MEDIA CONTACT
Eileen Mitchell | Marketing Communications Mgr.
Peninsula Jewish Community Center
650.378.2723 | www.pjcc.org
For Immediate Release
Understanding the Complexities of Contemporary Israel
Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman addresses challenges facing Israel in Peninsula
lecture series
(Foster City, CA. January 6, 2015) – The North Peninsula Jewish Community is honored to
welcome Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman as the 2015 guest Scholar-in-Residence. Rabbi Hartman will
deliver a series of 12 free public lectures throughout the Peninsula from February 9 –18, 2015,
presented in partnership with the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America.
As President of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and the Director of its iEngage
Project, Rabbi Hartman has followed the founder’s footsteps, his father the late Rabbi Dr. David
Hartman, shaping the institute into a center of transformative thinking and teaching that
addresses the major challenges facing contemporary Israel. He is a renowned analyst addressing
the rifts in Israeli society and how they might be healed; he is also a constant commentator on
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, making the case both for a safe and secure Israel as well as the
need to create a true and lasting peace with the Palestinians.
Rabbi Hartman is the author of The Boundaries of Judaism, co-editor of Judaism and the
Challenges of Modern Life, co-author of Spheres of Jewish Identity, a model curriculum in Jewish
philosophy for secular Israeli high schools, and lead author of Speaking iEngage: Creating a New
Narrative Regarding the Significance of Israel for Jewish Life. His newest book, Putting God
Second: Saving Religion from Itself argues that ethics is not the hand-maiden of religion but
rather a guide to proper religious behavior.
“The rabbinic and lay leadership of the North Peninsula Jewish Community are thrilled that
Rabbi Hartman will serve as our fifth annual Scholar-in-Residence,” says Rabbi Lavey Derby, PJCC
Director of Jewish Life. “We look forward to his commentary and analysis of the current
challenges facing Israel and Jewish peoplehood.”
The North Peninsula Jewish Community Scholar-in-Residence Program was inaugurated in 2011
and has since welcomed a series of renowned scholars and teachers. Reaching throughout the
North Peninsula, the guest speakers engage the community in meaningful and sophisticated
learning. The program is sponsored by the Peninsula Jewish Community Center, Congregation
Beth Jacob, Peninsula Sinai Congregation, Peninsula Temple Beth El, Peninsula Temple Sholom
and the Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School. Previous Scholars-in-Residence have been
Professor Paul Liptz, Professor Stephen Berk, Rabbi Naomi Levi, and Rabbi David Saperstein.
For Rabbi Hartman’s complete schedule throughout various Peninsula venues, please visit
www.pjcc.org/scholar. The PJCC is located at 800 Foster City Blvd. in Foster City, CA.
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About the Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood
The PJCC is proud to be a part of the Initiative on Jewish Peoplehood presenting educational and
cultural programs that explore Jewish heritage, identity, and community. This initiative is cofunded by the Koret Foundation, Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture and other Bay
Area funders.
About the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America
The Shalom Hartman Institute of North America addresses the major challenges facing the
Jewish people and elevates the quality of Jewish life in Israel and around the world. A leader in
sophisticated, ideas-based Jewish education for community leaders and change agents, SHI is
committed to the significance of Jewish ideas, the power of applied scholarship, and the
conviction that great teaching contributes to the growth and continual revitalization of the
Jewish people. Through cutting-edge research, ideas-based study, leadership development, and
both interdenominational and interfaith dialogue, the Institute is shaping a future for North
American Jewry of intellectual renaissance and renewed inspiration. For more information
about the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, please visit www.shalomhartman.org or
contact Jamie Hyams at jamie.hyams@shalomhartman.org.
About the PJCC
The Peninsula Jewish Community Center (PJCC) was established 65 years ago and partners with
various organizations around the Peninsula to help build a more caring and connected
community. Offering life-enhancing programs for people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds, the
PJCC is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the
Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. To learn more about the PJCC, visit www.pjcc.org or call
650.212.PJCC (7522).