About the Institute
 

The Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest is a nonprofit organization that encourages you to join together with people from throughout the community in learning about Jewish history, culture, and life. The Institute for Judaic Studies has:

  • Brought to Portland renowned Jewish personalities, authors and speakers, such as:
    • Abba Eban
    • Suzannah Heschel
    • Moshe Idel
    • Dov Noy
    • Amos Oz
  • Established the innovative Writers and Scholars Lecture Series, which presented such outstanding Jewish writers and scholars as:
    • Rabbi Harold Kushner
    • A.B. Yehoshoah
    • Batya Gur
    • James Kugel
    • Sir Martin Gilbert
    • Samuel Freedman
    • James Young
    • Arnold Eisen
  • Presented conferences on a wide range of Jewish topics, such as:
    • Prayer and Politics, The Twin Poles of Abraham Joshua Heschel
    • The Sephardim, a Cultural Journey from Spain to the West Coast
    • Islam and Judaism, 1400 Years of Shared Values
    • Martin Buber, A Life of Dialogue
    • Interfaith Bible Conference
    • The Jewish Experience in American Films
  • Developed accredited courses in conjunction with local universities and colleges on such topics as:
    • Hebraic Civilization
    • Modern Israel
    • Bible as Literature
  • Offered specially designed Bet Midrash (House of Study) adult classes on such topics as:
    • Jewish Mind Shapers of the 20th Century
    • Exotic Jewish Communities
    • Moses Maimonides
    • Portland Jewry in the 20th Century
    • Jewish Music and Theater
  • Published books, videotapes, and collections of lectures, with titles including:
    • Pioneer Rabbi of the West, The Life and Times of Julius Eckman
    • We Witnessed the Rebirth of Israel
    • The Sephardim
    • Islam and Judaism, 1400 Years of Shared Values
    • Dialogue, The Essence of Buber
  • Conducted educational tours to:
    • Israel
    • Turkey
    • Jordan
    • Isolated Jewish communities, such as Belmonte, Portugal and Kaifeng, China
  • Encouraged the enjoyment of the visual, literary, and musical arts through programs such as:
    • The Bloch Festival
    • Mendelssohn's Oratorio
    • The Flying Karamazov Brothers
  • Explored relationships between law and religion, and medicine and religion, through such conferences as
    • The Roots of Common Law in the Bible and Talmud
    • The Views of Five US Supreme Court Justices
    • Reverence for Life
  • Offered day-long learning festivals through marathon study sessions and Elderhostel on such topics as
    • The History of Israel
    • European Jewish Communities
    • Great Jewish Books

The Institute for Judaic Studies welcomes and encourages you to join people of similar interests and different backgrounds from throughout the community, in attending our events and programs!

We welcome your comments and suggestions