Rabbi Eli Deutsch is founder of the Executive Jewish Fellowship - a network of courses on Israeli campuses aimed at looking at the social issues of modernity from a Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah perspective. Reb Eli made aliyah to Israel from New Jersey six years ago and currently lives in the Old City of Jerusalem where he, along with his wife, Chana, and two daughters, host hundreds of Jewish travelers for Shabbat meals each year. You can check out some of reb Eli's work on www.lightuntoournation.com. Eli's books 'The Maharal Bencher' and 'Looking Inward: Kabbalistic Self-Help' are forthcoming.

I have developed two distinct courses which I believe should be considered as a possible cornerstone of any Jewish-oriented educational program here in israel.

1. Jewish Philosophy

This course explores classic Jewish philosophy with a special interest being paid to contemporary issues.  In addition to being informative, this course presents Judaism as timeless and insightful with an emphasis on addressing the whys of Judaism and working out common misconceptions.  The course begins by building up background in classic Jewish philosophy, flowing smoothly and logically from one topic to the next.  Topics include G-d, Man, Free Will, Morality, and Suffering.  It then proceeds to branch off into more specific modern-day issues, applying the previously learned principles to develop a (or a number of) possible Jewish perspective(s).  Issues to be discussed can be determined by the students.  In the past, topics covered have included democracy, universality, individuality, ecology, happiness, and relationships.  By the end of the course, the student should have an excellent grasp of Jewish philosophy in general, and have an appreciation for its rapport with the social issues of modernity.

2. Kabbalah

This course provides an in-depth overview of Kabbalah, including the ideas of Tzimtzum, G-d's Names, the Four Worlds, the Ten Sefirot, Ezekiel's Vision, Reincarnation, and Meditation.  The course is accumulative, progressing from the Kabbalah's concept of G-d onward, requiring application of previously learned material in order to grasp new concepts.

Given my extensive background and experience in these works, I have based this course solely on the primary sources of Kabbalah.  Therefore, the sourcebook that I offer often draws on materials that are available only in the original Hebrew or Aramaic.  Consequently, I have laboured to translate these sources into English to be presented side-by-side with the original.

My teaching philosophy reflects my two-fold interest in the students' receiving the information accurately and feeling a personal connection to, and ownership of, what they are learning.  This involves bringing the lofty concepts being discussed down to a relatable level, as well as encouraging their participation.  By making use of descriptive parallels that enclothe these ideas within a modern, more tangible framework, a transmittable model of the topic at hand is created and a more accessible picture is painted.  I favor directed student-centered teaching with a twist of humor and role-playing.  I have been pleased by enthusiastic student reactions. I would be happy to send class syllabi and student evaluations on request.

LANGUAGES: English & Hebrew

CONTACT INFO:

Israel: 052-4516654

N. America: (416) 628-8134

eliasjdeutsch@gmail.com

www.lightuntoournation.com