"City of Refuge" - Talmud Study
City of Refuge, mentioned for the first time in the Bible, was designed to prevent cycles of blood and revenge – it is established to save those who killed accidentally from the hand of the avenger of blood and the entire community from a reality of ongoing violence. From the very study of the City of Refuge, a city of refuge is created according to the Talmud - and we will do our utmost to make this happen here, in the space of the municipal library. The group will learn by quarters
City of Refuge, mentioned for the first time in the Bible, was designed to prevent cycles of blood and revenge – it is established to save those who killed accidentally from the hand of the avenger of blood and the entire community from a reality of ongoing violence. From the very study of the City of Refuge, a city of refuge is created according to the Talmud - and we will do our utmost to make this happen here, in the space of the municipal library. The group will learn by quarters
City of Refuge: From Biblical Text to Talmudic Study Group
The City of Refuge, first mentioned in the Bible, was designed to prevent cycles of blood and vengeance. It was established to save those who killed accidentally from the hand of the avenger of blood, and to protect the entire community from a reality of ongoing violence. Based on the study of the City of Refuge, the Talmud establishes the concept of a "Talmudic City of Refuge," and we will do our utmost to facilitate this here, within the space of the Municipal Library. The group will study according to the four quarters of the city described in Tractate Makkot in the Babylonian Talmud: The Gate, The Roads, The Market, and The Waters of the Deep.
Additional details will be provided privately to interested participants. For updates and further content, you are welcome to join the WhatsApp group.
About the Instructor:
Adi Shorak is an award-winning researcher and author, recipient of the Prize for Creation for Hebrew Writers, among other honors. Her research on Talmudic Cities of Refuge and their evolution in modern Jewish literature (Tel Aviv University) was written alongside an essay book on Tel Aviv as a City of Refuge, to be published next year by Resling. The interdisciplinary project "City of Refuge, 963 Tiles" recently earned her a residency at the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago. She is the founding editor of the "Vashti" series at Resling Publishing.
Starting October 13, the study group will meet for four series of guided readings on Talmudic Cities of Refuge and their derived contexts. In each series, we will explore a different area of the city and walk through it. You can register for all series or just some; no prior knowledge is required.
Schedule:
Series 1 | The City Gate | Tuesdays | 18:30
October 13, 20, 29; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1
Note: The third meeting will take place on Thursday.
Series 2 | The Roads | Tuesdays | 18:30
December 29, January 5, 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9, 16
Series 3 | The Markets | Tuesdays | 18:30
March 16, 23, 30; April 6, 13, 20; May 4, 18
Series 4 | The Waters of the Deep | Tuesdays | 18:30
June 8, 15, 22, 29; July 6, 13, 20, 27
Pricing:
- Participation in all four study series: 1,200 NIS (includes a discount of 400 NIS)
- Single series: 400 NIS
Image credit: Adi Shorak, adaptation of "Stage Development Program" from the text installation "City of Refuge 9 Tiles," HaMakref Gallery 2018, curator Iris Peshtzki.
