Urban Shabbaton
BZBI Urban Shabbaton 5785: A Weekend to Sing Learn, Connect, and Belong
We can’t wait to spend all of Shabbat enjoying delicious meals, learning from world-class teachers, listening to inspiring music, and davening together – as a community. Please see below for the planned schedule for the weekend’s events.
If you did not register for the Shabbaton but would still like to purchase tickets for the Yosef Goldman & Ensemble Concert – you can do so by clicking here by Friday, January 31 at 12:00 PM or you can purchase tickets at the door.
We extend our deepest gratitude to all of our Shabbaton sponsors: Seyna & Larry Abel, Arlene Fickler, Jason & Ilana Nusbaum, Rittenhouse Market and Matthew Whitehorn & Terri Brown-Whitehorn; and our supporters: Shoshana & Jeremy Bannett, Gary Bramnick, Davida Charney, Sheila Davidson, Eileen Dwell & Charles Steinberg, Marc Egeth & Miriam Steinberg-Egeth, Sharon Musher & Daniel Eisenstadt and Salem Shuchman.
Schedule
Friday, January 31, 2025
5:01 PM: Candle-lighting (Kahaner Auditorium)
5:02 PM: Light food available for young children (Kahaner Auditorium)
6:00 – 7:15 PM: Kabbalat Shabbat with special guests Rabbi Yosef Goldman and Rabbi Annie Lewis (Goldberg Sanctuary)
7:30 PM: Late Shabbat dinner (Kahaner Auditorium)
8:30 PM: “The United States: The First Mussar Republic,” a panel discussion featuring Jeffrey Rosen and Rabbi Ira Stone (Kahaner Auditorium)
Saturday, February 1, 2025
9:00 AM: Light breakfast available (Klinghoffer Chapel)
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM: Shabbat Morning Services featuring guest rabbis Yosef Goldman and Annie Lewis (Goldberg Sanctuary)
9:45 – 11:00 AM: Shabbakhti Yoga with Deb Glassman (Lower Level)
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Shabbat No’ar Youth Programming (Ages 4-13) (Lower Level)
10:15 – 11:00 AM: Parshat HaShavua Study with Rabbi Abe Friedman (Klinghoffer Chapel)
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM: Tot Shabbat with Sarah Fleischman (Ages 0-5, with caregiver) (Klinghoffer Chapel)
12:00 PM: Kiddush Lunch (Kahaner Auditorium)
12:50 PM: Birkat Hamazon and orientation to afternoon sessions (Kahaner Auditorium)
1:00 PM: Youth Programming and Childcare (Ages 2 and up) (Lower Level)
1:15 – 2:30 PM: Community Teaching Session #1 (Various Locations – see signage)
2:30 – 3:15 PM: Mincha (Klinghoffer Chapel)
3:30 – 4:30 PM: Community Teaching Session #2 (Various Locations – see signage)
4:45 – 6:00 PM: Community Teaching Session #3 (Various Locations – see signage)
6:00 PM: Youth Programming & Childcare Ends
6:00 – 7:00 PM: Seudah Shlisheet (Dinner) (Lower Level)
7:00 – 7:15 PM: Maariv (Klinghoffer Chapel)
7:15 PM: Doors open for concert (Kahaner Auditorium)
7:30 PM: Yosef Goldman & Ensemble in concert (Kahaner Auditorium)
Sunday, February 2, 2025
9:00 AM: Morning Minyan (Klinghoffer Chapel)
10:00 AM: Brunch (Kahaner Auditorium)
10:45 AM: Lecture with Claire Finkelstein, Director of the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at University of Pennsylvania (Kahaner Auditorium)
12:00 PM: End of Shabbaton – Shalom, Chaveirim!
Community Teaching Sessions
Session #1: 1:15 – 2:30 PM
Singing from the Depths: A Deep Dive into the Process of Composing Sacred Song with Rabbi Yosef Goldman (Klinghoffer Chapel)
How do we sing in times of distress? Rabbi Yosef will explore the process of a recent composition of sacred music, a commission for Shabbat Shirah last year. He will take us through his creative process, including an exploration of the text of Tehillim he set to music and related Chassidic texts that offer a deeper perspective of singing in prayer.
How to Think Like a Lawyer with Jessica Simon (Lower Level Room #??)
Have you watched Legally Blonde? Or (if you are in my generation) The Paper Chase? What’s it like to be a student in one of those classes? How do law schools teach students to “think like a lawyer?” Come to this session and learn how we teach young minds to change the way they think.
Jews in Baseball with Matt Whitehorn (Lower Level Room #??)
We will discuss the impact and involvement of Jews in baseball and maybe some other sports (primarily basketball).
Session #2: 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Be a Blessing with Rabbi Annie Lewis (Klinghoffer Chapel)
Our ancestors were called to be blessings in this world. Every person has the power to give blessings to others. This session will draw on text study, meditation, music, and improvisation as we explore what it means to be a blessing and practice the art of giving blessings. Join us as we seek to bring abundance into our lives and the lives of those around us.
Halacha and the Date Line with Josh Rosenberg (Lower Level Room #??)
Does Jewish law need an international date line, and if so, why, and where? What are its consequences (hint: they’re weird), and what’s the deal with swimming in Australia on Sundays?
Business Ethics: Perspectives from Jewish Sources with the Honorable Abraham Gafni
(No description provided)
Session #3: 4:45 – 6:00 PM
Nobody Wants This: Jewish Women on Television with Ilana Emmett (Lower Level Room #??)
Using examples from the recent Netflix show Nobody Wants This as a jumping off point, this will be a guided discussion on how recent representations of Jewish women on television shape perception and have been shaped by long-standing stereotypes.
Shared Values, Diverse Perspectives: A Dialogue Between Jewish Lawmakers with Rep. Ben Waxman, Councilmember Rue Landau, and Rep. Jared Solomon (Goldberg Sanctuary)
Join Philly’s Jewish lawmakers for an engaging conversation on how their faith, values, and diverse experiences shape their work in public service. This dialogue explores the intersection of identity, policy, and leadership in today’s political landscape.
Our Hearts, Our Selves with Rabbi David Greenstein (Klinghoffer Chapel)
The Torah’s Exodus story is presented as a battle against hardness of the heart. What are the alternatives for the heart?
Presenters
Ilana Emmett earned her PhD in Screen Cultures at Northwestern University and has taught at the University of Chicago and elsewhere. Her published work explores popular radio and television histories, television and disability, and sound studies. She is a part-time researcher, a full-time project manager, and a new/old BZBI member.
Rabbi Abe Friedman found his love of Jewish community as a camper, counselor, and Rosh Edah at Camp Ramah in Palmer, Massachusetts. His rabbinic work focuses on community engagement, Jewish learning, and spiritual counseling, and he expresses his love of music through electric guitar, piano and the occasional DJ set.
Claire Finkelstein is the Algernon Biddle Professor of Law and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the Director of its Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law.
Abraham J Gafni is a graduate of Yeshiva University and Harvard Law School. Among his professional activities have been Deputy District Attorney for Law, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and Court Administrator of Pennsylvania. Since 2013, he has been the Chair of the United States Election Committee of the World Zionist Organization.
Deb Glassman is the founder of Shabbhakti Yoga, an alternative spiritual journey into the heart of Torah and Shabbat. Off the mat, she is a parent, partner, physician and performer, as well as a urologist at Thomas Jefferson University.
Rabbi David Greenstein has been a rabbi and an artist for many years. His book, Roads to Utopia: The Walking Stories of the Zohar, was published by Stanford University Press (2014). His artist website is: greensteindavid.com.
Rabbi Yosef Goldman is a leading educator, facilitator, and practitioner of Jewish communal music, blending ancient Mizrahi and Ashkenazi traditions with contemporary American and Israeli sounds to inspire healing and connection.
Rue Landau is a civil rights and housing attorney, a public school parent and the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Philadelphia City Council.
Rabbi Annie Lewis (she/her) is a poet, organizer, singer, creator of original Jewish music and ritual, and teacher of heart-centered Torah. She has led vibrant congregations in Maryland, Mississippi, and Philadelphia (including the beloved BZBI community!) where she marched for justice, studied couples and family therapy, trained rabbinical students and delighted in walking in the city.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a professor of law at the George Washington University Law School and a contributing editor of The Atlantic. He was previously the legal affairs editor of The New Republic and a staff writer for The New Yorker.
Josh Rosenberg is a calendar nerd, a 22-year BZBI community member, and currently one of BZBI’s lead Shabbat gabbais. By day he works in cloud computing, and much of the rest of the time he’s playing board games or attending concerts and music festivals. His favorite holiday is Shavuot and his least favorite holiday is Pesach, though the answers might be different the next time you ask.
Jessica Simon is the Associate Director of Legal Practice Skills and the Director of Academic Support at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. After spending several years practicing labor and employment law, she made the move into academia nearly two decades ago.
Jared G. Solomon is the representative for the 202nd District of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A former Army Reserve JAG officer, Solomon is chair of the PA House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.
Rabbi Ira Stone served as Rabbi of BZBI from 1988 to 2015, at which time he became Rabbi Emeritus. He is a scholar, professor, author, poet, and leading figure in the contemporary renewal of the Musar movement, a Jewish ethical movement.
Ben Waxman has been a member of BZBI for nearly a decade. In 2022, he was elected to represent Center City and parts of South Philly in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Matt Whitehorn is a longtime baseball fan with a special interest in its history especially with respect to Jewish players and owners and the social impact of the game. Matt was an undergraduate history major. He is an employee benefits/tax attorney with a Center City law firm and is the president of BZBI.
