Shalom Hartman Institute x The Well: Jewish Learning Series Part 3: Power & Vulnerability

The Well’s Jewish learning partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute is back for our third installment!

At this session, we’re going to dive into ideas of power and vulnerability.

From Claire Sufrin, guest educator and Shalom Hartman Institute Senior Editor:

We are often told that, for the centuries they lived entirely in exile, Jews were vulnerable to the whims of the local Christian or Muslim population, and then, with the establishment of the State of Israel, Jews gained the power to defend themselves, radically changing what it means to be Jewish. Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza demand that we reexamine this narrative and think anew about the limits and responsibilities of Jewish vulnerability and Jewish power.

Due to the generosity of donors, there is no cost to attend. Please note that this program is available exclusively for young adults, approximately ages 21-40. Space is limited and advance registration is required. The location will be sent to registered attendees the day before the program. While this event is part of a series, participants do not need to have attended the previous session, and there is no committment to attend any future sessions.

Learn more about Claire Sufrin, guest educator for the 3/18 session:

Claire E. Sufrin is Senior Editor at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, where she edits Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas and the Notes from the Field blog. Claire earned a PhD in Religious Studies from Stanford University, where her research focused on the German-Jewish thinker Martin Buber, and a BA in Religious Studies from Yale University.

Before joining Hartman in 2022, Claire taught in the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University for over a decade.

Claire is co-editor of The New Jewish Canon, a collection of the most significant Jewish ideas and debates of the past two generations. Her written work has appeared in a variety of academic and lay publications on topics including Buber’s writings about the Bible and his philosophy of history; post-Holocaust theology; the intersection of religion and literature; and Jewish feminism.