Temple Jeremiah's 2015 Golder Lecture features Dr. Joel M. Hoffman

Dr. Joel M. Hoffman will present “Ancient Answers to Good and Evil That Were Cut from the Bible” at the Stanley Golder Interfaith Lecture Series at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at Temple Jeremiah, 937 Happ Road, Northfield.

Hoffman will discuss the compelling account of Adam and Eve’s life in exile, Abraham’s troubling childhood, and the intriguing saga of Enoch – ancient material from the Bible’s cutting room floor that fills in significant blanks in the formative texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This lecture will look at three starkly different answers to good and evil and discuss answers to the most fundamental human questions.

“One of the great opportunities we have to grow understanding of one another’s faiths is through the study of scripture. There are many texts that Jews, Christians and Muslims share in common,” said Rabbi Paul F. Cohen, senior rabbi at Temple Jeremiah. “Dr. Hoffman will bring us a text that offers us a new look on how we experience and understand good and evil through a shared literary narrative. This builds on previous programs that focused on learning how each faith reads sacred text and what we can learn from one another.”

Hoffman is the author of “The Bible’s Cutting Room Floor: The Holy Scriptures Missing From Your Bible.” He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and has served on the faculties of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and Hebrew Union College in New York City.

The mission of the Golder Interfaith Lecture Series is to promote understanding among every faith and embrace the unifying spirituality of all religions. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by Temple Jeremiah.

This event is a partnership between Temple Jeremiah and the Islamic Cultural Center of Chicago, Winnetka Congregational Church, Christ Church, St. Philip the Apostle Church, Winnetka Covenant Church, St. Peter Community Church, Muslim Education Center, Winnetka Presbyterian Church, U.S. Bahá’í National Center, and the Church of the Holy Comforter.

Temple Jeremiah is a Reform Jewish congregation affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism and holds weekly worship services and study programs. The Center for Learning offers educational opportunities for all ages, from preschoolers to senior adults. For more information, contact the temple office at 847.441.5760 or office@templejeremiah.org or visit www.templejeremiah.org.