This year's Scholar-In-Residence program will be led by Alyssa Gray. Her topic of discussion will be,
"How much are we bound? Exploring Classical and Reform Halakhah."

She will be discussing the following:

Friday March 19
8:15 PM Shabbat Services sermon: “Halakhah (Jewish Law): Is this a Reform Jewish Religious Idea?”

Saturday March 20 
9:30 AM “Jewish Law 101: “You be the Judge” - A Hands-On Introduction to Decision-Making and Jewish Law”
7:30 PM “Women’s Aliyot to the Torah: A text Study on Women’s historical presence in the worship service”

Sunday March 21
9:30 AM Breakfast Nosh
“Halakhah and Reform Jewish Decision-Making: Are Reform Jews in any way required to follow Jewish Law?

 

Alyssa Gray, J.D., Ph.D., was appointed Instructor of Codes and Responsa Literature in July, 2000, Assistant Professor in January, 2001, and Associate Professor of Codes and Responsa Literature in July, 2007. She received her Ph.D. in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish Theological Seminary, and also holds an LL.M. in Mishpat Ivri (Jewish Law) from the Hebrew University Faculty of Law. Prior to pursuing her advanced studies in rabbinic literature and Jewish law, she was associated with Davis Polk & Wardwell, where she practiced law as a commercial litigator. She also graduated from Barnard College (magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa), the Jewish Theological Seminary (Seminary College, now List College), and the Columbia University School of Law.

Dr. Gray has written on a number of topics, notably martyrdom in the Palestinian Talmud, the redactions of the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds, the relationship of halakhah and law, treatments of sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud and medieval halakhic works, liturgy, and the medieval halakhic texts concerning women as givers of tsedaqah. She is also a contributor to the New Encyclopedia Judaica. Her interests include the history and development of Talmudic literature, the history of the halakhah, and Jewish law and contemporary legal theory. Dr. Gray has been invited to speak in a variety of academic and non-academic settings in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Latin America, including Yale University, the University of Chicago, Williams College, New York University, Florida Atlantic University, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Freehof Institute for Progressive Halakhah, Limmud UK, the Union for Reform Judaism, and the World Union for Progressive Judaism, as well as numerous synagogue settings. Her first book, A Talmud in Exile: The Influence of Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah on the Formation of Bavli Avodah Zarah (Providence, RI: Brown Judaic Studies, 2005), was recently published by Brown Judaic Studies. She is currently working on a book about wealth and poverty in classical rabbinic literature.

Dr. Gray is active in the profession, serving on the editorial board of the Hebrew Union College Annual, as a sub-editor for Judaism at Religious Studies Review, and on the board of the Women's Caucus of the Association for Jewish Studies.