Day of Jewish Learning celebrates local Jewish life

A rich array of speakers will share their expertise in business, academia, religious practice, music history, theatre, mindfulness and spirituality as part of the first Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning on Feb. 27.

Hosted by Alex Green, Buffalo community Jewish educator, the event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 2640 N. Forest Road, Getzville. Participants also may attend virtually via Zoom for a special session track.

A Kosher lunch is included and fully Buffalo Vaad of Kashrus (BVK) supervised for those who attend in person. Advanced registration is recommended. The event is free for students and $18 for community members.

Additional information and registration options are available on the Day of Jewish Learning web page

Robin Schulze, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will deliver opening remarks. Among the 25 speakers scheduled to participate are Department of Jewish Thought faculty members Noam Pines, associate professor and chair, and Alexandra Zirkle, assistant professor, as well as Rabbi Sara Rich, executive director of Hillel of Buffalo.

The Buffalo Jewish Day of Learning is the first public project of the home/hub partnership between the Buffalo Jewish community and the College of Arts and Sciences. The partnership seeks to draw on the academic resources of the university to address critical issues facing the Jewish community while presenting opportunities to enhance Jewish life on campus and throughout Jewish Buffalo.

“I am really excited to bring together faculty and students from the College of Arts and Sciences and Hillel with the Buffalo Jewish community to highlight the rich Jewish life and culture in Western New York at the Buffalo Day of Jewish Learning,” said Green, visiting associate professor in the Department of Jewish Thought.

“This partnership is a first of its kind and hopefully will become a new tradition that will continue into the future.”

The event is sponsored by the Buffalo Jewish Federation, the College of Arts and Sciences, Hillel of Buffalo, Amherst Memorial Chapel and the TELLL (Torah Experience for Life-long Learning) Fund.