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In this session, Magid will look at a few of the texts of Aaron Shmuel Tamares (1869-1931), an enigmatic ultra-Orthodox rabbi from Belarus who developed a theory of pacifism over the course of the first Russian revolution, the Young Turk revolt, and the Great War. Tamares’s theory was founded on the principle that nationalism was a recipe for perpetual violence and destruction. Reading his pacifist theory back through the two failed Jewish commonwealths in antiquity, Tamares offers a fascinating traditional Jewish notion of peacemaking, which rejects the nationalist frame and proposes “exile” as a moral positionality whereby collectives can thrive by viewing themselves as partners in creation, without the force of redemptive politics. Magid will engage with this particular Jewish notion of peacemaking and help us decipher its potential for our day. Speaker: Shaul Magid, Visiting Professor of Modern Jewish Studies Moderator: Diane L. Moore, Associate Dean for Religion and Public Life This is the first event of a five-part series of online public conversations with members of the HDS faculty to explore what an expansive understanding of religion can provide to the work of just peacebuilding. Sponsored by Religion and Public Life and by HarvardX. This session is also co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Studies. For more information, visit the series webpage: https://rpl.hds.harvard.edu/news/religion-and-just-peace