The Meeting the Moment Series returns for 2026-2027. We are pleased to announce that the 2026-2027 series is made possible through the collaboration of CMI, Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI), Congregation B'nai Jacob, Congregation Or Shalom, Temple Beth Sholom, Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale, and the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven. Yale University’s Jewish Studies program will be a cosponsor for this year’s 4th session. This year’s seminar topics reflect feedback provided by last year’s attendees as well as a focus group of randomly selected participants.
Join us for Meeting the Moment: Speaking Across Difference, a four-part seminar and dialogue series that explores American Jewish history, storytelling, and lived experience to help the community as it grapples with identity, polarization, antisemitism, Israel, and belonging during a challenging moment in Jewish life. This year’s topics seek to share the history and legacy of Jewish discourse, examining how various traditions and methods of disagreement have fostered resilience, creativity, and communal growth. The audience is challenged to consider what the Jewish past and present can teach us about engaging one another with conviction, humility, and respect today and in the future The curriculum will consist of:
Session 1: Sunday, December 13, 2026 at Temple Beth Sholom, Hamden
To March or Not to March: King, Prinz, and The Prophets
In the face of societal challenges during American history, the path forward for religious leadership has rarely been clear or uniform. Some American Jews worried that public protest would provoke hostility or undermine efforts at negotiation, while others believed that Jewish history and faith demanded immediate, visible action.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Joachim Prinz, and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrestled with how to confront the urgent conflicts of their time while remaining rooted in timeless values. This session will explore how religious leaders debated the demands of justice, the rule of law, and the soul of a nation. When should faith leaders pursue dialogue and gradual change, and when must they, and we, march?
Faculty: Rabbi Charles Savenor, Executive Director, Civic Spirit
Doors open at 9:00 am for registration and coffee. All sessions begin promptly at 9:30 and will run until 11:45 am
Register online: registration page
Registration: Full Series: $36 | Individual Sessions: $18
Admission includes registration for up to 2 household members for each session.
Voluntary Donations in support of Meeting the Moment are always welcome.
Contact Person and Email Address: Larry Schaefer lschaeferct@gmail.com or Michael Dimenstein msdimenstein@gmail.com.