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For Sinai Scholars, a class but not a course
Published: Friday, September 21st, 2012
In some ways, it resembles a regular University course: Students meet weekly around a table to discuss readings and hand in a major paper at the end of the semester. But the $350 check students earn at the course’s ...(back to the article)
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I was in one of the inaugural Sinai Scholars classes back in '07-'08. Even for a hyper-stressed, pre-thesis senior, it was an extremely valuable experience and helped shaped my thinking about my religion and my world. Great to see some of the work Rabbi Webb does getting the recognition it deserves.
Participating in Sinai Scholars was probably one of the best decisions I made at Princeton. It introduced me to the wonderful community at Chabad that, by the end of my senior year, I considered not just my friends but the core of my Princeton family. The discussions led by Rabbi Webb were some of my favorites in any class at Princeton- thanks for giving some much-deserved publicity to this amazing and under-utilized opportunity!
Great article! I took Sinai Scholars when I was at Princeton. Though I've had Jewish schooling my whole life, Rabbi Webb's instruction and the different, thoughtful perspectives of my fellow students helped me see these topics in a whole new light. I'd recommend it for anyone interested in taking a deeper look at the core concepts of Judaism.
Sinai Scholars was an amazing experience. I came out of the class understanding Judaism at a whole new level. I was able to hear multiple different interpretations of the Torah and Talmud, and from here form my own opinions. I now feel empowered to explore Judaism and the parts that I feel most connected to even further.
I'm confused. Is this class available only to Jewish students?
Sinai Scholars was a complete breath of fresh air for me. Throughout my Hebrew School education, questions about contentious issues involving Judaism's relationship with science, sexuality, and politics in the modern world received vanilla answers that sacrificed honesty to avoid controversy. In Sinai Scholars discussions, however, Rabbi Webb never shied away from a topic and always expressed his true opinion about Judaism's position on a subject, no matter how "incompatible" with modern thought it might seem. He had an incredible amount of respect for had me and my fellow classmates: just as he was willing to challenge our core beliefs, he also allowed us to challenge his core beliefs in return. Participating in such an open forum gave me the courage to not temper my true beliefs for fear of offending someone. In fact, I discovered that through mutual respect and open-mindedness, moments when my beliefs conflict with those of others lead to the deepest insight into an issue.