Science and Judaism
Connectivity not Conflict
Philosophy of Science & Judaism
The relationship between science and Judaism is only a short walk across a foundational philosophical bridge. They both ask questions as foundational to their existence. They both strive to be more knowledgeable versus defining finite answers. They both beg us to explore, excavate, introspect, and seek. Finally, they both elicit a sense of awe! Hear a little more about my ideas from the Sacred Science episode when I was interviewed by Rabbi Geoff Mitelman. He is founder and director of Sinai and Synapses, of which I was a 2017-2019 fellow. We discuss my podcast that I co-lead with my other alumni fellow as well as my scientific background, building trust with community leaders, diversity, and so much more.
I, along with four other Sinai and Synapses former fellows, host a podcast in which we explore the strange and fascinating relationship between science and religion. The five of us were originally brought together by Sinai and Synapses, an interfaith, interdisciplinary fellowship seeking to elevate the discourse between science and religion. After our two year fellowship was completed, we wanted more! We had more questions, more topics, more loose threads to pull, more wormholes to explore.
The relationship between science and religion is sometimes generative and sometimes destructive, but it always requires a closer look to understand the committed people on either side of the aisle, and often in-between. In our podcast, we interview fellow scientists, clergy, writers, educators, activists, and artists that we have met along the way. We seek to have open and honest conversations that pinpoint questions many of us share.
Experiments with a Message: Bridging
Judaism & Science
Experiments with a Message is a 15-part curriculum designed for the Preschool classroom. The curriculum was created by me with guidance from Rabbi Shena Jaffee at the Mayerson JCC Early Childhood School. The curriculum can be a helpful tool to introduce science into the early childhood classroom while simultaneously finding an intersection between scientific concepts and Jewish values. Each page of the packet contains one science experiment activity. The activity instructions include a suggested introductory exercise (reading a book, hearing a song, etc.), supply list, step-by-step instructions for conducting the scientific experiment, and a short explanation of the scientific concept being explored and the corresponding Jewish value. The supplies needed are simple and accessible often found in your pantry or grocery store.
