Summer Institute Itinerary

Monday Night, July 26
6:30 pm Opening Reception & Dinner at SEC
Opening Address: Dr. Zvi Zohar (Professor, Bar-Ilan University)
“Sephardic Rabbinic Tradition: A Beacon for the Jewish Future”

Tuesday, July 27
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Rabbi Daniel Landes
(Director, Pardes Institute, Jerusalem)
“Tradition, Modernity & Diversity: Rabbi Haim David Halevy’s Vision of the Jewish People”

12:30 pm Lunch at the SEC

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Jonah Mandel
(News Editor & Religious Affairs Correspondent, Jerusalem Post)
“Religion, Racism & Sephardic Israelis: The Case of Emmanuel”

3:00 pm – 6:30 pm Break

6:30 pm Dinner at the SEC

7:30 pm – 9:00 pm Yossi Klein Halevi
(Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Author & Journalist)
“Contemporary Sephardic Music: Israel’s New Spirituality”

Wednesday, July 28
9:30 am – 11:00 am Rabbi Yitschak Chouraqui
(Director, Merhav program for social-rabbinic leadership at Memizrach Shemesh, Israel’s leading Sephardic center for Jewish-social leadership)
“Tikkun Olam in Israel: A Sephardic Approach”

11:00 am – 11:30 am Break

11:30 am –1:30pm Mr. Meir Uziel
(Author, journalist, grandson of Rabbi Uziel)
“Vision, Leadership & Halakhic Courage: The Legacy of Rabbi Uziel, Israel’s First Sephardic Chief Rabbi”

1:30 pm Depart for Yad Vashem -- Lunch at Yad Vashem

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm Learning From Our Past: A Sephardic Tour of Yad Vashem
Featuring Presentation by Sephardic Holocaust Survivor Jackie Handaly

7:00 pm Sephardic Spirituality and Culture
Gala Sefer Torah Dedication and Dinner at SEC

Thursday, July 29
9:30-11:30 am Dr. Ariel Picard
(Senior Research Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute)
“Women, Halacha & Modernity: Two Sephardic Worldviews”

12:00 pm Depart for Tzfat (Safed), Northern Israel (box lunches provided)

2:30 pm Guided Tour of Mystical Tzfat (Safed)
The Sephardic origins of Kabbalah & Shulchan Aruch

7:00 pm Dinner with the Mayor of Tzfat, Ilan Shohat
Together with other mayors & guests from Northern Israel

Friday, July 30
10:00 am – 12:30 pm Rabbi Daniel Bouskila
(SEC Director of Special Projects)
“From Tradition to Vision: The SEC for the 21st Century”
An open forum on the SEC’s philosophy, mission and vision, and how the SEC can bring
Sephardic Judaism into the contemporary Jewish world.

12:30 pm Lunch at Machane Yehuda (Optional) Free Time for Shopping /Preparing for Shabbat

6:50 pm Candle lighting @ SEC
Kabbalat Shabbat Prayers at the Kotel and Dinner at the SEC

Saturday, July 31
9:00 am Shabbat Morning Prayer Services at the SEC

11:30 am Kiddush, Dvar Torah and Shabbat Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 pm “Our Rabbis Speak"
An open dialogue/panel with Rabbis Elie Abadie, Moshe Benzaquen, Daniel Bouskila, and Maimon Villareal. Moderated by Larry Azose, SEC Executive Director.

Following the panel, participants are invited to hang out in the SEC Shabbat lounge, go for a walking tour of the Old City, or return to hotels for Shabbat afternoon rest.

5:00 pm Torah classes by our rabbis.

6:30 pm Minha & Seudah Shelishit

8:15 pm Arvit & Havdalah

10:00 pm Tower of David Sound and Light Show

Return to SEC for late dessert & wrap-up