Dr. Michelle Friedman will present the second installment of the Monday Night Lecture Series. Until recently, Jewish identity and affiliation was dictated by the outside world. Now, with the wane of former mobilizers of identity and the rise of the internet, religious choice has become more personal and individual. How do we understand why some Jews distance themselves from tradition while others come in closer? What motivates people not born Jews to choose to enter altogether?

Dr. Friedman will explore how people make the choice to embrace and/or remain committed to community, ritual, and faith -- and the impact of psychological, sociological, and economic considerations on our religious commitments while living in an overwhelmingly secular society.

Pizza and beer will be served! RSVP by February 5 so we know how much to purchase.

Dr. Michelle Friedman is Director of Pastoral Counseling at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School. A psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, she is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Hospital and in private practice in    Manhattan. Most recently, Dr. Friedman was invited to serve on the Beth Din of America’s Board of Directors.