A Weekend with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
Friday and Saturday, October 16–17
Resnick Family Campus
Friday, October 16
Shabbat Service: 6:00 PM | Sanctuary
Dinner and Conversation: 7:30–9:00 PM | Klein Hall
Saturday, October 17
Lecture and Community Havdalah: 7:30–9:00 PM | Sanctuary
Join us for a rare opportunity to engage with internationally acclaimed Israeli thought leader and author Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Direct from Israel and exclusively at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Rabbi Hartman will offer inspiring teachings and thoughtful conversation about today’s most urgent questions facing Israel and Jewish life, including the upcoming Israeli elections and the complex intersection of power and vulnerability.
Shabbat Service with Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
Rabbi Hartman will offer a D’var Torah on the topic “Power and its Challenges.”
Free | Open to all
Dinner & Conversation: Israel’s Elections and the Challenges Facing Israel Today
Following services, continue the evening with a Shabbat dinner and a conversation between Rabbi Nickerson and Rabbi Dr. Hartman about the issues at play in Israel’s upcoming election, the moral and spiritual challenges facing Israel, and the central questions Jews are grappling with today. Together, they will explore how Israel brings Judaism into the public sphere and what that means for us as a Jewish community.
Dinner: $50
Lecture and Community Havdalah: Israel’s Elections and Scenarios for the Future
With Israel’s elections just days away on October 27, Rabbi Hartman will offer a timely analysis of what may lie ahead for Israel and the Jewish world. In his talk, “Israel’s Elections: Scenarios for the Future and How We Prepare,” he will explore the different pathways Israel could take following the elections, the implications of those possible outcomes, and how individuals and communities can prepare to respond to a changing reality. Q&A will follow.
The evening will also include a community Havdalah service and dessert reception. Presented by Wilshire Boulevard Temple in partnership with local synagogues.
Free | Open to all
Registration for all events closes Thursday, October 15, at noon.
Important: Please enter the first and last name of each person attending when registering. All attendees must bring a valid photo ID and should leave large bags at home.
About Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman
Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman is president of the Shalom Hartman Institute and holds the Kaufman Family Chair in Jewish Philosophy. He is author of The Boundaries of Judaism and Putting God Second: How to Save Religion from Itself. His latest book, Who Are the Jews and Who Can We Become?, was a 2023 Jewish Book Council Award finalist.
Rabbi Hartman is also the host of the award-winning podcast For Heaven’s Sake, together with his colleague Yossi Klein Halevi, which ranks consistently as one of the top Judaism podcasts in the world.
He is a thought leader and the founder of some of the most extensive education, training and enrichment programs for scholars, educators, rabbis, and religious and lay leaders in Israel and North America.
