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Kabbalat Shabbat & Dinner with Dr. Sharon Keller

Friday, August 12, 2022 15 Av 5782

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

There is no charge for dinner but space is limited. See below for details. Click here to register.


 

Beth El Welcomes Scholar in Residence Dr. Sharon Kellerby
by Robby Erlich

Beth El Synagogue is very pleased to welcome Sharon Keller, PhD as Scholar-in-Residence for the weekend of Friday, August 12, Saturday, August 13 and Sunday, August 14.  During her visit to Omaha, Dr. Keller’s topics will be Theological Truth Beyond Historical Truth.  The entire weekend is sponsored by the Henry and Dorothy Riekes Beth El Endowment Fund.

Dr. Keller will speak at a Friday night dinner following services; “Sex With A Foreign Woman: Sexual Harassment?”, during Shabbat services on Saturday morning; “The 10 Commandments: Why Do We ‘Owe’ God?”, and during Shabbat Lunch & Learn; “Sex With A Foreign Woman: Building A Nation!”.  She will also speak on Sunday morning at Beth El’s Torah Study at 9:30 a.m.; “Shema: What Do We ‘Owe’ to God?”.  

Friday evening dinner is open only to Beth El members who RSVP by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 4. Click here to register for dinner. All other presentations are open to the community.  We are also requesting an RSVP to Sunday mornings’ Torah Study presentation.  Click here to register for Torah Study.

Dr. Keller set her sights on a PhD in Bible and Egyptology when she was in the 6th grade and steadfastly worked toward that goal earning her Doctorate at NYU in the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in the areas of Bible and the Ancient Near East. Currently, Keller serves on the Classics faculty at Hofstra University where she teaches diverse courses such as “Women in The Hebrew Bible,” “Magic, Miracle, and Medicine in the Ancient World,” and “Greco-Roman Comedy.” She has been an Assistant Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages at The Jewish Theological Seminary and at Hebrew Union College, and has also held appointments at NYU, and New York City’s Hunter College, teaching biblical text courses and more general courses in biblical literature and history, as well as courses in art and archaeology of the lands of the Bible and the ancient Mediterranean world.

Additionally, Keller has written and edited numerous scholarly articles and academic books mostly related to the interplay between biblical Israel and ancient Egypt. Her most popular book, “Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature” was awarded the prestigious National Jewish Book Award. A native New Yorker, Dr. Keller is known for the enthusiasm and humor that she brings to all her talks that make otherwise esoteric subjects easily accessible.

Rabbi Abraham is especially excited for the weekend.  “Dr. Keller is a professor extraordinaire of the Hebrew Bible. I was blessed to have her as a teacher.  She kept our class either in tears of laughter or stimulated in learning.  We are grateful to the Riekes family for sponsoring the weekend.  We are looking forward to, what I know will be, a fantastic weekend!”  

For those unable to attend in person, Dr. Keller’s Saturday morning presentation will also be broadcast on Beth El’s Livestream at https://venue.streamspot.com/eb28b85f

For more information on the weekend, please contact Robby Erlich, Beth El’s Engagement Coordinator at rerlich@bethel-omaha.org or 402.492.8550.

 

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