WEST HARTFORD – Chabad of Greater Hartford will host a six-session course that explores 2,000 years of Jewish history through the lens of six epic debates that rocked the Jewish world and still resound today. A program of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) “Great Debates in Jewish History” will begin Monday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m., at Chabad.

Among the questions to be raised: Why were the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls opposed to rabbinic interpretation? What motivated the rebels at Masada? 
What role does nationalism play in Judaism? Are faith and reason mutually exclusive? What motivated the anti-Maimonideans in banning – and even burning – some of Maimonides’s works? And more.

“Our goal is to invite participants to seek out the rationale behind both sides of each debate – even sides they may disagree with,” says Rabbi Shaya Gopin, who will lead the course. “In doing so, we hope to unite the community around the very issues that have divided us for so long,”

“Great Debates” is designed for people at all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning.

For information or to register, call (860) 232-1116 or visit www.ChabadHartford.com/Course. Those interested may audit the first session for free. Chabad of Greater Hartford is located at 2352 Albany Ave. in West Hartford. Fee for the series is $99.