Jews and Science Symposium Coming to Oshman Family JCC

From Amy Snell, Oshman Family JCC:

The Oshman Family JCC will hold its first Judaism and Science Symposium on Sunday, April 12 at the JCC’s Schultz Cultural Arts Hall. Presented by Moment Magazine, the conference will feature a panel of highly-established religious and scientific scholars including Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, formerly Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth. The group will explore how Jewish thinking has influenced scientific inquiry and achievement, with moderation provided by Michael Krasny of KQED.

Provocative topics will include whether science and religion are conflicting or harmonious fields, as well as how science is shaping the understanding of the Jewish people and modern concepts of God. The hour-long discussion will be followed by a book signing.

According to Lord Rabbi Sacks, “Too often, science and religion are portrayed as mutually exclusive ways of viewing the world. This is simply untrue. They are compatible, but they need to be understood properly. Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean.

“Unless we hold these two spheres in equilibrium, the results will be catastrophic. Science without religion produces a society that dehumanizes; religion without science produces myth. It is only when taken together that we are able to constitute a full expression of our humanity. That is why this symposium on Jewish science and thought is so timely, and why I am excited to join the distinguished panel.”

In addition to Lord Rabbi Sacks, the panel will include Nancy Ellen Abrams, author and philosopher of science; John M. Efron, Koret Professor of Jewish History; Marcus W. Feldman, Professor of Biological Sciences; and Joel R. Primack, Professor of Physics. The group’s unique perspectives and educational backgrounds are expected to inspire thoughtful dialogue

For additional information and tickets to the event ($25 in advance, $30 at the door) visitpaloaltojcc.org/jewsandscience.

About Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

Lord Jonathan Henry Sacks is a rabbi and scholar of Judaism who has served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. In July 2009, he was appointed to the House of Lords. He is currently a Visiting Professor of Theology at Kings’ College London. He holds honorary doctorates from the universities of Bar Ilan, Cambridge, Glasgow, Haifa, Middlesex, Yeshiva University, University of Liverpool, St. Andrews University and Leeds Metropolitan University. Sir Jonathan is also the author of The Great Partnership: Science, Religion and the Search for Meaning.

About Nancy Ellen Abrams

Nancy Ellen Abrams is a philosopher of science, lawyer and author. Her new book, A God That Could Be Real: Spirituality, Science, and the Future of Our Planet (Beacon Press 2015), pulls together science and spirituality in a radically new big picture for our time.

About Joel R. Primack

Joel R. Primack is among the main creators of a modern theory of the structure and evolution of the universe. Joel is a Distinguished Professor of Physics Emeritus at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the founding director of the University of California High Performance AstroComputing Center (UC-HiPACC)

About John M. Efron

John Efron is the Koret Professor of Jewish History at the University of California at Berkeley, where he is a specialist in the cultural and social history of German Jewry. A native of Melbourne, Australia, he holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

About Marc W. Feldman

Professor Feldman is director of the Morrison Institute for Population and Resource Studies and co-director of Stanford’s Center for Computational, Human and Evolutionary Genomics. Both the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University have awarded him honorary doctorates of philosophy. He was the 2011 Dan David Laureate in evolution.

For more information, visit www.paloaltojcc.org or call (650) 223-8700.