Scholar-in-Residence:  The Hungry Jew with Dr. Josh Kulp

According to the Torah, the first laws given to humanity were food laws. Adam and Eve were told not to eat from a certain tree, and a few generations later, Noah and his descendants were told not to eat the limbs of living animals. For human beings, food is not just the calories that sustain us. Food is culture, food is history, food is identity. And no tradition has historically been more characterized by food prohibitions than Judaism. But the meaning of these laws continues to be elusive, and questions that were asked 2000 years ago remain unanswered and worthy of exploration to this day. Is it rational to eat some animals and not others, and if it is not, why observe such laws? What is the purpose of the Jewish dietary laws? Why do some Jews refrain from drinking wine or eating certain foods that were made or even touched by non-Jews? Exploring these questions helps us gain a broad perspective on what it means to be a Jew whose Torah is full of laws that do not always seem to make rational sense.

Join Dr. Kulp for one of his talks at Beth Yeshurun this weekend:

• Shabbat Renewal, Friday @ 6:00pm in Freedman Levit Sanctuary

Food, Wisdom and Restraint: The Stories of Adam and Eve and What They Have To Teach Us About Food

• Shabbat Kiddush Lunch, Saturday @ 11:30am in Stein Hall

Bacon, Cheeseburgers, and Wine: The Origins and Enduring Meaning of Jewish Food Prohibitions

• Saturday Night Craft Beers, Light Bites, and Learning @ 7:00pm in Stein Hall

The Torah of Beer: Can You Do Kiddush or Havdalah Over Beer?

Our Scholar-in-Residence is generously sponsored by Marsha Turell

The Kiddush lunch is free, but please RSVP for planning purposes. 

The Craft Beer Tasting is for 21+ and is $18 per person.

More about Dr. Josh Kulp:

Dr. Joshua Kulp, is the Rosh Yeshiva and founder of the Conservative Yeshiva and has been teaching Talmud and Halakhah there for twenty-five years. He is also the author of three books, The Schechter Haggadah: Art, History and Commentary (Schechter Institute, 2009), Reconstructing the Talmud, volume I (Hadar Press, 2014) and Reconstructing the Talmud, volume 2 (Hadar Press, 2019). Dr. Kulp is also the author of a complete English commentary on the Mishnah, created as part of the Mishnah Yomit project and now freely available on Sefaria. He is currently working on Daf Shevui, an English translation and commentary on the Talmud, and has completed a commentary on Megillah, Sukkah, Avodah Zarah, Ketubot, Kiddushin and most of Bava Kamma. He has lectured throughout North America on the Seder and Haggadah and other topics related to Talmud and Halakhah. He has also published articles in some of the leading academic journals. During the summers, Dr. Kulp runs the Bet Midrash at Camp Ramah in New England. He lives in Modiin, with his wife and four children, and in his spare time he is an avid triathlete and craft beer drinker.