Classes with the Clergy
Wise Learning is Coming to Your Neighborhood!
In addition to our regular clergy-led classes—including Spirit of Shabbat, our weekly Saturday morning Torah study and brief service—we’re excited to bring Jewish learning into your neighborhood. We are looking for special homes throughout the city that can host Spirit of Shabbat. If you’re able to host a three-session series in your home, we’d love to hear from you.
Please reach out to Rabbi Ron Stern at [email protected].
Learning opportunities with
Rabbi David Woznica,
Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin Rabbinic Chair
Off the Pulpit:
A Frank and Open Conversation between two Rabbis and Friends
Rabbi Ed Feinstein and Rabbi David Woznica
Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 7pm
Rabbis Feinstein and Woznica share their perspectives on Israel, America, God, antisemitism, Jewish values, and the future. Join these two lifelong friends for an inspiring and thought-provoking evening.
Dr. Judea Pearl in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
Tuesday, February 10 at 7pm
Rabbi Woznica welcomes Dr. Judea Pearl, world-renowned computer scientist, Turing Award laureate, and father of the late journalist Daniel Pearl. In this evening’s conversation, Dr. Pearl reflects on world politics, Jewish identity, and the ethical challenges of our time, alongside his groundbreaking work in Artificial Intelligence.
Intro to Judaism with Rabbi Yael Farber
Wednesdays, March 4 through June 17
7-8:30 p.m.
Classes on Zoom, select gatherings in person
Whether you are curious about or considering Judaism or still looking to answer that question you’ve had since your days in religious school, Introduction to Judaism is a place to voice your questions, learn multiple perspectives, and discover what is most meaningful to you in liberal Judaism.
Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering conversion, and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience. Guided by our education intern, Rabbi Yael Farber, you will have a chance to learn from members of the Stephen Wise clergy and other guest teachers as you explore holidays, lifecycle celebrations, prayer, theology, sacred texts and more. Questions are encouraged, and only curiosity is required. Where applicable, we encourage partners/spouses to take the class together.
$180 Stephen Wise Temple members | $360 non-members
Center for Jewish Life Online Archive
Wise’s Center for Jewish Life has been programming intellectually stimulating evenings with movers, shakers, and thought-leaders for well over a decade. Rabbi David Woznica has brought an impressive and diverse array of speakers together for lectures, dialogues, and panel discussions.
Watch this page for future updates as we share more enlightening programs from our archives.
Ambassador Michael Oren in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
Recorded on Monday, October 31, 2022
Our 2022-2023 slate of Center for Jewish Life events kicked off with a compelling dialogue between Rabbi David Woznica and Michael Oren, the former Israeli Ambassador to the United States.
Ambassador Martin Indyk with Rabbi David Woznica.
Recorded on Monday, April 3, 2023
On the evening of April 3, 2023, Ambassador Martin Indyk, the former United States Ambassador to Israel, joined Rabbi David Woznica and the Stephen Wise Temple Center for Jewish Life for a webinar on Middle East diplomacy, Henry Kissinger, and the current situation in Israel.
Liel Leibovitz in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
Recorded on Monday, January 11, 2021
Author, journalist, and Unorthodox podcast host Liel Leibovitz joins Rabbi David Woznica for a thought-provoking dialogue. Together they cover a wide variety of topics related to contemporary Judaism and Jewish issues, using some of Leibovitz’s well-known Tablet magazine articles as a jumping-off point.
Dr. Deborah Lipstadt in Dialogue
with Rabbi David Woznica
Recorded on July 1, 2020
Celebrated historian (and author of many books) Dr. Deborah Lipstadt joins Rabbi David Woznica for a dialogue on the state of Jewish life, antisemitism, and race relations in the United States. Dr. Lipstadt made international headlines during her libel defense in London against David Irving, who sued her for calling him a Holocaust denier and right wing extremist. A feature film was later made of the trial.
Dr. Lipstadt is Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University in Atlanta.
Jonathan Kaufman in Dialogue
with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback
Recorded on October 26, 2020
Jonathan Kaufman tells the remarkable story of how two families participated in an economic boom that opened China to the world. His book, The Last Kings of Shanghai, lays bare the moral compromises of these families—and their exceptional foresight and generosity. At the height of World War II, they joined together to rescue and protect 18,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazism. As the United States confronts China’s rise, this book holds a key to understanding the present moment.
Jonathan Kaufman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who has reported on China for thirty years. He is Director of the School of Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston.
Yousef Bashir in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
February 18, 2020
“[The Words of My Father] is captivating. Full of youthful exuberance, unlikely adventures, and raw discovery.” — The New Yorker
Yousef Bashir is a Palestinian-American from the Gaza Strip, the son of Khalil Bashir, a highly respected educator. Still suffering the effects of a near catastrophic injury at the hands of an anonymous IDF soldier, Yousef made his way to the United States where he became an accomplished author, a vigorous advocate of Israeli-Palestinian peace, and much sought-after public speaker. Learn his truly remarkable life story as he speaks with Rabbi David Woznica.
Obama White House Speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
December 2, 2019
From 2009 to 2017 Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter, first for President Barack Obama and then as the chief speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. At the age of 36, Sarah took an introductory class on Judaism, attending on a whim. On the road, she found beauty in the rituals, guidance on living an ethical life, a deeper understanding of God—well beyond anything she had learned in Hebrew school. This initiated a multi-year journey meeting with rabbis, attending meditation retreats, sitting at Shabbat tables of Orthodox families, and the reading of many books on Judaism.
Rabbi Harold Kushner in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
February 2, 2016
As part of Stephen Wise Temple Center for Jewish Life’s Forum on Critical Values, Rabbi David Woznica hosts a dialogue with legendary thinker, teacher, and renowned author Rabbi Harold Kushner. This engaging evening yielded timeless answers to thoughtful questions that apply to our daily lives as well as big-picture values introspections.
Elie Wiesel and Governor Mario Cuomo in Dialogue with Rabbi David Woznica
“God: Personal Thoughts” | April 18, 2002
In 2002 Rabbi David Woznica was invited to return to his former organization, the 92nd St. Y in New York City, for this memorable evening. In addition to a filled concert hall, It was broadcast by satellite around the United States. “While these extraordinary men are no longer with us,” reflects Rabbi Woznica, “their insights, candor and depth remain with me to this day.”
The Supreme Court: Crucial Cases of the Past, Present, and Future
Monday, November 4, 2019