Science Program Coming to Shearith Israel

Congregation Shearith Israel is one of 12 congregations in the nation selected for the second round of Sinai and Synapses’ Scientists in Synagogues program.

The grassroots project aims to help people explore the most pressing questions about Judaism and science through conversations involving rabbis and scientists.

The first round of Scientists in Synagogues reached more than 5,500 people across North America, and 95 percent of participants said they would recommend it to friends and family.

“We often say that the challenge is not to get Jews excited about science; it’s to get them excited about Judaism,” said Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman, the founding director of Sinai and Synapses. “Scientists in Synagogues uses science as an entry point in the Jewish community and asks the scientists to share their work and their passion in the context of a Jewish setting.”

Under the leadership of Rabbi Ari Kaiman, Shearith Israel was one of 55 applicants for the project’s second round, which will begin with a workshop at the end of June at Clal — The National Center for Learning and Leadership. Programming at Shearith will take place between July 2018 and December 2019.

The program is funded by the John Templeton Foundation and other donors and is run in consultation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion.