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March 24, 2022

A Set Table: Jewish Perspectives on Household Labor from the Talmud to Present

Sarah Zager

Sarah Zager

Sarah Zager received her PhD from Yale University in 2022, where her research focused on the influence of Judaism and Christianity on moral philosophy. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Sarah earned an MA in Religion from the University of Chicago Divinity School and a BA from Williams College. She was awarded the Leo Baeck Fellowship for the study of German Jewry, and was a David Hartman Center Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. She has also learned at Yeshivat Hadar. She has written for The LehrhausJewSchoolThe Journal of Jewish Ethics, and Nashim.

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In this class we’ll explore how a range of Jewish texts, from rabbinic to modern, understand the significance of household labor, including cooking, cleaning, and childcare. These activities are part of our daily lives, and Jewish texts give us a range of ways of understanding their religious significance. We’ll begin with an analysis of the relationship between Torah learning and household labor. Then, we’ll discuss how engaging in household labor, especially childcare, shapes who we are. Finally, we’ll consider the implications of performing someone else’s household labor or asking someone else to perform your own.

Session 1

Session 1 - 03/20/2022

Session 2

Session 2 - 03/27/2022

Session 3

Session 3 - 04/03/2022

Source – Session 1

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Source – Session 2

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Source – Session 3

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