What Must Jews Believe

In recent years, the controversy over Chabad messianism has brought the question of Jewish dogma back into focus. While many members of Chabad believe that their deceased leader is the Messiah, few Jews have shunned the movement as heresy. Meanwhile, the universal communal rejection of Jews for Jesus remains in place. What makes one sect heretical and the other not? What doctrines must a Jew accept to be a Jew? What doctrines are off limits? In this class, we will look at the history of Jewish belief, from the biblical period until today. We will explore Maimonides’s 13 Principles of Faith and the rise of medieval dogma. Finally, we will study the work of modern thinkers such as Moses Mendelssohn, Leo Baeck, Yeshayahu Leibowitz, and others, and consider the role of belief in Jewish identity today.Co-sponsored by the Altshul Minyan.

Daniel Septimus
45 for series, $15 single class drop-in fee