Agreeing to Disagree: The Value of Argument in Jewish Tradition
Taught by Rabbi Scott Goldberg

The year 2024 left American Jews feeling mournful, frightened, angry... and perhaps most of all, in conflict with one another. Value clashes are no strangers to the Jewish people. The age-old maxim "two Jews, three opinions" says it all: we are a people of argument. But argument is not outright bad. Rather, disagreement can help us become adept critical thinkers, know loved ones and community members in more nuanced ways, and understand the world more clearly from perspectives other than our own. So, if we must disagree....

How ought we disagree in kind, decent, and Jewish ways? 

Agreeing to Disagree: The Value of Argument in Jewish Tradition is a five-part series facilitated by Rabbi Scott Goldberg on the fourth Thursday of every month from 12:00pm - 1:30pm from January through May 2025 in the Beit Midrash and via Livestream. The goal of the series is multi-fold:

-to explore scenarios in Jewish and Israeli life that involve clashes of values; 
-to root ourselves in our tradition by studying central narratives in Torah and rabbinic literature related to disagreement;
-to write and share personal stories of disagreement so that we may further develop our muscles and stamina for respectful and healthy argument. 

Together, we will learn, discuss, argue (in healthy ways!), write, and reflect on the value of argument. At the conclusion of the course, individuals will have studied, debated, engaged in personal reflection, and built relationships with one another, thereby building bridges of humanity with those whose opinions we may reject.

4th Thursday of the month
5 sessions, from January through May
In-person in the Beit Midrash and via Livestream
From 12:00-1:30pm
Bring your own lunch, a notebook, a pencil, and an open mind