The November 2007 Shabbaton was very enjoyable and the number of attendees keeps growing.  Please keep this page bookmarked to learn more about our 2008 Shabbaton.

Here are details from our previous Shabbaton:

Please mark your calendar for Young Israel of San Diego’s annual Scholar-in-Residence program, November 16^th - 17^th.  This year’s speaker, Dr. Aaron Demsky is a professor of biblical history at Bar Ilan University and will make presentations on the stories behind Jewish names, the origin of the Hebrew alphabet, and current events at the Temple Mount.  The presentations will be accompanied by sumptuous meals on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Motzei Shabbat.

Please see more details on his presentations below, and contact the YISD office to make your reservations and further information.

Dr Demsky’s topics are:

Fri night, Nov 16:  

"What's in a Jewish name?"  This lecture is a light-hearted investigation into a serious subject:  Jewish names, how they came to be, and what they mean.  Were you given two names at birth--a Jewish name in Hebrew or Yiddish and an English name for the birth certificate?  What does your Jewish name mean?  Will changing it change your destiny?  Do family names describe your ancestor’s place of origin, occupation, personal name of the founding father or mother, abbreviations, or were they the whim of some official?

Shabbat afternoon, November 17:  

"The Origin of the Hebrew Alphabet and the Oldest Hebrew Inscription" This illustrated-with-handouts presentation involves the audience in the exciting adventure of deciphering an ancient inscription and understanding the revolution in communication created by the invention of the alphabet.

Motzei Shabbat, November 17:  

Leaving No Stone Unturned:  The Excavations at the Temple Mount" (an illustrated lecture with slides).  In Jerusalem, Solomon built his Temple, and for thousands of years Jews have continued to pray facing Zion.  Six hundred years after the Romans destroyed the Second Temple, the Arabs conquered Jerusalem and built a mosque over the ruins.  Today the Islamic Religious Authority in Jerusalem claims that there was no Temple, and that the Jews have no connection to Jerusalem.  They say it is all a "Jewish myth", and to make sure that their version cannot be disputed, they have illegally and without archeological supervision excavated below the present mosques and dumped archeological artifacts into landfills.

Hear what the archeologists have to say about Jewish and Muslim claims and learn first-hand the history of Jerusalem and its centrality for the Jewish people.

 

About Dr Demsky

Professor Demsky is a professor of biblical history as well as the founder and director of the Project for the Study of Jewish Names at  Bar Ilan University.  He and his family made aliyah in 1965, and they live in Efrat.  

This is what others have said about Dr. Demsky:

• · “His lectures gave us a heightened sense of our heritage and connection to the Land of Israel."

• ·  “His background in Jewish history and culture is truly outstanding.  He has the ability to make complex issues more clear.  He is one of the best speakers I have heard.

• ·  “There are some people who have a wonderful presence when they are in front of a group.  Demsky is one of those."
  
   

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Last modified: 12/27/07