400 Global Jewish Communities Will Unite Through Study of Jewish Texts- Sunday, November 17th

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Tens of thousands of people will participate in this year's Global Day of Jewish Learning on November 17, 2013. The participating communities are as diverse as Manhattan and Melbourne, London and Louisville, Honolulu and Haifa; individuals and communities in 400 communities in 35 countries across 6 continents will join together in a day of study and celebration of Jewish unity.  World-renowned Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, together with the Aleph Society, is excited to announce this fourth annual day to spark a love of Jewish learning.

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In the spirit of Rabbi Steinsaltz's call, "Let my people know," this year's event will focus on the theme of Creating Together: Jewish Approaches to Creativity and Collaboration. Classes will explore questions such as, "How can each person offer his or her own individual creative contributions to the world?" and "Is there any room for creativity in prayer?"

Rabbi Steinsaltz commented that creativity and progress are part of God's desire for the human race.  "We are basically driven and obliged to make progress," the Rabbi said.  "Progress is an imperative.  We are in this world that God created, but we must create and do new things.  This may seem like we are fighting against God by taking what he has made and, through our progress, changing it.  But we are never fighting against God when we are creative: we are fighting with Him."

Capping this year's innovative programs is 24x24, the first-ever global conference of Jewish learning using Google Hangouts on Air to broadcast live on YouTube. Over the course of 24 hours, 24 speakers in 24 locations will each present their take on the subject of creativity and collaboration. Classes will be held in seven languages. Rabbi Steinsaltz will speak at 18:00 GMT/UTC (1pm EST). Speakers include Dr. Norma Joseph (Montreal), Rabbi Marc-Alain Ouaknin (Paris), Yoram Taharlev (Tel Aviv), Rabbi David Wolpe (Los Angeles), and many more. 

The organizational partners of the Global Day of Jewish Learning include: the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Other partners include representative groups of every religious denomination, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), PJ Library, and the Shefa Institute in Israel.

For more information on the Global Day of Jewish Learning – and to sign up for 24 x 24 – the organization has set up a website: www.theglobalday.com

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Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is a world-renowned distinguished scholar, teacher, mystic, and social critic. He has written over 60 books and hundreds of articles on the Talmud, Kabbalah and Chasidut.  His works have been translated into English, Russian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.  Rabbi Steinsaltz has been on a life-long mission to make the Talmud accessible to all. His translations of the Talmud into Hebrew, French and Russian have sold more than a million copies.  The new "Koren Talmud Bavli " with Rabbi Steinsaltz's English translation and commentary is a winner of a National Jewish Book Award.

The Aleph Society supports the work of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz around the globe, and his mission to make the Talmud and other sources of Jewish knowledge accessible to all Jews. (www.steinsaltz.org). 

To arrange for an interview with Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, please call (212) 840-1166.

Contact:
Karen Sponder, Project Director
Global Day of Jewish Learning
212-840-1166                                                   
[email protected]          

SOURCE The Aleph Society