HIGH HOLIDAYS 2026-5787

For more than four decades, surveys by Pew have found that roughly 38–42% of Americans believe that the world was created within the last 10,000 years. This view, known as young-earth creationism, is rooted in a literal reading of Genesis 1 and stands in contrast to evolutionary explanations of the origins of life and the universe. Rosh Hashanah, however, invites us to think deeply about creation in ways that go beyond chronology. In the High Holy Day liturgy, we proclaim Hayom Harat Olam – “Today is the conception of the world.” The Torah and Haftarah readings for the holiday center on conceptions and births: Sarah giving birth to Isaac and Hannah giving birth to Samuel. Join us for a CSP discussion as we explore what the High Holy Day liturgy and Jewish thought say about creation, and whether Judaism supports, challenges, or transcends the claims of young-earth creationism.
After spending twelve years on the faculties of Vanderbilt University, UCLA, and University of San Diego teaching Jewish Thought, Rav Shai Cherry transitioned to the pulpit just in time to be derailed by Covid. For the past seven years, Shai served as the rabbi for Congregation Adath Jeshurun outside of Philadelphia. He is currently completing his third book tentatively titled The Covenant: People, Land, and Torah.
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The Gate of Tears  – Why Cry on Yom Kippur?

Can the Day of Atonement move us to tears? Should it? Our we crying for ourselves, our families or our people? And what happens to all those tears? Where do they go? The Talmud and the Yom Kippur Machzor have much to say on this topic; and recent historic events have only compounded the issue. This class is an intimate meditation on the relationship we cultivate with our Creator, and the God-in-us, on the holiest day of the year.
Rabbi Dr. Raphael Zarum is Dean of the London School of Jewish Studies (LSJS) where he holds the Rabbi Sacks Chair in Modern Jewish Thought, established by the Zandan family. He has a Physics PhD, ordination from Rabbi Sacks, and studied at the Mandel Leadership School in Jerusalem. Rabbi Zarum is an acclaimed educator whose latest book, Questioning Belief: Torah and Tradition in an Age of Doubt, was a Yeshiva University Book Prize finalist. He hosts the Big Questions of Jewish Belief podcast and travels the globe lecturing in Jewish communities and diverse institutions.
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