Art and Culture Social Justice

How Do We Increase Peace in the World? Learning With Sephardi Sages

Sephardic Jewish wisdom on human dignity, respect, and majority-minority relations.

Educator: Drori Yehoshua

Register now for Summer Cycle 2025

Deadline: June 8

Start learning on June 16

Course Details

Sessions

Recommended for

Everyone

Description

How Do We Increase Peace in the World? This course looks to our sages to answer this important question.

Sephardic Jewish textual wisdom speaks to the complex interactions between Jews and non-Jews today in Israel and around the world. Over the next three months, explore Jewish views on racism and intolerance through the perspective of Sephardic sages whose teachings you may never have encountered before. These rich and often overlooked traditions of Jews of Spain and Muslim countries offer a perspective on Jewish identity that is moderate, inclusive, and does not force its values on others.

This course will address the proper treatment of other nations, rights of minorities, neighborly relationships, and respect for human beings. Draw on this wisdom, and your personal encounter with racism and intolerance to discuss larger themes of social-ethical values and humanity.

Sample Materials

Want to see a preview of this course’s self-guided learning materials? Download a source sheet.

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Educator

Drori was born in the Kurdish neighborhood of Jerusalem, is married to Stacy and the father of four children. He is a Talmud Instructor at the Shalom Hartman Institute, one of the founders of Memizrach Shemesh and Kol Yisrael Haverim, and facilitates Kol Yisrael Haverim communities. Drori feels privileged to be active in the following organizations: Prisoners in Rehabilitation, Beit Hashem Nelech, Tag Meir (Spread the Light—Together Against Terror), Invitation to Piyut, SPCA Israel. In addition, he performs weddings and Jewish ceremonies. Even though Drori sometimes teaches, he is always a student.