The Jewish Federation Connecting with Community series will present a Shavuot-themed talk by Rabbi Neal Borovitz on commandments 5 through 10, and how they relate to contemporary times.
Asks Rabbi Borovitz: “What does it mean to hear and to listen to the voice of God in the 21st Century?” He’ll offer a few answers in his contemporary look at the second five of the Ten Commandments and their implications for us. “Individually and as a society the holiday of Shavuot commemorates the giving of Torah on Mt Sinai,” says Rabbi Borovitz. “In an age where too many people of so many faiths justify evil by claiming they are acting in God’s name, we will seek to hear the message of Sinai by looking at the text in context.”
Rabbi Borovitz was elected the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Avodat Shalom in River Edge, NJ in 2013, after serving the synagogue as rabbi for the previous 25 years. Rabbi Borovitz had served as Hillel rabbi and instructor in Biblical and Religious Studies at the University of Texas in Austin (1975-82), the executive director of the Labor Zionist Alliance on the United States, (1982-83) and as the rabbi of Union Temple in Brooklyn, New York (1983- 88). He is a frequent contributor to the Jewish Standard, The Times of Israel, and the Bergen Record, as well as a frequent lecturer on Judaism, Zionism, the Middle East, and Interfaith cooperation.
This free program is part of the Federation’s Connecting With Community Series and will be followed by a kosher hot lunch. Lunch is a $2 suggested donation for adults over 60 years of age or $7 for all others. Advance reservations are required for lunch and can be made by calling (413) 442-2200 before 9 a.m. on the day of the program.