Explore human consciousness through Genesis, blending Chassidic wisdom, mysticism, philosophy, and AI for fresh insights into Torah stories.
ONLINE
Thursdays, 12:00-1:30pm (ET), February 13 -March 20, 2025
What does it really mean to be conscious? Explore the intersection of the Hebrew Bible, human consciousness, and AI, drawing on Midrashic, Kabbalistic, and Chassidic thought!
Course Description:
This course explores profound insights into human consciousness as revealed through the stories in the Book of Genesis. Drawing on Chassidic and mystical traditions, contemporary theories of mind, and perspectives from artificial intelligence, the course weaves together diverse approaches to offer fresh interpretations of familiar Torah narratives.
THURSDAYS, 12:00 - 1:30pm (ET)
Dr. Marina Zilbergerts is an author and scholar of Jewish literature and thought. From 2016 to 2022, she served as Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of The Yeshiva and the Rise of Modern Hebrew Literature (Indiana University Press, 2022) and the poetry collection You Were Adam (Wipf and Stock, 2022). Dr. Zilbergerts lectures widely on Torah and Jewish thought and regularly contributes to both scholarly and public intellectual platforms. With an undergraduate background in the sciences and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Stanford University, her work bridges the sciences, humanities, and philosophy. Her current book project, Consciousness and the Bible in the Age of AI, reflects her interdisciplinary approach to Jewish texts.
