MORE INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is President and CEO of the Hadar Institute. Elie has previously worked as a journalist, banker, and corporate fraud investigator. A graduate of Harvard College, he completed his doctorate in liturgy at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he was also ordained. A Wexner Graduate Fellow and Dorot Fellow, Elie is a co-founder of the independent minyan Kehilat Hadar and has been named multiple times to Newsweek’s list of the top 50 rabbis in America. He was selected as an inaugural AVI CHAI Fellow, and is the author of Empowered Judaism: What Independent Minyanim Can Teach Us About Building Vibrant Jewish Communities (Jewish Lights, 2010). He also received semikhah from his long-time teacher, Rav Daniel Landes. Elie serves on the board of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and on the advisory board of Upstart.
Zamru offers a suite of programs focussing on the experiential, creative, and inquisitive exploration of prayer. Join us in renewing the role of prayer in our lives, within our community, and in the Jewish-Israeli ritual of the 21st century.
Thursday Night Mishmar (Ganzberg Sanctuary) – 7:00pm
Daily Minyan (Pilch Hall) – 7:30am
Friday morning meditation (Pilch Hall) – 10:00am – with Rabbi Adam Kligfeld
Friday afternoon plenary session (with light pizza lunch) (Pilch Hall) – 1:00-2:30pm with Rabbi Elie Kaunfer
Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
As Jews we spend a lot of time praying, but not a lot of time looking at the texts of our prayers for meaning and understanding. In this session we will explore a method that will aim to deepen your own engagement with prayer through rigorous interpretation. We will examine questions such as: Are traditional prayer formulas able to express my own values/ideas of prayer? What do you do when you “disagree” with the prayer’s content? How can I interpret the siddur in a grounded and traditional yet creative manner?
Friday night Shabbat Sovev Services (Ganzberg Sanctuary) – 4:30pm
Friday night teaching: God as King: Engaging a Subversive Metaphor
The image of God as “King” appears throughout Jewish liturgy and tradition, but it can feel distant, or even troubling, to many modern readers. In this session, we’ll explore the roots and implications of this metaphor, uncover its subversive dimensions, and consider new ways to connect with its spiritual and ethical power.
Friday Community Shabbat Dinner (Ballroom) – 6:30pm – with learning from R’ Kaunfer
Saturday morning breakfast (Adelson Hall) – 8:30-9:30am
Saturday morning Creative T’fillot (Pilch Hall) – 10:00am – with Rabbis Schatz, Elie Kaunfer, Zamru and lay leaders
Saturday lunch (Ballroom) – 12:15pm
Saturday afternoon workshops (Library, Dorff-Nelson Chapel, Pilch Hall) – 1:15-2:15pm
Words in Prayer – A Different Approach
So much of our experience of prayer is based in the words: reciting, interpreting, agreeing or disagreeing. However, the prayer experience often goes beyond a cognitive experience of the words in the prayerbook. In this workshop we will explore the alternative use of words in our prayer tradition, and practice methods for using the words in non-cognitive ways.
Saturday minha/ma’ariv (Dorff Nelson Chapel) – 4:30pm
Workshop with Rabbi Sid Schwarz (Adelson Hall) – 6:00-7:30pm (limited space – RSVP required)
Zamru Concert and Dessert Reception (Ganzberg Sanctuary) – 7:30pm
Daily Minyan 8:00am – Dorff-Nelson Chapel
Sunday morning Hama’alot (Pilch Hall) – 10:00-11:30am (Rabbis Kligfeld, Schatz, Cantors Chorny, Stone and lay leaders)
Hotels near Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles
These are within 1.5 miles of Temple Beth Am and could be considered walking distance
Marriott Burton House, Beverly Hills
These are within 1.5 – 3.5 miles of Temple Beth Am*
Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles/Century City/Beverly Hills
Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
*Note that there is limited parking at Temple Beth Am and parking in the neighborhood or at the nearby Beverly Hills Tennis Center is encouraged.
