A Scholarly Revolution: Rewriting the Rules of Talmud Study
Date: Dec 01, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Sponsor: Online Lecture Series
Location: Online
Category: You Say You Want a Revolution: Jewish Encounters with Radical Change
A Scholarly Revolution: Rewriting the Rules of Talmud Study
Part of Our Fall 2025 Learning Series, “You Say You Want a Revolution: Jewish Encounters with Radical Change”
Monday, December 1, 2025
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Online
Dr. Judith Hauptman, E. Billi Ivry Professor Emerita of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture, JTS
In his many volumes of Talmud commentary, beginning with publication of the first in 1968, Professor David Weiss Halivni introduced a groundbreaking approach to Talmud study: distinguishing between the attributed teachings of the rabbis and the anonymous editorial layer that surrounds them. This interpretive revolution transformed the field, offering a powerful tool for understanding the development of rabbinic thought.
In this session, Dr. Judith Hauptman, E. Billi Ivry Professor Emerita of Talmud and Rabbinic Culture, JTS, explores how Halivni’s method reshaped the study of Talmud. She applies it to uncover what the early sages were truly trying to convey. Join us for a look at how a shift in reading can open up new dimensions of meaning in one of Judaism’s most complex and enduring texts.
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 Series
Mondays, October 20–December 15, 2025
1:00–2:00 p.m. ET
Online
What does revolution look like in Jewish life—spiritual, social, technological, or political? This fall, join JTS scholars for a provocative webinar series exploring transformative moments across Jewish history. From the emergence of monotheism to the Russian Revolution, from handwritten manuscripts to digital frontiers, from summer camps to the Talmud, we’ll consider how Jews have sparked, resisted, and reimagined change. Each session invites reflection on what revolution means—then and now.
