Seminar Overview
When Persia became the dominant power in the Near East in the 6th century BCE, royal edicts allowed and even encouraged Jews to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple. Ironically, the vast majority of Jews stayed where they were.
Ezra and Nehemiah were two outstanding and exceptional figures who embraced this historic opportunity and took on leadership roles. Ezra was a priest, a scribe and served as the spiritual leader of the people. His mandate was to oversee the functioning of the Temple, to teach Torah and establish a judicial system. Nehemiah was the lay leader, appointed as the governor of Judah. His mission was to not only rebuild the city, but to establish and administer a functioning Judean province.
The challenges they faced were formidable: physical danger, political intrigues, intermarriage, assimilation, ignorance and apathy. During the seminar, we will examine Ezra and Nehemiah, their historical milieu, the issues they faced and the methods they used to resolve them. We will study biblical and rabbinic texts to explore this fascinating historical period. Classroom study will come to life through field trips to local archaeological sites. As we explore the parallels to our present reality, we will ask, what can we learn from their experiences to make this third return lasting and enduring?
Topics of Study
- Does Israel have to be the center of the Jewish people? What should be the relationship between Diaspora communities and Israel?
- How open should Jews be to non-Jewish society and culture? Is assimilation a bad thing?
- Can coercion be a legitimate tool in Jewish education?
- What are the qualities that are necessary for effective leadership? Do we have a crisis today?
- What can we learn from the past to improve our reality?
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