Press release from The Chabad House of Asheville:
This November, The Chabad House of Asheville will offer Wrestling with Faith, a new six-week adult education course that openly addresses common challenges people have in their relationship with G-d.
Participants will grapple with issues including beliefs in Judaism that may seem primitive or outdated, reconciling scientific findings with ideas that cannot be proven in a lab, and the role of religion regarding gender roles, relationship choices, and other such controversial issues.
“We recognize that almost everyone has some degree of skepticism when it comes to religion,” says Rabbi Susskind of The Chabad House. “We’ve created this course for participants to think critically about these challenges—to approach them with an array of insightful perspectives—so we can articulate our beliefs to ourselves, and to the next generation with clarity and conviction.”
Wrestling with Faith explores questions such as:
– Why do I need G-d if I can live perfectly well without Him? – Does G-d really care about the nuances of Jewish
practice?
– Is the concept of “Jewish chosenness” racist?
– How can we relate to a loving and caring G-d amidst the experience of tragedy and suffering?
– How do we reconcile compelling evidence for evolution and the age of the universe, with a Bible that tells a different story?
– Is it even possible to develop a relationship with a G-d I cannot perceive with my five senses?
Jennifer Wiseman, an astrophysicist and the director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion, commented about the course: “At a time when science and technology dominate the mechanics and framing of our modern lives, it is more important than ever to ask the bigger questions of life’s purpose and values. This course enables the seeker to embrace the achievements of modern science while seeking the higher gifts of wisdom, meaning, and a personal relationship with G-d.”
Like all JLI programs, this course is designed to appeal to people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.
Six-week course, two time options, beginning:
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm OR
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 11:00 am – 12:30 pmLocation: The Chabad House, 127 McDowell Street, 28801
Register at www.chabadasheville.org/JLI or by phone at 828-505-0746.
For more information, visit www.chabadasheville.org
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