Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes (JCC Cultural Arts & Book Series)

As a sponsor of the Jewish Community Center's Cultural Arts and Book Series, Wright Memorial Public Library is pleased to bring our patrons these speaker events.  There is no charge for the events in this series and all are virtual.  Please use the registration link to sign up to attend.

In an eloquent and charming answer to this question, Hebrew Roots, Jewish Routes addresses the many ways engagement with Hebrew enriches Jewishness – culturally, religiously, ethnically. Whether you know Hebrew or not, linguist and cultural anthropologist Jeremy Benstein takes us on a journey into the deeper significance of Hebrew in the life of Jews and Judaism. Since fluency is such a distant goal for so many, Benstein shows us another approach: engaging with Hebrew by focusing on the three-letter Hebrew roots that are the building blocks of the language, seeing these “nuggets of knowledge” as a vehicle to enriching our connection to Judaism and its values.

Dr. Jeremy Benstein is an educator, author and Hebrew lover. He holds a BA in linguistics from Harvard, a master’s degree in Judaic studies from the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem, and a doctorate in cultural anthropology from the Hebrew University. He grew up in the Midwest, and moved to Israel over 35 years ago. Along the way, he helped found the Heschel Center for Sustainability in Tel Aviv. He is currently the managing editor of 929-English (Tanakh: Age-Old Text, New Perspectives – www.929.org.il), and lives in Zichron Yaakov with his wife, Prof. Annabel Herzog, five children, two cats, and many books.