Discussion Guide – Changing Notions of Torah

1. What do we need to understand about revelation in order to understand God? And how does our understanding of revelation inform our daily lives? Do you think that revelation is ongoing and that divine truth is accessible to us today? 
2. If you think of Torah as (“just”) a myth, but a powerful one, what impact does that have on your life, your Judaism, your choices? 
3. What, if any, are the missing pieces in your understanding of revelation — and how do the missing pieces impact the task of building Judaism?
4. Must the laws of the Torah be intrinsically moral to be holy? What do we do with laws that seem completely disconnected from our morality?

Discussion Guide – Certainty, Hatred, and Polarization

1. How might we change the discourse on challenging and charged Jewish
conversations to reflect that complex issues cannot be defined simply in
dichotomous, “win-lose” ways? How might we approach a discussion of how
Israel can recognize such complexity?

2. Is passionate devotion the province only of the devoutly religious? What price
do liberal Jews pay for their lack of religious certainty? Is our tolerance for
others grounded in our inability to be certain of our own beliefs?

3. Is there a relationship between uncertainty and tolerance? If so, what is it?
What would be the dangers of that relationship?

4. What is the basis for your understanding of pluralism, and what are its limits?

Discussion Guide – The Jewish Table

1. Is alcohol consumption at Jewish programs and simchas too pervasive? Should Jewish communities curtail the use of alcohol — especially when trying to attract 20-something Jews to programs?

2. What are the qualities of leadership that are essential to creating community? What qualities are harmful? Does establishing and maintaining community require charismatic leadership?

3. How might we invite more people to the Jewish table? How does the table welcome people and what happens to hamper that welcome?

Discussion Guide – Consumerism

1. What are our moral obligations as consumers? For example, in
a more globalized economy, how do we take into account the conditions of manufacturing what we buy? Are we, as individuals, what we own?

2. What is the changing relationship between production and consumption? Is the Jewish community — by way of independent minyanim and a host of other indie nonprofits — experiencing a blurring between those who “produce” Jewish experiences, learning, etc. and those who “consume” them?

3. What is the impact of the growing costs of “doing” or “consuming” Jewish — from synagogue membership to day school tuition? Are Jewish ritual practices being transformed by a consumer spirit?

Discussion Guide – The Jewish Electorate 2012

1. Is Israel being used in the election as a wedge issue? When did bipartisanship on Israel change?
2. What would you want to ask each presidential candidate?
3. Have Jews become more polarized as an electorate? Is there a “Jewish vote”? If so, is it more divided today into separate cohorts than in previous elections?
4. Is Judaism by nature “conservative” — that is, it conserves tradition? Or is it “liberal” — a tradition based on prophetic vision? Or both?
5. What role will jobs creation, the economy, and other domestic issues play in the election — and do your Jewish sensibilities influence your opinions on these issues?

Discussion Guide – Walking a Jewish Path

1. Did you take a circuitous path to Jewish practice? If so, where did it start and where did it lead you?
2. What might Jewish institutions do differently to be more inviting and welcoming to Jewish seekers?
3. Is a Judaism based on blood and inheritance racist?

Discussion Guide – Jews & United Nations

1. Is it legitimate to draw parallels between the U.N. recognizing the State of Israel and a state of Palestine?
2. Should Israel care about what happens at the United Nations?
3. Do you think the Arab states will ever accept a Jewish state in the Middle East?
4. How might the Israeli leadership move forward toward a two state solution with Palestine? If so, how?
5. Why is attention — good or bad — disproportionately focused on Israel? Is Israel held accountable to a different, higher standard?
6. How has the U.N. vote influenced the position, or status of the United States in the Middle East and as a global leader?

Discussion Guide – Tzedakah

1. What are our obligations to and how do we prioritize the needs of Jews and non-Jews in our tzedakah?
2. Should tax laws distinguish charitable organizations that address poverty and disaster relief from those that support cultural or educational programs?
3. Can giving time or service be counted as part of our tzedakah?
4. At a moment of financial vulnerability, how do we balance the need to fund basic services vs. funding innovative visionary projects?

Discussion Guide – The Akedah

1. Why did Abraham argue with God at Sodom but not argue when told to sacrifice his son?
2. Why would God ask Abraham to sacrifice his son? Was the binding of Isaac a test of Abraham?
3. How do you reconcile morally challenging religious texts with continued reverence for tradition and Torah?
4. What does it mean to you to say, “Hineini, Here I am”?

Discussion Guide – Health, Healing, Hope

1. Are there connections between belief, spirituality, physical health and mental health, and, if so, what are they?
2. What is your vision for a community-based multifaceted program in healing and health? That is, how might our institutions — both teaching and communal membership organizations — be transformed to offer healthier, more vibrant opportunities to address illness, suffering, health, death, etc.?
3. Are healing circles helpful? How so? What role does the Misheberach prayer serve? Does it add to the healing of the individual? Is it recited for the benefit of the person praying?
4. What are the legitimate expectations of our communal leaders who serve people facing illness and loss?
5. What roles do the cultural and expressive arts — music, painting, dance, etc. — play in the process of health and healing?