Join Rabbi Fred Morgan to explore the current themes and challenges facing Jewish theology today. The two epochal events for the Jewish people in the 20th century, the Shoah and the establishment of the State of Israel, set Jewish theology off in new, often unexpected directions. This course will draw on the thought of creative thinkers such as AJ Heschel, David Hartman, Yitz Greenberg and Jonathan Sacks to introduce a range of themes in Jewish theology: the status of the covenant after the Holocaust, ways to think about and relate to God in the modern world, the impact of multiculturalism and religious pluralism on Jewish understanding, the impact of the State of Israel on our understanding of redemption, the nature of Messianic Judaism in Israel and the place of tikkun olam in Jewish theology today.

About Rabbi Fred Morgan:

The course will be led by Rabbi Fred Morgan, Emeritus Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel, St Kilda, where he played a leading role in the progressive community for 16 years before retiring in 2013. Since then, he has served as Professorial Fellow at the Australian Catholic University, founder and coordinator of the “Grass Roots Dialogue Project” for the Council of Christians and Jews, and Rabbinic Officer of the Union for Progressive Judaism in Australasia. Rabbi Morgan has taught courses under the auspices of the Florence Melton program, Limmud Oz and the JMA for the past 20+ years. He has also led Jewish-themed tours to many parts of the world, most recently to the Caucasus.

Image: Victor Brindatch, Still Life, 20th century.