The Temple Concord/Temple Israel Adult Education Committee will offer a brunch and presentation by Rabbi Talia Laster on Sunday, January 21, from 10 am-noon, at Temple Concord, 9 Riverside Dr., Binghamton. Laster will speak about “Areyvut: What Responsibility Do Jews Have to One Another?” The brunch will be served at 10 am, and the presentation and Zoom session will begin at 10:30 am. The series is underwritten by the Eisenberg Foundation. There is no charge for the event, but donations will be appreciated.

RSVPs to the Temple Concord or Temple Israel office are requested by Wednesday, January 17, to help with planning; no one will be turned away at the door. To request the Zoom link or additional information, visit the Temple Concord website or contact Eve Berman at eberman@stny.rr.com.

In her lecture, Laster will discuss the talmudic teaching found in Tractate Shevuot that says “all Jews are guarantors for one another.” She will explore applications of the principle and the underlying question: are all Jews really in the same boat? 

Laster serves as the campus rabbi at Cornell Hillel. She received rabbinic ordination in 2022 from the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Newton, MA. Her interests include “spirited and playful” tefillah (prayer), Talmud study and the unfolding of halachah (Jewish law). Laster is a life-long member of the National Havurah community and noted that she is “passionately committed to its values of empowered lay-leadership, joyous ritual and deep Torah learning.”