Neve Shalom is pleased to announce that Dr. Gary Rendsburg will be this year’s Rabbi Gerald Zelizer annual Scholar in Residence. He will speak on Friday evening November 22 and Shabbat morning and after lunch on November 23. There is no charge for his presentations.
Dr. Rendsburg – Distinguished Professor and the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History at Rutgers University - has spoken several times at Neve Shalom and attendees have always been enthralled by his presentations. His most recent book, “How the Bible Is Written” has received critical acclaim throughout the world and will be the basis for Dr. Rendsburg’s presentations. On Friday evening (7:30PM) he will speak about the “How the Bible Was Written” and the story of creation. On Shabbat/Saturday morning (9:30AM) he will speak about that week’s Torah portion “Chayei Sarah.” After lunch, he will present fascinating thoughts about Jacob and Rachel.
Dr. Gary Rendsburg holds the Blanche and Irving Laurie Chair in Jewish History in the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University, where he also holds an appointment in the History Department. He earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from New York University and taught at Canisius College and Cornell University-the latter for 18 years-before joining the Rutgers faculty in 2004. The author of six books and more than 120 scholarly articles, Professor Rendsburg takes a special interest in literary approaches to the Bible, the history of the Hebrew language, the history of ancient Israel, and the development of Judaism in the post-biblical period.