Between Fast and Feast: Hindu and Jewish Perspectives on Restraint and Responsibility
Date: Mar 02, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
Sponsor: Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue
Location: Online
Category: Online Learning Seasons of Responsibility: Interreligious Conversations on Environmental Justice and Repair
Between Fast and Feast: Hindu and Jewish Perspectives on Restraint and Responsibility
Part of Our Winter/Spring 2026 Learning Series, Seasons of Responsibility: Interreligious Conversations on Environmental Justice and Repair
Monday, March 2, 2026
Online
1:00–2:15 p.m. ET
What does it mean to act responsibly when there is no guarantee of results? Jewish and Hindu traditions both turn to fasting as a practice of restraint and agency. Focusing on the Fast of Esther, alongside Hindu fasting traditions, this session explores how intentional self-restraint—held in tension with celebration—can shape ethical responses to the climate crisis.
If you have previously registered for another session in this series, your registration admits you to all sessions in the series, and you may attend as many as you’d like.
About the Speakers
Gopal Patel leads FutureFaith as Co-Founder and Board President, mobilizing faith communities for environmental action through innovative multi-sectoral partnerships. He has advised multiple UN bodies and partnered with a range of organizations, including the Bloomberg Ocean Fund, the World Economic Forum and WWF International. Through his work, he has engaged faith leaders and communities representing over 1 billion people worldwide.
Benjamin Kamine holds a joint appointment as Lecturer in Rabbinic Literatures and Cultures at the Jewish Theological Seminary and Assistant Teaching Faculty in Interreligious Engagement at Union Theological Seminary. In this role, he also works as Associate Director of the Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue at JTS and as a Special Advisor in the Office of the President at Columbia University. He is a PhD candidate in Midrash at JTS. Kamine serves as 2nd Vice President of the Executive Board of the International Council of Christians and Jews and Jewish Co-Chair of the International Abrahamic Forum.
About the Series
Across Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu traditions, spring is a season of reflection, renewal, and ethical commitment. Grounded in holidays from Tu Bishvat and Lent to Ramadan, Holi, and Passover, this interreligious series explores responsibility, repair, and leadership in the face of urgent ecological challenges. Together, participants consider how religious wisdom can inspire ethical action and collective hope.
