Coffee with the Cantor

Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. | Lehman Center

Last for the season, December 19th! Returns on January 23, 2019!

Come and participate in “Coffee with the Cantor” – a stimulating discussion group led by our Executive Director, Hazzan (Cantor) Rob Menes.

This Year’s Topic:
Jewish Influence in the Secular World

Last year we focused our discussion on Jewish rituals and how they are viewed by the Jewish and non-Jewish world. This year, we turn the tables and ask the question, how has Judaism affected the non-Jewish world? Although some of the discussion will look at historical influences, much of the time will be spent on current interactions.

While I believe that most of the influence is positive, some of it may be negative.

We will look at Jewish influence in:

• Politics
• Law
• Labor
• Science and Technology
• Medicine and Healthcare
• Journalism and Media
• Finance
• Art and Music
• Literature
• Foreign Relations
• Religion

The first question will be: what do we mean by “Jewish influence”? Is it simply the fact that a Jewish person was involved, or is it the clear application of Jewish principles and beliefs? Must it be a conscious, purposeful influence or can it be “by accident”? What if the person involved was Jewish but rejected Jewish belief and observance? Is it possible for the Jewish influence to be negative or to reflect negatively on Judaism? What constitutes significant influence?

Every Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. in the Lehman Center. Signup not required.