Judaism

Virtual resources

• Hillel @ Home includes resources, programs, hangouts, contests, and virtual gatherings for the Jewish community
• Mt Zion Temple (Reform) in St. Paul is regularly livestreaming services. Click here for more information.
• Romemu (Renewal) hosts streamed Shabbat and Torah studies. Click here to view.

Community resources

• Rimon, the Minnesota Jewish Arts Council, hosts, sponsors, and publicizes on-line and in-person arts events. 
• The Minneapolis Jewish Federation website lists the Jewish temples and synagogues in the Twin Cities Metro Area and Rochester, with the branch of Judaism noted in parentheses, and some links to the temples themselves. 
   

Dr. Samuel Kessler, Jewish Life Advisor

Assistant Professor of Religion and Åke and Kristina Bonnier Chair in Jewish Studies
kessler@gustavus.edu

Dr. Kessler received his BA in History from New York University and MA and PhD in Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Between 2016 and 2018 he was the Postdoctoral Fellow in Judaic Studies in the Department of Religion and Culture at Virginia Tech. His scholarship focuses primarily on nineteenth-century religious responses to modernity. He works on topics in Judaism, postmodern theory (Foucault), Holocaust, and twentieth-century literature (Roth, Malamud, Durrell). Dr. Kessler has taught widely in Jewish religion and culture, both in the classroom and community. Anyone in the community with questions about Judaism is encouraged to contact him. This fall (2019), Dr. Kessler will be teaching Introduction to Judaism (RELI 144) and World Religions (RELI 115).

Jewish Life Holidays and Events, 2019-2020

The Chaplains’ Office and Dr. Samuel Kessler are pleased to bring awareness to the following Jewish holidays and to host several Jewish life events this year on campus.