Photos and quotes from Genesis participants expressing the knowledge they gained about American and Jewish law through the "Judaism and Justice" course.
Judaism and Justice
Genesis courses are hands-on seminar experiences for high school students like you. Together with your peers and our knowledgable faculty, we will create an enjoyable learning experience that is both challenging and enjoyable, without the pressure of tests or grades. The “Judaism and Justice” course explores the interplay of American law and Jewish law within a wider social and moral context.
Explore
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Delve into questions of what is legal, moral and just;
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Examine classic texts of Western philosophy, Bible and Talmud, constitutions and court cases from the U.S. and Israel, and more;
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Study Jewish and non-Jewish sources of law and ethics;
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Discuss how governments protect human rights or freedoms of religion, especially when they interfere with other societal principles;
- Identify practical ways that you can promote justice or tikkun olam (repairing the world);
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Understand the relationship between halacha (Jewish law) and secular law in our communities.
Encounter
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Conduct timely analysis and discussion of breaking legal news;
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Debate pertinent and highly charged legal and social issues;
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Spend a day at the Federal courthouse in downtown Boston and observe a magistrate judge working with convicts on probation, glimpsing a real-world application to justice beyond our theories of fairness and punishment;
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Meet with law students and lawyers of the Harvard Legal Clinic to discuss dilemmas they face in deciding which clients to represent and how they deal with clients who persistently reject their advice.
Engage
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Argue a case downtown at the Boston Federal Courthouse in front of a federal judge;
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Research and present a case before an medical-ethics panel at a Jewish hospital;
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Get hands-on practice in oral and written advocacy;
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Research Constitutional cases at the state law library, including First Amendment cases about Christmas trees and menorahs, Ten Commandments monuments on public property, and others;
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Discover your own responses to cases, develop your internal sense of right and wrong, in view of your national and Jewish perspectives.
* Note that courses change year to year and not all of these highlights may happen this summer