Lunch and Learn Series
Join us for our monthly lunchtime learning series (formerly known as Havurat D’vash), usually on the first Wednesday of the month, except September and October. Come for lunch and an informative speaker. There is always plenty of time for schmoozing and opportunities for interaction with our speakers. For the complete yearly schedule, see below. The cost for Temple Isaiah members is $10 per session or $80 for all nine sessions. For non-members it’s $12 per session or $100 for all nine sessions. Sign up for all nine sessions for the biggest bargain. Your participation is always welcome on a monthly basis, if you prefer to sign up for individual sessions. For more information call our office at (925) 283-8575.
Program Schedule
11:45 Schmoozing
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Program begins
May 2, 2012
Dr. Roger Lamm, Retired Business Professor & Temple Isaiah Member
The Next 100 Years: Identifying the winds of change
Beyond Russia and China: Which smaller countries might challenge the US world dominance in this century?
Dr. Roger Lamm is a retired Professor of International Business. He has been a consultant to some of the largest American based Multinational Corporations and has worked for non-American corporations in Europe and Asia. He has lectured and traveled in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee of both private for profit corporations and of major not-for profit organizations. He has published in both academic journals and in the popular press. Currently, he periodically lectures on Regent Cruises using a geopolitical perspective to provide insights into the countries that are being visited.
In the Recent Past…
September 14, 2011
Alli Darrow, Jewish National Fund
Refilling the Kinneret: 21st Century Water Technology in Israel
Please note: we have moved the previously publicized speaker, Rabbi Andrea Berlin, to our December 7th date.
Come discover what the Jewish National Fund is doing to alleviate the water crisis in the Middle East. For more than a decade, JNF has pioneered innovative solutions to stretch Israel’s water supply, leading to a 12% increase in the water economy. JNF has completed over 220 water reservoirs, has found new sources of water underground, and is responsible for multiple water education initiatives for youth throughout Israel, the West Bank and Jordan. Learn about water and other major JNF projects such as The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies & Kibbutz Yahel, Reform Kibbutz in the Negev.
October 12, 2011
Emily Blanck, AIPAC Leadership Management Director, East Bay, Sacramento Valley
Middle East on the Brink: A US and Israeli Perspective
This is a time of great uncertainty for Israel: Coming to grips with the Arab Spring, Turkish relations at an all-time low and Iran hardening its nuclear capabilities underground while developing ballistic missile capacity. Now more than ever we need to work to keep Israel-USA links strong. Keeping this issue before Congress will be a huge challenge. How will the U.S. and Israel deal with this changed environment? How does the Jewish community meet these challenges and keep Israel safe and secure so she can take risks for peace?
November 2, 2011
Ruth Adar, Rabbi & Poet
A Poet Speaks of Prayer
Judaism has a tradition of piyyutim, liturgical poems, offering a human response to the themes in prayer. Traditionally, these piyyutim are in Hebrew and follow traditional Hebrew poetic conventions. For ten years, Rabbi Ruth Adar has written liturgical poetry in English, responding to the themes in the siddur and the machzor (High Holy Day prayerbook.) This afternoon she will share a selection of her poems with us, and explain how those poems are connected to familiar prayers from the service. She invites you to look again at the words we say together, and seek your own insights in the spaces between the words.
December 7, 2011
Rabbi Andrea Berlin, Union for Reform Judaism’s West District Congregational Representative
Treif, Torah, and Trop: The Voices of our Reform Jewish History and their Bearing on Today
During our time together we will learn about how and why the Reform movement flourished in this country, the personality clashes that gave birth to our early prayer services, and the accidents that created some of the more challenging aspect of our reputation. We will have an opportunity to understand the trends that have emerged from the Reform pendulum swinging back toward tradition and the direction we are heading today.
January 4, 2012
Dean Goldfein, Head of the Contra Costa Jewish Day School
Jewish Education in the 20th Century
The education of Jews in 20th century America reflects well their incredible journey as a people. The history inspired the creation of our Contra Costa Jewish Day School. Dean Goldfein, founding Head of CCJDS, and teacher of U.S. History with a subspecialty in American Jewish thought between World War I and World War II, will provide an overview of different education movements and how they’ve shaped the Day School that serves our county.
February 1, 2012
Riva Gambert, Director, the Israel Center and Community Programs, Center for Jewish Living and Learning
A Sneak Preview of the East Bay Jewish Film Festival
Join us on February 1st for a sneak preview of the East Bay Jewish Film Festival’s most compelling and exciting films with Festival Director Riva Gambert. Riva will give us the run down on what’s Oscar-worthy at this year’s Festival.
March 7, 2012
Daniel Prial, Park Ranger at John Muir National Historic Site
Wilderness Prophet at Home in the Suburbs: John Muir’s Life in Martinez
John Muir, the great naturalist and explorer, spent almost half of his life away from the mountains. At the age of 42, he married, settled down and started working on a fruit ranch. But the story does not end there. Once Muir is able to put his feet up, his real fight begins. Join us for an exploration of Muir’s life in Martinez with Daniel Prial, Park Ranger at the John Muir National Historic Site.
April 4, 2012
Cantor Leigh Korn, Temple Isaiah
Israeli Music: A Retrospective
Please join Cantor Korn for an exploration and sing-a-long of music from the state of Israel. This program will cover music from many genres including folk, classical, and music from the various nationalities that make up the fabric of the state of Israel. Come celebrate Yom Ha’atzma’ut - Israeli Independence Day early with this interesting exploration of the musical culture of Israel.