How does Jewish text inform our pursuit of development and global justice?
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“I think Jewish texts do insist that we should pay attention to those [physically] closest to us – but they are insisting that when you see things right in front of you, you should not avert your eyes… today global problems are right in front of us, on our computer screens. In the same spirit, we can’t ignore them… we are part of a global city as well and we can’t close our eyes to that” -Rabbi Yedidya Julian Sinclair
Each episode in Global Torah – a new podcast series in partnership with the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies – features insights from both scholars of Jewish text and tradition, and Jewish practitioners of international development and global service. In this first episode, we ask: what’s text got to do with it?
How do we approach Jewish text when addressing modern global social issues?
Do we believe Jewish text and tradition have something unique and valuable to contribute to conversations about serving communities in need? If so, where and how can we access it?
Featured Guests
Danielle Abraham
Danielle is the Co-Chair of the ID2 Conference and Network, promoting entrepreneurship for development and connecting Israeli expertise and the Jewish world to developing country needs. She also serves as Director at Impact Investing Israel – working to support the development of the impact investment sector in Israel. Prior to this, Danielle was a senior policy advisor in MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Danielle made aliyah from London, where she worked for the Strategy and International Directorate of the UK Home Office. She holds an B.A. and Master’s from the University of Oxford and lives in Tel Aviv with her husband. She loves to play music, cook/eat, travel and meet new people.
Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
Meesh teaches Talmud and the Social Justice Track at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. Originally from Washington, D.C., Meesh has a B.A. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies from Brandeis University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. from New York University. Her dissertation explored the courageous manner in which the rabbis of the Talmud created a new criminal punishment system. In 2015, Meesh completed her studies at Beit Midrash Har’el and received ordination from Rabbi Herzl Hefter and Rabbi Daniel Sperber. Meesh is also a graduate of NATIV, Pardes, Midreshet Lindenbaum, MaTaN, Drisha, and ATID. She has received many fellowships including Lady Davis, National Foundation for Jewish Culture, Memorial Foundation and ATID.
Yedidya Julian Sinclair
Yedidya is Vice President of Energiya Global, an international solar energy development company. Before moving to Israel he worked as an economist in the UK government. In his spare time he is a writer, translator, urban tour guide and teaches Jewish texts and sources. He holds rabbinic ordination and degrees from Oxford and Harvard and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and five children.