IJV Online Chavurah's Book of Jonah Session 2023

This year Rosh Hashanah begins on the evening of Friday, September 15, and Yom Kippur on the evening of Sunday, September 24, 2023.

Traditionally, the Book of Jonah is read in the synagogue on the afternoon of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Why? The rabbis give a variety of reasons: Because the book reminds us of God's infinite mercy, because the people of Ninveh are a paradigm of repentance, because the book serves as a reminder that the entire world, and all of its natural forces, are in God's hands, and because as we read of Jonah being answered from the belly of the fish, we are reminded that we too can be saved.

This year IJV's Online Chavurah is pleased to offer not one but two Book of Jonah sessions in order to accommodate more time zones and different schedules:
IJV Online Chavurah's Book of Jonah sessions will take place on Tuesday the 19th of September at 1 pm and at 7:30 pm Eastern Time (To find out the time in your time zone, please visit 24 timezones

Everyone is welcome!

You must register in advance to join this session here.

We will read the first chapter of the Book of Jonah, focusing on the scene where Jonah is thrown overboard by the crew of a ship caught in a terrible storm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Online Programs

JeLiThIn’s Online Community Groups

Building community through text study and personal reflection

At our core, we humans are tribal. We like to belong to groups of individuals with similar views, thoughts and interests. There is comfort being among others who are like-minded.

We want to feel a sense of belonging.

As Jews whose ethical heritage does not permit us to be silent in the face of Israel’s violent oppression of the Palestinian people, we are often turned off by the tacit acceptance of this oppression granted through the deafening silence of the Jewish establishment.

Our politics come from a deeply spiritual place. But it is our politics, inextricably linked to our deepest values, that exclude us from Jewish institutions, often forcing us to choose between integrity and Jewish community.

This leaves us feeling frustrated and disappointed. We yearn for a sense of belonging, a community we can call home. We long to be able to talk with like-minded people. We feel isolated and rejected. We ask ourselves: How can we find a Jewish community without checking our politics and our values at the door?

What if we told you that there is a way to connect with like-minded Jews? Can you imagine what it would feel like to find a strong community of like-minded people?

It can be scary to reach out to a community because you want to be confident that you will be able to connect with people. But we want to invite you to take the next step towards finding community.

We are continuing our online text study groups to connect people who identify as Jewish and feel isolated because of their views about Palestine. Find out more about JeLiThIn’s Online Community Groups.

We are also running an online membership program to connect people who identify as Jewish and feel isolated because of their views about Palestine. Find out more about JeLiThIn's Parashat HaShavua Group.