Hanukkah: From Ancient to Modern Times
Prof. Marc Bregman
With Hanukkah not mentioned in the Bible, the series begins with a brief survey of Scriptural antecedents to the holiday and its historical context in Second Temple Times. This leads to a summary of the Books of the Maccabees, the leaders of the Jewish rebellion against the Seleucid Empire (312–64 BCE) that were preserved in Christian sources. We continue with a survey of Hanukkah in Rabbinic Literature, focusing on the Torah Readings and Haftarot for Hanukkah as reflected in Liturgy and Midrash. We conclude with a look at the medieval Jewish retellings of the story of the Maccabees and a more recent “Sicha” (discourse) in the Chabad tradition based on a Rabbinic Hanukkah midrash.
Biblical and the Second Temple Antecedents
Sunday | December 4 | 8pm (1pm EST)
Rabbinic Tradition
Sunday | December 11 | 8pm (1pm EST)
Medieval and Hasidic Times
Sunday | December 18 | 8pm (1pm EST)
Free, Registration required > http://bit.ly/3TUluxf
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The Music of Judah Maccabee
with: Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra,Shahar Choir, Prof. Isaiah Gafni
The Maccabees, the prince of England, political intrigues, heroes and villains all get together in an oratorio by George Frederick Handel to the text of Thomas Morell.
In celebration of Hanukkah, Beit Avi Chai hosts the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra with a performance of movements from Judas Maccabaeus by Handel, alongside commentary by Prof. Isaiah Gafni.
The Music of Judah Maccabee | Thursday, Dec. 15th at 8 p.m. | Order tickets here > http://bit.ly/3VdAEPi
