Rabbi Ethan Tucker will serve as scholar-in-residence at Congregation Anshei Israel Nov. 8 and 9. His topic will be “Judaism and Ethics.”
Tucker is co-founder, rosh yeshiva and chair in Jewish law at Mechon Hadar, a New York-based educational institution. Named one of America’s Top 50 Rabbis by Newsweek in 2011 and 2012, Tucker was ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and earned a Ph.D. in Talmud and rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a B.A. from Harvard College.
“He’s dynamic, he’s brilliant. He really does represent a lot of the best practices in the Jewish world today,” says Rabbi Robert Eisen, explaining that “as current issues [in American life] are bearing on Jews, Judaism, our reflection and visions of the future, he brings Judaism to bear on current issues — that is, he enables Judaism to have its voice and be a factor in the equation. He can offer us a vision that what we want to do is possible. In many ways, he represents what we’re trying to become as a congregation.”
Tucker’s visit will include leading the Shabbat evening service on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:45 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. and a presentation at 7:45 p.m. He also will deliver the D’var Torah at the 9 a.m. Shabbat service on Saturday, Nov. 9, and lead Torah study at 3:30 p.m. Paid reservations for the Shabbat dinner are required by Nov. 5. Members: adults, $14, children, $8; nonmembers: adults, $20, children, $12. To RSVP, call Barb at 745-5550, ext. 242, or visit www.caiaz.org.
