The Afterlife in Classical Judaism with Pinchas Giller (In Person & Online)

The Afterlife in Classical Judaism: From Resurrection to Reincarnation, with Pinchas Giller

In the PRS Library!

Various understandings of the afterlife were asserted from late antiquity to early modernity. These are often contradictory and sit uneasily with one another. Many seem to become agnosticism regarding the afterlife in Judaism, or maintain that there is no fixed afterlife tradition. This series of lectures will present these traditions, with particular attention to the richest source of afterlife, which is the classical Kabbalah. Professor Giller has been a contributor to the recent volume The Life of the Soul: Jewish Perspectives on Reincarnation from the Middle Ages to the Modern Period.

Class 1 (March 19) - Biblical agnosticism, the spirit world of the Talmud and the emergence of the three part soul

Class 2 (March 26) - The three part soul in late antiquity, the speculations of the Zohar and the Emergence of Reincarnation

Class 3 (April 2) - The reincarnation tradition in the Galilean renaissance, gravesite pilgrimage and veneration and Hasidic romanticism, the Chabad understanding of non-death.

Pinchas Giller was brought up in Cocoa Beach, Florida and received his BA at Columbia University. He was ordained at Yeshiva University and received his doctorate at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Rabbi Giller has written extensively on Judaism and his field of expertise, Jewish Mysticism or Kabbalah. He has written four books, The Enlightened Will Shine: Symbolism and Theurgy in the Later Strata of the Zohar (State University of New York Press, 1993), Reading the Zohar (Oxford University Press 2000), Shalom Shar’abi and the Kabbalists of Beit El (Oxford University Press 2000) and Kabbalah: A Guide for the Perplexed (Continuum Press; 2011). He has also edited Be'er Moshe al ha-Torah, by Moshe ha-Kohen Reicherson. Rabbi Giller is Professor of Jewish Thought and chairman of the Jewish Studies department of the American Jewish University, Los Angeles.

*Please note classes can be taken individually but the material from each class forms the basis for the next so it is recommended to complete the series in order. Each class will be recorded and shared with students for up to 2 weeks following each class.

Ticket price: $15 per class ($40 for all 3)

Please email [email protected] or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.

ACCESSIBILITY

PRS wants all guests to be able to enjoy our events safely and comfortably. If you require any accessibility accommodation, please reach out to [email protected] before showtime and we will be happy to assist you.

REFUND POLICIES

All sales are final. There are no refunds or exchanges for PRS events, except in the event of a medical emergency, including but not limited to a positive COVID-19 test.

In the event that PRS is forced to cancel an event entirely, tickets will be refunded or vouchers offered for a rescheduled event.

PARKING

Limited parking is available onsite at PRS in both the front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as street parking on Griffith Park Blvd. and on Los Feliz Blvd after 7pm. We encourage attendees to consider carpooling, walking or biking to events if possible, and please be considerate of our Los Feliz neighbors when parking.

PRS EVENT POLICIES

• We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.
• Events are subject to change without notice, including guest speakers and/or performers.
• We encourage you to arrive at least 30 min. before the scheduled event start time to find parking, enjoy the Bookstore and take your seats.
• Please turn off all mobile devices before the show. Talking and texting are not allowed during the events.
• No filming, audio recording or mobile phone recording of events, screenings, concerts or other programs by audience members is allowed without permission.
• There is no smoking permitted on PRS grounds.
• We strongly encourage guests to wear masks to PRS events to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
• PRS allows Service Animals into the facility under ADA and state guidelines. For further details please visit www.ADA.gov. No animals permitted whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, under ADA guidelines and CA Health Code.
• Please do not bring outside food or drink into PRS events.
• Weapons are strictly prohibited at PRS events.

Host or Publisher The Philosophical Research Society