How do you think? A Jewish & Scientific Exploration of Consciousness

Panelists: Rabbi Daniel Nevins and Michael S. A. Graziano, PhD

Judaism and neuroscience have much to say about consciousness. Join us as Princeton University professor Michael Graziano discusses his current research on the neurological basis of consciousness with Rabbi Daniel Nevins, Dean of the Jewish Theological Seminary Rabbinical School. Our panelists will explore how do we think? What does it mean to be conscious of ourselves, our emotions, our decisions, and our memories? How is it that we are aware of being alive, aware of other people, of our community, even of faith?

Rabbi Daniel Nevins is the Pearl Resnick Dean of the JTS Rabbinical School. He also serves as Dean of the Division of Religious Leadership, which includes the H.L. Miller Cantorial School, the Center for Pastoral Education, and the Block-Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts. A graduate of JTS and of Harvard College, where he studied Middle Eastern History, he worked for 13 years as Rabbi of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, MI. A scholar of contemporary Jewish law, Rabbi Nevins serves on The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, for which he has written responsa on topics of science, technology, bioethics, sexuality and disability. His writings can be found at www.rabbinevins.com. Rabbi Nevins lives in NYC with his family.

Michael S. A. Graziano, PhD is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Princeton University. He is an author—including
popular science articles for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post—as well as a composer, and sometimes a ventriloquist. His current research focuses on the brain basis of consciousness and how the social mechanisms in the brain may allow us to attribute the property of consciousness to ourselves and to others. His ventriloquist puppet
Kevin sometimes accompanies him in his scientific talks, to help
illustrate social perception. You can find links to his articles at www.princeton.edu/~graziano

This program is the fourth in a series, co-sponsored by Scientists in Synagogues, run by Sinai and Synapses in consultation with the AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion, and primarily funded by the John Templeton Foundation.

The program is open to the community. FREE for members, $10 for
community members. For more information please contact the TJC office
at (609) 921-0100 x200 or info@thejewishcenter.org.