Jews, Non-Jews, and the Purpose of the High Holidays
Date: Sep 15, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Sponsor: Online Learning | Online Lecture Series
Location: Online
Category: Online Learning Standing Together: Prayer, Presence, and the Power of Community
Jews, Non-Jews, and the Purpose of the High Holidays
Part of our High Holiday Webinar Series, “Standing Together: Prayer, Presence, and the Power of Community”
Monday, September 15, 2025
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Online
With Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS
The Amidah for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur presents a striking, even radical, vision: a world where God alone reigns, where all people—Jewish and not—live in peace, and oppressive regimes vanish. In this vision, the Jewish people are neither erased nor centered. Instead, they are part of a broader human hope.
As we prepare for the High Holidays, join us for a thoughtful exploration of this universalist liturgical vision and what it asks of us today. In this webinar, Dr. David Kraemer, Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics, JTS, will guide us through the theological and ethical dimensions of the High Holiday Amidah. Drawing on themes from his recent book, Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora, Dr. Kraemer argues that diaspora life—far from being a compromise—is essential to realizing the Amidah’s expansive spiritual goals. It is through living among and engaging with our non-Jewish neighbors, he suggests, that we help bring this vision into the world.
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.
The Zoom link for all sessions in the Standing Together: Prayer, Presence, and the Power of Community series will be in the confirmation email that you receive after you register.
About the Series
Mondays, September 8, 15, 29, 2025
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
The High Holidays invite us into a season of profound reflection—not only on who we are as individuals, but on how we show up for one another and the world. This three-part webinar series explores the emotional and spiritual heart of this sacred time, focusing on the themes of vulnerability, responsibility, and connection.
Together, we’ll consider what it means to pray with presence, to engage meaningfully with others—even across difference—and to see these days not just as a personal journey, but as a call to collective transformation. Whether you are returning to familiar rituals or seeking a new way in, this series offers space to reflect, connect, and prepare with intention.
