Tales of the Holy Mysticat with Rabbi Rachel Adler, PhD

What happens when one of the greatest contemporary Jewish theologians discovers that her cat has a great deal to teach about mysticism, rabbinic thought and ancient wisdom?

She writes a book to share that wisdom with all of us. Tales of the Holy Mysticat is an engaging guide to Jewish literacy, based on Rabbi Rachel Adler's series of online posts about her most peculiar cat. A collection of whimsical stories interspersed with cleverly drawn black-and-white illustrations, an extraordinary appendix of relevant texts and a unique approach to the cycle of the Jewish festivals and observances, Tales of the Holy Mysticat provides unique insights into Jewish mysticism, tradition and the idiosyncrasies of one cat by one of our most profoundly creative scholars alive today.

Professor and Rabbi Rachel Adler's writings on Jewish law and ritual have catapulted her into the center of modern Jewish religious discourse, and she is unquestionably among the leading constructive Jewish theologians, translators and liturgists of the modern era, garnering attention from Jewish and non-Jewish scholars. Adler earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees in English Literature at Northwestern University in 1965 and 1966 and received an M.S.W. from the University of Minnesota in 1980. In 1986,Feel  Adler enrolled in the joint Hebrew Union College-University of Southern California doctoral program in Religion and received her Ph.D. degree in 1997. Her doctoral dissertation, “Justice and Peace Have Kissed: A Feminist Theology of Judaism,” served as the basis for her award-winning book, Engendering Judaism: An Inclusive Theology and Ethics, which in 1999 won the National Jewish Book Award as best book in Religious Though. She currently serves as Professor of Modern Jewish Thought and Judaism and Gender at Hebrew Union College at the Los Angeles campus. 

ETZ Talks is a series of presentations on Jewish questions and topics that Etzniks are curious about exploring. Each ETZ Talk takes place on Sunday mornings from 10:00 am to Noon. Everyone is welcome at these free presentations. ETZ Talks are made possible through Jewish LearningWorks and the Newton and Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust.