At Society Hill Synagogue, our Scholar-in-Residence program is a cornerstone of our commitment to lifelong learning and spiritual growth. These weekends provide our community with the unique opportunity to engage deeply with thought leaders, rabbis, and scholars who are shaping Jewish life today. Through thought-provoking lectures, dynamic conversations, and immersive Shabbat experiences, we explore timeless Jewish wisdom while grappling with contemporary issues.
Our Scholar-in-Residence weekends enrich our congregation, inspire meaningful connections, and spark fresh perspectives on what it means to live a Jewish life in the modern world. Whether delving into spiritual practices, tackling social justice challenges, or rediscovering ancient traditions, these moments remind us of the beauty and vitality of learning together as a community.
Check out our list of upcoming and past Scholars-In-Residence:
Spring 2025 — Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld
Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, who will be with us for the Shabbat of March 28-29, is the President of Hebrew College, a pluralistic institution housing the largest non-Orthodox rabbinical school in the country, also offering programs leading to rabbinic ordination, and master’s degrees in Jewish education and Jewish studies, and providing community adult, youth, and professional development study opportunities.
Prior to her 20-plus years serving as faculty member, then Dean, and now President of Hebrew College, she spent 15 years working in pluralistic settings as a Hillel rabbi at Tufts, Yale, and Harvard universities. She is the co-editor of two volumes of women’s writings on Passover, The Women’s Seder Sourcebook, and The Women’s Passover Companion, and is a brilliant writer, speaker, and thinker on issues confronting the Jewish world.
Shouts and Whispers: On Saying “We Jews” in Today’s World
Over a hundred years ago, in an essay entitled “Renaissance of Jewish Learning and Living,” Franz Rosenzweig wrote about the subtle act of commitment and transformation that takes place “when in the confusion of the world we once quietly say, ‘we Jews.’” What does it mean to say ‘We Jews’ in today’s turbulent world? Why does it matter, what gets in the way, and what possibilities emerge when we shout it, when we sing it, and when we whisper it – to ourselves and to each other?
On Friday evening during the Oneg dinner following TGIShabbat services, Rabbi Anisfeld will lead a teaching on Jewish resilience during Shabbat dinner, offering reflections on what it means to say “We Jews” in today’s world.
During Saturday morning’s Kiddush lunch following Shabbat services, Rabbi Nathan Kamesar of Society Hill Synagogue will conduct a special conversation with Rabbi Anisfeld on issues confronting the Jewish world and how our Jewishness calls on us to respond to this moment of political turbulence.
Rabbi Michael Strassfeld has been a transformative figure in American Judaism for over 50 years. He is best known as a co-editor of The Jewish Catalog, a groundbreaking DIY guide to Jewish living that redefined engagement with Jewish tradition for a generation. He has served as a rabbi at Congregation Ansche Chesed and the Society for the Advancement of Judaism (SAJ) in New York City, and he was a founding leader of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, which integrates mindfulness with Jewish practice.