Dimensions of Teshuvah

Jews prepare for their New Year by engaging in teshuvah, a word that is usually translated as “repentance” and literally means “return.” But the ideal of teshuvah also contains possibilities beyond individual penitence. Jewish thinkers have interpreted this concept to speak of many kinds of turnings and returnings – to tradition, to home, or to a whole self. In this class, read a variety of modern Jewish thinkers who bring teshuvah beyond the walls of the synagogue to speak to the spiritual and ethical challenges of modern life.