| FJC January Program 2010/5770: Exploring the Jewish Body
Every January for the past ten years our congregation has countered winter’s cold with a lifelong learning program that draws us out of our homes and into a community of Jewish learning. This year we join together to explore the body in Judaism, a topic rich in possibilities – so much so that New Yorkers experienced a week this fall of diverse programming celebrating the Jewish Body (see the website of Tablet Magazine for event descriptions and related articles at www.tabletmag.com). This year also saw the publication of prominent anthropologist Melvin Konner’s The Jewish Body: An Anatomical History of the Jewish People (Schocken). “It is my goal in this book,” writes Konner, “not only to trace the Jewish body through its radical, almost magical transformations, but to try to understand how Jewish bodies and Jewish thoughts about them have shaped the Jewish mind and Jewish contributions to civilization.” A tall order, it is true, but Konnor accomplishes this and more, examining the Jewish body from the perspective of both Jews and non-Jews. From life cycle events (from birth to death – bris to burial) to daily life (kashrut, gender issues, mikveh, eating, tattoos, body piercing, cosmetic surgery), Jewish tradition and contemporary practice address ways in which our bodies express our Jewish identity. This January we will examine both collectively and individually how we “embody” our Judaism. As always with our January program, it is my hope that our congregation will be permeated with learning about this topic and that each of you will emerge from the cold winter with fresh and invigorating ideas about how the body connects each of us to our Jewish identity, collectively and individually.
Our month of learning includes programs for adults, children, and mixed-age groups, featuring a diversity of content and learning environments.
A full schedule of events is available on this website's calendar for the month of January. Below is an overview of learning and events planned for January. Please note that some events are open to the public, while others are limited to members only. Similarly, some events are free of charge, while others entail an entry fee and/or RSVP.
Film: Shooting Beauty: film screening, Q & A with director, exhibit throughout the month in Speen Hall. (members and non-members) Sunday, January 10 at 1:00 P.M.
Discussions at Dana’s Kitchen, 2-3pm on Thursdays: drop-in discussions on the Jewish body (members only)
Film screening: A Matter of Size - a comedy-drama about Israeli sumo wrestling; Thursday, January
Film Festival: Three short films on the body in Judaism. Saturday, January 23. Members only.
Tuesday evening Course on The Body in Judaism
Cooking workshop – Shmirat Ha-guf (Protecting the body) through healthy cooking (members only)
Workshop with Jodi Falk on Judaism and Movement: Dancing Souls / Laughing Eyes, Sunday, January 31 (CANCELED! We hope to reschedule at some point in the future.)
Exploring the Body in Jewish worship
Exploring the body in Torah during weekly Torah study Back to the Education News Section | 
