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Lesson 12 of 11·Pirkei Avot: Living with Jewish Values and Ethics
Lessons from Chapter 6 with Rabbi Shmuel Braun
In the final episode of our Pirkei Avot series, Rabbi Shmuel Braun explores why Judaism elevates Torah above other human pursuits. By comparing Socrates and Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Braun reveals a key distinction: while Socrates saw philosophy as that which makes life worth living, Rabbi Akiva saw Torah as life itself. Torah brings God into the world, teaching us to see the divine in others and to live with compassion and purpose.
Rachel Besser is a teacher and department chair at Yeshivat Frisch and on the Bible faculty at Stern College. Besides teaching in the classroom, Rachel has authored articles and recorded podcasts on topics in Jewish studies and has lectured widely in synagogues and community settings. Rachel…
Dr. Mijal Bitton is a spiritual leader and scholar aspiring to make traditional Judaism relevant, accessible, and meaningful in today's complex world.
Rabbi Shmuel Braun is a teacher, mentor and lecturer, especially known for his ability to take the loftiest concepts in Jewish mysticism and connect them to everyday life in a way that students from any background and level of knowledge can appreciate. Having grown up Modern Orthodox in Woodmere,…
Dr. Erica Brown is the Vice Provost for Values and Leadership at Yeshiva University and the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. She previously served as the director of the Mayberg Center for Jewish Education and Leadership and an…
Eric Cohen has been the Executive Director of the Tikvah Fund since 2007. He was the founder and remains editor-at-large of the New Atlantis, and he serves as the publisher of Mosaic. Mr. Cohen has published in numerous academic and popular journals, magazines, and newspapers, including the Wall…
Rabbi Mark Gottlieb is chief education officer of Tikvah and founding dean of the Tikvah Scholars Program. Prior to joining Tikvah, Rabbi Gottlieb served as head of school at Yeshiva University High School for Boys and principal of the Maimonides School in Brookline, MA, and has taught at The…
Talia Harcsztark teaches at the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, where she serves as Chair of the Tanakh Department. She holds a BA in Religion from Barnard College and a Master’s in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.
Dr. Dara Horn is the award-winning author of six books: In the Image (2002), The World to Come (2006), All Other Nights (2009), A Guide for the Perplexed (2013), Eternal Life (2018), and People Love Dead Jews (2021). One of Granta magazine’s ”Best Young American Novelists,” she has twice won the…
Dr. Katz serves as the Senior Director of Jewish Day School Strategies and the Dean of the Truman Scholars Program. Together with her team, Dr. Katz focuses on strengthening Jewish Day Schools through best practices in curriculum design, teaching and learning, and faculty development. She…
Rabbi Hershel Lutch is the Chief Financial and Operating Officer of Tikvah and serves as its Corporate Secretary. In addition to leading Tikvah’s finance, administrative, business process reengineering, and operating functions, Rabbi Lutch helps direct Tikvah’s strategic planning, development, and…
Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter is University Professor of Jewish History and Jewish Thought and senior scholar at the Center for the Jewish Future at Yeshiva University. From 2000 to 2005, he served as dean of the Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Institute in Boston, and from 1981 to 2000, he served as…
Rabbi Dr. Abraham Unger is Head of School at Emet Classical Academy in Manhattan. He is also Founding Executive Director and Dean of the after-school Millstone Scholars Program. Prior to joining Tikvah, Dr. Unger was tenured in the Department of Government and Politics at Wagner College, where he…
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