Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/03/2021
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Categories
** Please note the special time for this class **
It’s Not Polite to Stare, but is it Polite to Bless?The Talmud teaches that one who sees a “negro” should bless him. What a controversial saying to our modern ears! Come learn this challenging piece of Talmud with Rabbi Tiferet Berenbaum, Rabbi of Congregational Learning in Programming at Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, MA. As an African American rabbi, this text has haunted her for years. Does this, and other rabbinic commentaries, betray an underlying racism in our rabbinic tradition? And how can these texts inform how we welcome everyone in our community.
Registration is required for this event. Members – free; guests – purchase tickets here
Rav Tiferet works at TBZ full-time to manage Beit Rabban (TBZ’s Hebrew school) and supports our community’s spiritual, social, and educational programming.
Originally from Brookline, Rav Tiferet studied at Tufts University in Medford MA, majoring in Judaic studies and clinical psychology. She received Rabbinic Ordination and a Master’s in Jewish Education from Hebrew College and spent her summers in the Berkshires living, growing, teaching and serving at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. She has taught at numerous synagogues and day schools in the Boston Area, as well as directing summer camp and establishing an independent youth education program. Rav Tiferet served as rabbi to congregations in Milwaukee, WI and Mt. Holly, NJ before stepping away from the pulpit and returning home to TBZ.
In her multifaceted career, she has a front seat at the intersection of race, racism and religion, giving her valuable insights into how different groups of people see the world and refining her powers of empathy. She believes, “At this time, we need to reach out to vulnerable groups in our society. We need to model overcoming ignorance and fear in favor of understanding and relationships. When we genuinely ask questions and seek understanding, we build trust that leads to strong relationships.” This core belief translates into her work. Her rabbinate is built on a foundation of relationships. She has a strong passion for working with children and a deep commitment to connection across generations and across communities. She desires to know each congregant personally and cultivate relationships in order to tailor their experience of Judaism and meet them where they are.
