Taube Family Foundation

Dedicated to the principles of a democratic society, including open economic enterprise, self-reliance, freedom of inquiry, and limited government, Taube Philanthropies works to ensure that free citizens will have full opportunity for advancement of their goals and dreams. Taube Philanthropies supports programs in the San Francisco Bay Area, Poland, and Israel. Areas of concentration include education and scholarship, Jewish cultural renewal and heritage preservation, institution and community building, and public policy initiatives oriented to preserve American principles.

Through a generous gift to GTUx, the Taube Family Foundation has funded the creation of a content series focused on Jewish life and culture, developed in collaboration with faculty at the GTU’s Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies. The collection will continue to grow as additional content for the series is developed over the coming years. Read more about this gift here.

Through the generous support of the Taube Family Foundation, GTUx is proud to present the Jewish Life and Culture Collection, a thought-provoking compilation of insights and perspectives curated in partnership with the Graduate Theological Union’s Richard S. Dinner Center for Jewish Studies. This collection explores the vibrant and dynamic ways Jewish life and culture flourish in today’s world. 

Read more in this introductory blog post.

In this fascinating talk with Rabbi Stephen S. Pearce, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, and Fred Rosenbaum, GTU lecturer and author of Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of Jews in the Bay Area, viewers are invited to take a walk through the history and contributions of Jewish life and culture in the Bay Area as it has evolved for nearly two centuries.

Presenters include leading scholars and theologians in Jewish Studies”

Mara Benjamin explores how ancient text and ritual can work in tandem with evolving environmental concerns and become responsive to the reality of living in a world of climate change and environmental degradation.

Joy Ladin reimagines the divine and human binary relationship from a trans and feminist perspective to offer a more intimate understanding of God.

Ariel Mayse awakens ancient text to refine the understanding of Jewish law to reflect contemporary moral and ethical values.