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TSWRJ Tovanot Program
June 29, 2025 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Since October 7, 2023, conversations about Israel and Palestine have become increasingly polarized, leaving many feeling unprepared or conflicted. Tovanot offers a dual-narrative approach that deepens understanding of the region’s history and politics while fostering empathy for both Israelis and Palestinians. Rejecting binary thinking, it encourages engagement with diverse perspectives and acknowledges both people’s national aspirations.
Program creator and leader Dr. Ruti Kadish grew up in Israel and moved to the U.S. after her military service, earning a BA in Women’s Studies and a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley. She held a postdoc in Israel Studies at the University of Maryland and was a Fellow at the Mandel School in Jerusalem, where she developed progressive Israel curricula. A former diversity education consultant, Ruti has spent the past 15 years working in Jewish nonprofit education and resource development.
Thanks to a generous grant from WRJ’s Mid-Atlantic District, there is no participation fee for this seminar. We expect the event to fill up to its maximum 40 participants quickly. We will keep a waiting list for those who register after the seminar is full.
Note: the Tovanot program has been held recently at Temple Sinai twice in its longer (12- hour) format: once for confirmation students and once for adult congregants. Ruti has condensed the material into a 2-hour format that will make it more accessible to a wider audience.