Please join us on Shabbat Lech Lecha (October 23-24) as we welcome our first Shabbat Scholar of 5776, Wendy Amsellem of the Drisha Institute and Yeshivat Maharat.

This Shabbaton includes Kabbalat Shabbat at 5:50 PM, a Friday night dinner in shul at 6:30 PM (RSVP and payment required), a lecture at 8:00 PM (free to attend), Shabbat morning sermon, and study at Seudah Shelishit.

RSVP for the dinner by Monday, October 19. There are three dinner sponsorship levels: Dinner: $36 | Sponsor: $72 | Patron: $108

Shabbaton Theme: Elisha ben Abuyah: The High Road to Heresy

Elisha ben Abuyah was an acclaimed first century Torah Sage who is most famous for losing his faith and leaving his community. Naturally, Elisha’s apostasy was of tremendous interest to subsequent generations of sages. We will examine rabbinic texts that locate a wide variety of possible reasons for Elisha’s behavior. Of especial interest is Elisha’s continuing relationship with his disciple Meir and the implications this has for interactions between heretics and believers.

Friday Night, 8:00 PM: “What Went Wrong”

Despite a promising start as a First Century Sage and Scholar, Elisha ben Abuyah leaves the path and becomes a notorious heretic. How did that happen? We will study an array of Rabbinic texts that seek to explain Elisha’s apostasy and explore the potential reasons why a believer would lose faith.

Shabbat Morning, 10:30 AM: “The Heretic’s Disciple: Elisha and R. Meir"

Even once Elisha ben Abuyah becomes a heretic, his student R. Meir continues to learn from him. Why does Meir persist in studying with Elisha? Why does Elisha keep teaching Meir? We will explore their complicated relationship and examine the nature of pedagogic loyalties.

Seuda Shelishit, 5:50 PM: “Coming Back”

Is it possible for Elisha to rejoin the rabbinic community? Who is positioned to help him and what is at stake in his return.

Wendy Amsellem is a faculty member at Drisha and at Yeshivat Maharat. She is the Rosh Kollel of the July College Kollel for women at Drisha. Wendy is an alumna of the Drisha Scholars  Circle and has a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University. She is pursuing a PhD in Judaic Studies at NYU.