In this class, we will look at two bold, yet vastly different, approaches from the mid-twentieth century to save the seemingly uncertain Jewish future in America and what they reveal about where God is best found. One approach, from the Conservative Movement, pushed against precedents of kindling flames and significant travel on Shabbat in an attempt to save Jewish practice in the synagogue – suggesting God might be best found there. The other approach, from an Orthodox perspective, pushed against a precedent of selling a synagogue for certain purposes, to, at least from this perspective, save Jewish practice in the home – suggesting God might be best found there.

Samson Goldberg has taught Jewish texts in a wide variety of settings, including the Prozdor High School at JTS, the Genesis Precollege Program at Brandeis University, and Reform and Orthodox synagogues in his hometown of Albany, New York. He has studied at the yeshiva at the Hadar Institute in New York City and Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa in northern Israel. Samson has a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Law, with minors in History and Religious Studies, from Binghamton University.