Religion's role in solving societal problems is topic of weekend symposium

The Center for Jewish Living is holding a Distinguished Scholars' Sabbath Symposium Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The topic, "Religion's Role in Addressing the Enduring Challenges Facing Society Today," looks at contemporary environmental and societal threats and ties them to biblical themes of shared responsibility for the world's future.

The topic echoes a central theme in Cornell President Jeffrey Lehman's inaugural address, in which he called for "engaging the fundamental questions about our future" and contributing "to the betterment of our world," said the symposium's organizers.

The events take place at the center's headquarters, 106 West Ave., and the adjacent Kosher Dining Hall, just west of central campus, and are free and open to the public.

Friday, Oct. 31, at 9 p.m., Benny Kraut, professor of history at Queens College and director of the college's Center for Jewish Studies, will speak on "Yavneh in America: An Orthodox Judaism That Might Have Been." His talk will be in the Piano Room of the Center for Jewish Living.

On Saturday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 5:45 p.m., in the Kosher Dining Hall adjacent to the center, there will be talks by four scholars. The speakers, their affiliations and topics are as follows: Rywke Shulman, lecturer, the Bible and biblical prophets, Stern College for Women, "Understanding the Babel of the Tower of Babel"; Rabbi Nisson Shulman, former head of Department of Medical Ethics, Office of Great Britain's Chief Rabbi, "Genetics, Food and Industry: If you eat a tomato with human genes, are you a cannibal?"; Rabbi Jonathan Helfand, professor, modern Jewish history, Brooklyn College, and writer on ecology and the Jewish tradition, "The Earth is the Lord's: Judaism and Environmental Ethics"; and John O'Brien, professor of ancient and medieval history, Queens College, "The Anatomy of Persecution: Roman Perceptions of Christians and Christian Perceptions of Jews."

Refreshments will be served in the Center for Jewish Living at 8:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, and at 12:15 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, preceding both events and following Jewish Shabbat services, which are in Anabel Taylor Hall.

The Center for Jewish Living is a student group and residence affiliated with Cornell Hillel. The symposium is one of several on topical subjects sponsored by the center in recent years, including one in 1998 on civil rights and liberties and preserving the constitution and past guest talks by Leonard Garment, Lucy Dawidowicz,Yael Dayan and others.