Oy Vey Events in January & February 2023
Join us for some Jewish events in the Netherlands in the coming months!
Feeling Feisty? It could be Tevet
Was I the last to know that there is a Jewish horoscope, and that each month is associated with a constellation and a set of characteristics? If the answer is yes, why didn’t any of you tell me? My first clue came from an instagram post by the Jewish feminist zine: Lilith.org. That led me down a shallow rabbit hole that ended with the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation), a mystical text attributed to to Abraham (Yes, that Abraham! Sarah’s husband) and Rabbi Akiva (2nd century CE). There’s text in the book that describes the “twelve simple letters” and their connection to 12 constellations, 12 months, and 12 different states. Tevet, the month we are entering, is associated with the letter ayin ע, which rules anger.
“G-d produced ע [Ayin], predominant in Anger, crowned, combined, and formed Capricornus in the world, Tevet in the year, and the liver in the human.”
So if you’re feeling a bit feisty, perhaps that’s just Tevet. Feel free to share some anger with us, in a friendly way. We’d love to hear from you for the Jewish Manifesto, see you for a Shabbat potluck, or a Havdalah meditation.
The Deviant Yeshiva
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers. We will look at texts that deal with challenging elements of reality and use a Jewish lens to tackle the ideas presented. We want to get more involved with our own Jewishness and at the same time construct an alternative conception of what that Jewishness could mean.
The Deviant Yeshiva was born from interest at one of our chevrutah (discussion) sessions for the Jewish Manifesto. And now it’s a reality! Led by Yonathan Listik, a lecturer at Leiden University.
Six sessions, starting the first Sunday in February for face-to-face participants and the last Sunday for online participants.
Het Joods Manifest
Have you seen our gorgeous video about being Jewish in the Netherlands? Please take a look! And join us! We want to hear from you as well!
Director: Stuart Acker Holt
Editor: Smaragda Nitsopoulou
Director of Photography: Stefano Bajak
Ze Kollel
Applications are now open for Ze Kollel’s 7th semester, where we will be studying the 4th chapter of Kiddushin!
The Talmud is a 2000 year old document, layer upon layer being built upon itself, an ongoing conversation amongst the Jewish people. We invite you to be a part of it, to add your voice to the continuum of the Jewish tradition and Jewish people.
Ze Kollel’s spring 2023 semester will run from February 27th to June 26th, 2023. Ze Kollel meets from 9:15am – 1pm CET every Monday (except for the Monday of Pesach, April 10th) for a total of 16 sessions. Participants are expected to attend a minimum of 12 out of the 16 sessions. Ze Kollel offers sporadic evening classes taught by staff to build skills and dig deeper in the topics addressed in the morning’s class. A highlight of the Ze Kollel experience is the end-of-semester Shabbaton, which will take place in Berlin, on June 16-18, 2023.
Each session consists of a 75-minute study of the weekly Torah portion. Ze Kollel participants have the opportunity to lead their own parasha session, contribute Divrei Torah on social media, and write their own original commentary on the text. Participants work closely with mentors to produce teaching, writing, and creative expression that they are proud of!
Ze Kollel works on a hybrid model, meaning some of the participants meet entirely online while others meet in one of our hubs in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and now Paris! To apply, click here! Spaces are limited, and applications close January 24th!