Around the Calendar with Drisha
Over the years, Drisha has offered Torah classes on the many observances that mark out the timeline of the Jewish yearly cycle. Around the Calendar brings you all our holiday- and observance-focused classes, from our back catalog of recordings and continuing through our contemporary shiurim and lectures.
Episodes

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
Every generation of Jews must see themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt and God took them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. While it may be comforting to think that Egypt is long gone and Pharaohs are a thing of the past, we would be foolish to believe this. The Exodus from Egypt retains such great power in the Jewish imagination because its themes constantly make their presence known in the world and in our lives. These classes will seek to explore its key themes through a close reading of the Biblical narrative and by drawing on midrash and traditional commentators alongside modern thinkers such as Sigmund Freud, Walter Benjamin, and Franz Rosenzweig.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
If Purim celebrates a historical moment of salvation and redemption, why don’t we recite Hallel (a sequence of Psalms recited during most holidays) during it? Answering this question requires investigating the very nature of this rather unique holiday itself. In preparation for this year’s celebration of Purim, join Dr. Shana Strauch Schick, R. Joe Wolfson, and Dr. Jon Kelsen for a roundtable conversation about the absence of hallel and the broader meaning of Purim.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
In honor of Eid al Banat (women’s celebration on Rosh Hodesh Tevet/Hannukah), we will explore the incredible life and work of Farha Sassoon, an Iraqi philanthropist known for her scholarship and piety.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
In this shiur, we will utilize halachic sources together with a teaching of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Alter, the Sefas Emes, to explore the unique nature of the obligation to recite full Hallel on Hanukkah.

Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
In this session, we’ll examine some surprising features of Maimonides‘ masterful Laws of Hanukkah, paying especially close attention to its structure and his description of the miracle which stands at the center of the holiday.