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Pinchas 5785: Seeing Them Anew

What if Moshe couldn’t see that the people had already grown up?

In this episode, Parshat Pinchas takes center stage as Zvi Hirschfield and Aviva Lauer delve into the powerful juxtaposition of two pivotal moments in Bamidbar 27: the bold legal claim of the daughters of Tzlofchad and the appointment of Yehoshua as Moshe’s successor. They explore rabbinic expansions from Avot de-Rabbi Natan, the challenge of seeing people as they are today—not as they were—and the evolving nature of Torah leadership and inheritance. Their discussion raises timely questions about authority, growth, and meeting learners where they truly are.

Featuring
Zvi Hirschfield – Pardes Faculty and Host of Pardes from Jerusalem
Aviva Lauer – Director, Pardes Center for Jewish Educators

Aviva Lauer

Aviva Lauer is the Chief Education and Educational Training Officer at Pardes. Originally from Silver Spring, MD, she has lived in Israel for over 30 years. Aviva holds a Masters in Jewish Studies, with a specialization in Midrash, from Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies.

Aviva has decades of experience in curriculum development, classroom teaching, school administration and educational consulting. She served as the head of the department of Jewish Studies at Immanuel College, London, preceding her joining Pardes in 2009. Aviva is an avid Anglophile, and also speaks elementary Arabic and Yiddish.