Meet a Historic Matriarch
The Power Dynamics of Queen Helene
Wed / May 5 / 12:00 pm
Dr. Marjorie Lehman and Rabbi Savenor
Zoom
Through an examination of Talmudic sources on Queen Helene’s patronage of the Jerusalem Temple, we will explore a complex power dynamic with her at the center. We will think together about whether her donations of glorious objects to the Temple signify a desire to assert her own power and status or the need to buy into the rabbinic and priestly patriarchies. What can we learn from Helene about power and the way it affects our relationships in the workplace, our institutions, and our homes?
Dr. Marjorie Lehman is Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Her most recent book, Bringing the Down the Temple House: Engendering Tractate Yoma will be published by Brandeis University Press this year. She has served as a fellow at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies (University of Pennsylvania) and at the Frankel Center for Jewish Studies (University of Michigan). She serves on the academic advisory boards of the Center for Jewish History, the Frankel Center for Jewish Studies, and the Ramaz School.