learn to analyze classical Talmudic, Biblical and philosophical works. Emphasis will be placed on acquiring the critical analytical skills that have marked Jewish scholarship throughout the centuries.