Mandel Colloquium Day 3

Today's theme was about the responsibility of Jewish Peoplehood.

The morning started with a service that was wonderfully led by Ziggy and Vlad. 

Then, we broke up into our Mabat groups for some text study.

• Exodus 23:1-9
• Main ideas: don't pervert justice, but don't favor the poor. If an ox goes astray, it is your obligation to bring it back to its owner. Don't oppress the stranger, for we were strangers.
• Our level of obligation to community is based on connection to the community, not feelings towards whomever's property is affected.
• Text explains biblical limits of shared responsibility
• Deut. 22:1-4
• Parallel text with further expansion
• Take care of your brother's lost stuff; also means you accept the burdens that come from your brothers - Biblical obligation to house sit
• Common refrain in the text: addressing the idea of "not my problem." 
• Mishnah Bava Metzia Chapter 2
• These are things of "finder's keepers" and what items must be declared
• Adds concept that lost items can belong to someone
• Fidelity between Mishnah and Bible - obligation to take care of items
• Either it belongs to you, or you take care of it
• Raises the bar in terms of a personal sense of responsibility
• If you can't ignore taking care of the physical items, what about the intangible/personal items?

Stuart Saffer:

• Carlebach was very inspirational for Soviet Jewry.
• Jews congregated in the streets instead of synagogue; fear of informants to KGB
• Meeting with Pavel
• Literal photo copied hagadah
• The fear of being sent back to UK was the Jewish community's dream
• Meeting with Pyotr
• How do we rescue the community? Marry them to foreigners. Are you prepared to get married?
• To what extent do we go out on a limb in order to help someone?
• Meeting with Zinony
• How do we take the whole world of Progressive Judaism to Soviet Jews?
• "We have to meet people where they are at" - Important aspect of Jewish Peoplehood

After a quick lunch break, we met up with representatives from and our classmates going to our respective campuses. I had a great meeting with my LA cohorts. I learned a ton and I am now even more excited to come back to Los Angeles and continue my studies at the LA campus.

Then we had a panel featuring travel specialists talking about Peoplehood "practices"

• This morning, we heard about "rescue." This afternoon, we'll discuss ways in which we can positively express our commitments to the Jewish People in a variety of different means.

This was followed by a discussion where we tried to the pieces and thoughts of the past few days together. Of course, we only discussed more questions. Looking back at the questions from the first day, I thought about if lines within Jewish People were necessary, and whether the fences that different communities establish help or hinder the Jewish Peoplehood in general. 

Finally, we had some students compartmentalize the past few days and how we can express belonging to the Jewish People.

This week has been a phenomenal exploration of the Jewish People and what Peoplehood really means.