The Jewish Tradition of Choosing Hope in an Age of Rising Antisemitism
Tue, Jun 16
|Virtual Lecture
Scholars Circle is a free virtual educational series that hosts lectures every two weeks on topics relating to Israel, antisemitism, and trends facing the Jewish people. Please consider making a donation to support access for all.
Time & Location
Jun 16, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Virtual Lecture
About the Event
About lecture:
This lecture will explore hope as the capacity to envision a better future and as the source of energy to help build it. We’ll consider the following questions. How does hope differ from related concepts such as optimism and resilience? How does contemporary Jewish theology understand hope and what is the relationship between hope and prayer? What Jewish concepts, narratives, and practices help sustain hope?
About Scholar:
David Arnow, Ph.D. is a psychologist and a scholar of the festival of Passover. He graduated from Brandeis University and earned his doctorate at Boston University in 1982. He is the author of Creating Lively Passover Seders: A Sourcebook of Tales, Texts & Activities, co-editor of My People’s Passover Haggadah, a contributing scholar to Exodus Conversations ~ How the Story of the Exodus Speaks to Jews, Christians, and Muslims: An Interfaith Commentary and Passover Haggadah, co-author of Leadership in the Bible: A Practical Guide for Today and most recently author of Choosing Hope: The Heritage of Judaism. A writer with decades of leadership experience in the non-profit sector, his many articles on issues of Jewish interest have appeared in Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, The Journal of Jewish Communal Service, Contemporary Judaism, Moment Magazine, Tikkun, The Journal of Israeli History, Reform Jewish Quarterly, Zeramim, and numerous Jewish newspapers.