Jewish Ideas to Change the World
Religion & Spirituality:Judaism
A virtual event presentation by Dr. Russ Linden
The event was co-sponsored by Rodef Shalom
About the Event:
We Jews like to debate and argue – with each other, with our teachers, even with God. Indeed, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks ZT”L wrote that “God loves those who argue.”* Why? Because we mortals can’t see the entirety of an issue, so we need to hear another side. However, it’s one thing to debate and argue, and quite another to do so persuasively. How do we speak our truth so that those in power can consider it? In this session, we’ll learn from Abraham, Moses, and the five daughters of Zelophehad, who were able to help God see “another side” and change course.
*Rabbi Sacks’ essay is at: https://www.rabbisacks.org/covenant-conversation/shemot/god-loves-those-who-argue/
About the Speaker:
Russ is a management educator and author of six books. Since the mid-1980s he has taught public and nonprofit executives and managers about leadership, collaboration, the human side of change, resilience, crisis leadership, and related topics. His latest book is Loss and Discovery: What the Torah Can Teach Us about Leading Change. He has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia and the Federal Executive Institute for over 35 years. In 2003 he was the Williams Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the State University of New York (Fredonia) School of Business. He has consulted with numerous government agencies and elected officials, as well as nonprofits in the U.S. and Israel.
Russ is a former president of his congregation, where he sometimes gives the d’var Torah during Shabbat services. He was the president of the local Jewish federation and served on the University of Virginia Hillel board. Russ has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan. He has a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from the University of Virginia. His volunteer activities include leading an organization that works to make the community more open and welcoming for refugees and immigrants. He and his wife live in Charlottesville. They have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Getting to Mi Yode’a (Who Knows?): Moral Clarity in a Topsy-Turvy World
Liberalism’s Crises in Israel, and Elsewhere
Rising Anti-Semitism on American Campuses: A Conversation with Dara Horn
Hammerman Family Lecture: In the Haunted Present: Jews in a Non-Jewish World
A Conversation With Former Professional Basketball Player Dan Grunfeld on His Book on the Holocaust
Mistreating Widows and Orphans: Whom Does This Law Address?
The Primacy of Morality Over Ritual in the Prophets
Interview with Rabbi Sharon Brous: Losses of a Parent, Love, and Overall Loss
Sherman Minkoff Memorial Lecture: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World
Why Should Jews Care About a New Interpretation of the (Christian) “Apostle” Paul?
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz Interviews Rabbi Daniel Askenazi
Standing Out or Blending In? Passing vs Looking Jewish in Texts and Today
Eye for an Eye for an Eye: The Poetics of Jewish Law
On the Divinity of Torah: A Conversation with Rabbi David Kasher
Jews, Judaism, and Anti-Judaism in the Gospel of John
The Ethics of Rescue: True Stories Behind Bergen-Belsen’s Liberation
How Can Qohelet Quell the Curious Mind? An Exploration of a New Translation and Commentaries on the Strangest Book of the Hebrew Bible
Food, Clothing, and Shelter: Human Rights or Charity?
The Healing Power of Storytelling
Introduction to Dreams and Kabbalah
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
For Heaven’s Sake
Unpacking Israeli History
The Jewish Grandma Podcast
Unorthodox
18 Questions, 40 Israeli Thinkers