How to Keep a Divided Nation Together: Lessons from Lincoln and the Torah
America seems to be coming apart. Every issue, from immigration to the economy to the environment to the Supreme Court, generates intense conflict. At times, it feels like we no longer agree on what America is about. Defining a nation’s purpose and keeping a nation together are issues that troubled Abraham Lincoln from the beginning of his career. It is a theme that he returns to numerous times during his years in public life. In this seminar, we’ll explore the answers he offered and the lessons he learned from Biblical wisdom. Our readings will focus on famous speeches by Lincoln alongside contemporary discussions of Jewish continuity.
Rabbi Rafi Eis
Rabbi Rafi Eis is the Executive Director at the Herzl Institute. He directed a semikha (rabbinic ordination) program at Yeshivat Har Etzion, was a Ra”m at Midreshet Lindenbaum, and prior to his aliyah, he was a Head of School at Kohelet Yeshiva High School in Philadelphia.
He received semikha from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), holds an MS in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University’s Azrieli School of Jewish Education, and a BA from YU in English Literature.
Meet the Instructor
Tikvah aims to make all of our courses available to as many qualified students as possible. In the event that Tikvah needs to add additional sections, this course may be taught by a different faculty member with a similarly high level of expertise.