The Talmud records that that certain foods prepared by non-Jews are not allowed to be eaten, even though the ingredients are kosher, due the risk of assimilation and intermarriage. Do these laws apply today/ This lecture will explore the evolution of these laws and their application in modern times where assimilation and intermarriage remain a serious concern.

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The distinction that halacha places between the manner in which a Jew is obligated to interact with other Jews and how he is obligated to interact with non-Jews in business dealings has been a point of contention throughout the centuries. Jew have been called upon to explain these distinctions and to resolve the ethical difficulties raised by these issues. In this lecture, we will explore two instances of this distinction; the rules of the lost object of a non-Jew and the law of a non-Jew's mistake in business. We will analyze the basic parameters of these laws and see how these ethical problems were addressed by traditional Jewish scholars throughout the ages.

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The attempt to reconcile Western morality and halakhah has become an important issue within the Jewish community. Is it possible that halakhah collides with general moral principles? This issue lays at the foundation of the question whether a Jew is allowed to violate Shabbat in order to save a Non-Jew. This lecture will explore both the halakhic and moral background of this issue and attempt to explain the relationship between halakhah and morality in this instance.

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The question of how the Jewish community deals with intermarried Jews is the most difficult problem facing the Jewish community today. This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. This will be discussed by comparing this question with the similar question whether a Shabbat violator can be counted toward a minyan.

The History of Jewish-Christian Dialogue Description: Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. In the medieval period this debate was initiated by the Christians and the Jews were left to defend their religious and their interpretations of the Torah. In 1965 the Catholic Church passed the document of Nostra Aetate which called for a reconsideration of the Church's relationship with the Jews. There were various opinions within the Jewish community how to respond to this new initiative.

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