The Harold M. Schulweis Institute
The Harold M. Schulweis Institute (HMSI) encourages you to explore the many paths to the writings, audio and video materials of our great teacher, Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z"l.
The mission of HMSI is to share with generations to come Rabbi Schulweis’ humanitarian and spiritual vision of Jewish life and learning that influenced the direction of all synagogue activities and the creation of innovative programs at Valley Beth Shalom during his tenure. To enhance Jewish life and influence the broader community, the Institute will continue to collect and introduce Rabbi Schulweis’ teachings and moral vision by promoting public access to his sermons, lectures, and scholarly writing, and by creating and supporting legacy programs affecting Jewish scholarship, the arts, and social action. that you will find here. Our goal is to help you to discover his teachings, his moral vision, and the depth of his community activism that continue to inspire us and enrich our lives today.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE SCHULWEIS INSTITUTE WEBSITE AND ARCHIVES
To make a donation to the Harold M. Schulweis Institute, click here >
Carrying Rabbi Schulweis’ Legacy into the Future
Visit the Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis Library Collection from the HMSI Archive
On display in the new Schulweis Chapel in the Ellie & Mark Lainer Beit Midrash (formerly Winer Chapel)
On December 16, 2022, in commemoration of Rabbi Schulweis' Yahrzeit, The Harold M. Schulweis Institute dedicated the new Schulweis Chapel in memory of Rabbi Harold and Malkah Schulweis z"l.
Current Display
KERUV: Bringing Closer, Inviting In
“I WANT ALL OF US TO FALL IN LOVE WITH JUDAISM AGAIN”
Such was the confession – and invitation - of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z”l to the VBS congregation, to the unchurched, the unsynagogued, to disaffected Jews, and to seekers of all kinds, gathered for his talk, "What is Judaism". With that, he, with Rabbis Ed Feinstein and Nina Bieber Feinstein/Coordinator, Judie Cotton/Chair, and rabbis of many denominations, created the revolutionary and controversial inreach/outreach programs of the VBS Keruv Center beginning in the late 1990’s. The premise: that Judaism has much that is important to say to all about the human condition.
The Harold M. Schulweis Institute invites you to rediscover Judaism, beginning with a listen to the rousing words of Rabbi Schulweis linked above, followed by a visit to the VBS Ellie and Mark Lainer Beit Midrash where “KERUV And More,” new to the Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis series, is now on display. AND you can also enjoy a virtual presentation with all the relevant audio and video links (more than 50!!) at the official Schulweis Institute website CLICK.
“I want to see Jews more deeply committed… we are all Jews by Choice.” -- Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis
L’shanah tovah!!
Previous Displays
MOED: To Everything There is a Season
“The Jewish calendar structures our awareness of time and self. There is a syncopation of collective wisdom with which our individual and family lives are synchronized. The Jewish calendar is the record of experienced values inscribed in time, celebrations and commemorations repeated annually, each year adding another layer of meaning. We grow older, along with the calendar of our people…
Blessed is Elohut, which enables us to celebrate seasons and times.”
Take a spiritual journey through the Jewish calendar, guided by texts of Rabbi Schulweis and music of Ami Aloni z”l, with a visit to MOED: To Everything There is a Season, now on display in the VBS Ellie and Mark Lainer Bet Midrash -- or virtually at www.hmsi.info. MOED I, covering Rosh Hashanah through Hanukkah, ends in early 2024 to make way for MOED II which celebrates Purim, Pesach, Shavuot and Yom HaAtzma’ut. This is the second in the Schulweis Library Collection series, “Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis,” brought to you by the Harold M. Schulweis Institute.
Hakarat Hatov Exhibit – The Recognition of Goodness
The Premiere of the First in an Ongoing Series of Presentations of the Signature Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis z”l
Currently on exhibit in the Schulweis Chapel is HAKARAT HATOV, a robust display curated by Marcy Rainey, detailing the Rabbi’s multi-decade mission to honor the courage and bravery of thousands of Righteous Christians in saving Jews during the Holocaust, the exhibit recounts the deeds of many “agents of Godliness”. You will learn their names, and see their faces, the faces of those who chose not to comply with evil. Click here to learn more >
Sun, October 13 2024
11 Tishrei 5785
