A Brief History of Bible by the Bay
Bible by the Bay is the brain-child of Rachel Biale, who staged the first BBB at the Osher Marin JCC in 2003 thanks to the generous support of Eda and Joe Pell. 95 people attended this first program, and it's only gone up from there. In 2004 Rachel joined forces with Lehrhaus Judaica to grow Bible by the Bay, with the intent of bringing the event to every part of the Bay Area. 220 joined us for the 2004 program in Berkeley. Again through the generosity of the Pells, as well as Richard and Rhoda Goldman and support from the San Francisco Jewish Community Federation and the Koret Foundation, Rachel and Lehrhaus were able to greatly increase the scope and reach of the event, bringing 450 to the JCCSF in 2005.
Since then there have been many more Bible by the Bay programs, from Palo Alto to Santa Rosa. BBB has become a Bay Area institution, the number one Biblical studies learning opportunity in northern California. And this year, you can choose from two locations, each with unique programs and speakers: Santa Rosa and San Francisco. Better yet, try them all!
Previous Events and Speakers
2004
Location: Lehrhaus Judaica, Berkeley
Speaker: Jonathon Kirsch
Topic: God Against the Gods: The Double-Edged Legacy of Biblical Monotheism
2005
Location: JCCSF, San Francisco
Speaker:: Richard Elliott Friedman
Topic: Israel and the Bible: Then and Now
2006
Location: JCCSF, San Francisco
Speaker: Bruce Feiler
Topic: Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths
Location: Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto
Speaker: Robert Alter
Topic: The David Story and the Beginnings of Historical Fiction
2007
Location: Osher Marin JCC, Marin
Speaker: Professor Susannah Heschel
Topic: The Uses and Misuses of the Bible: Race, Religion and Gender
2008
Location: JCCSF, San Francisco
Speaker: Judith Plaskow
Topic: Texts We Love to Hate: Reading the bible in the 21st Century
Location: Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto
Speaker: Ziony Zevit
Topic: Were We Slaves in Egypt? Was there an Exodus? A Conquest of Canaan? – Biblical Archaeology and Common Sense
Location: Congregation Shomrei Torah, Santa Rosa
Speaker: Professor Rachel Adler
Topic: Love, Loyalty, and Loathing: Biblical Unions through the Lens of Gender
2009
Location: JCCSF, San Francisco
Speaker: Nathan Englander