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Downtown Discussion Group
Meets approximately biweekly on Mondays downtown for lunch (12:15 p.m.) followed by 1-hour discussion of a book. Participants lead the discussion and cover roughly a chapter a meeting. Participants may attend every session or may attend occasionally. Group members furnish their own lunches; drinks are provided. Individuals who want to take part in the group should notify the temple office or the discussion group leaders.
The initial book for 2008-2009 will be Jewish Philosophy as a Guide to Life: Rosenzweig, Buber, Levinas, Wittgenstein (The Helen and Martin Schwartz Lectures in Jewish Studies) by Hilary Putnam of Harvard University. This may be followed by Larry Hoffman's Beyond the Text: A Holistic Approach to Liturgy (Jewish Literature and Culture). The first session discussed Jack Wertheimer's article on Reform Judaism in the June issue of Commentary magazine. Another article that we mentioned in that session was an article by Steven Cohen on "American Jews and the 2008 Presidential Election: As Democratic and Liberal as Ever?".
| Date | Chapter/pages | Discussion Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 11/17 | 1-16 |
Jacque |
| 12/1 | 16-36 | Sabrina |
| 12/22 | 37-54 | Skip |
| 1/5 | 54-67 | Catherine |
| 1/12 | 67-83 | Josh |
| 2/2 | 83-99 | Peg |
| 2/9 | 100-108 | David |
| 3/23 | TBA | presentation by George Mason professor [Shelley] |
| 3/30 | TBA | Richard |
| 4/6 | TBA | Jeff |
| 4/20 | TBA | Shana |
| 5/4 | TBA | -- |
| 5/18 | TBA | Ed |
The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong was read during 2006-2007. During 2005-2006 the group read The Journey Home: Discovering the Deep Spiritual Wisdom of the Jewish Tradition by Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman. The group spent 2004-2005 in the study of Jewish mysticism using the book The Mystic Quest by David Ariel.
The group meets at Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW. The nearest Metro stop is Gallery Place; office is across the street from the MCI Center.
Mark Your Calendar
Monday, January 12, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Joshua leading group; pp. 67-83
Monday, February 2, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Peg leading group; pp. 83-99
Monday, February 9, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; David leading group; pp. 100-108
Monday, March 23, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Shelley leading group
Monday, March 30, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Richard leading group
Monday, April 6, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Jeff leading group
Monday, April 20, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Shana leading group
Monday, May 4, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW
Monday, May 18, 2009. 12:15 pm - 01:30 pm. Downtown Discussion Group . Venable Law Office, 575 7th St. NW; Ed leading group