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THE TIKVAH SCHOLARS PROGRAM

June 24-July 8, 2018 | Yale University | Tikvah Institute for High School Students
Applications for this program are closed.

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The Nature of Jewish Choseness

Shuli Taubes | July 1 - 5

In this class we will explore the theological and social implications of the Jewish doctrine of election in the modern Western context. We will engage the subject using a variety of lenses, including the propositions of divine free love (“Grace”), inherent superiority, Abraham’s initiative, and pluralism. We will study the writings of several modern Jewish theologians—including Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Michael Wyschogrod, Jon D. Levenson, and Jonathan Sacks—and the pre-modern sources that animate their thought as we consider the origins, development, and limits of Jewish “chosenness.”

How does the doctrine of election emerge from a biblical context and what are its implications for the relationship between God and the people Israel?
How have modern Jewish thinkers made sense of this concept from a theological perspective?
If the Jews are God’s chosen people, what does that mean about God’s relationship with everyone who is not Jewish?
How can or should this doctrine impact the daily interactions, social engagements or interfaith conversations between Jews and non-Jews?
What determines who is included among the “Chosen People”? Race? Practice? Belief? Is this a necessary designation for a twenty-first century Jewish identity?

Meet the Instructor

Shuli Taubes

SAR High School

Shuli Taubes received her Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School and her BA in history from Barnard College. She currently serves as a faculty member at SAR High School in Riverdale, New York, where she teaches Tanakh, Jewish Identity, and chairs the Jewish Philosophy department. She has also developed and teaches a curriculum for educating Modern Orthodox high school students in comparative religion. Last year, Shuli was the Sopher Community Scholar at the Young Israel of North Riverdale where she gave shiurim and served in a pastoral role. She also lectures in synagogues throughout the country. Shuli and her husband Ari live in Washington Heights, New York.