Dear Friends,
So much good news!
First, I've started booking in-person events again. I know, there's still a lot of uncertainty, but I've found what I think is a good balance between optimism and flexibility.
Surprisingly, my schedule is already starting to fill up, so if you're interested in bringing me to your community, start with the details below, or just reach out to me directly.
Second, I'm still offering Zoom classes. I didn't expect much when I first started teaching virtually, but after more than a year of it, I've been convinced of the power of on-line teaching, for its immediacy and for its reach. Again, find details below.
Third, I'm on social media. That might sound like a bad thing, but we'll see. It's an experiment for me. I'm investing considerable energy in meaningful conversations and in putting out serious content on Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter — you'll find previews of my new work, in-depth research, highlights of things I've done, and even photography. Yet again, details are below.
On a personal note, I'm grateful to say that I've weathered the COVID storm with relative equanimity, even as it has dragged on much longer than I anticipated. I'm still healthy, and still writing, researching, and enjoying the outdoors whenever I can.
At the same time, I miss interacting with communities. If you're so inclined, drop me a line.
I hope to see many of you very soon.
Joel
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It's widely reported that every serious problem has a solution that's simple, pithy, and wrong. I would add that you'll usually find it on social media.
I'm trying to combat that disturbing and even destructive trend. Instead of trite advice, I'm publishing some of the timeless life lessons I've found recorded from antiquity, along with the linguistics and translation for which I'm more well known. The posts range from serious to lighthearted, and recently have included things like:
And if you have questions or discussion topics, those are the places to bring them up.
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With cautious optimism, I've started scheduling in-person events for 2022 — both single lectures and scholar-in-residence weekends.
I'm continuing to operate under the same good-faith flexibility policy as always regarding cancellation and postponement: if we put something on the calendar and, for whatever reason, we no longer think it's a good idea, we'll talk about it and decide together what to do.
I've compiled lists of my most popular topics for:
(There's overlap between these topics, which make them ideal for interfaith and community events.)
If you're interested in putting something together, let me know.
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Even as I start traveling, I'm continuing to bring people together on Zoom, with topics that over the past two years I've found to be particularly well suited to virtual get-togethers:
"Rediscovering the Bible: Peeling back the translation mistakes that hide the Bible's original meaning." — The Bible doesn't say to love God "with all your heart and all your soul." That's a translation mistake, just one of many that continue to hide the original meaning of the Bible. Join me as we peel back the layers of mistranslation that continue to mask the cornerstone of our faith. [Jewish, Christian, and interfaith]
"Hidden Jewels of the Prayerbook: A curated journey through our sacred literature." — The prayerbook is the written record of the Jews' journey throughout time and across the globe. Explore some of its hidden jewels, from surprising details of well known passages to texts that are often skipped. You'll leave each class with a deeper appreciation for the richness and glory of tradition and with better insight into both familiar and new prayers. [Jewish]
"The Mystery and Majesty of the Dead Sea Scrolls: The almost unbelievable story behind the modern world's most intriguing historical discovery." — Since being unearthed last century, the Dead Sea Scrolls have captured the popular imagination and created more controversy and intrigue than any other ancient find. We'll talk about why, as we explore these fascinating ancient scrolls and the stunning story of their discovery. [Jewish, Christian, and interfaith]
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This travel spotlight comes from my last big trip before the pandemic, to Hong Kong. Little did I know when I was there that this tiny region would become a world focus, the final battleground of the Magna Carta, as I called it. I wrote about what I saw and why I think Hong Kong is uniquely interesting:
"The world's two most influential power centers once spanned 20 million square miles of land, but they overlap only in the 427 square miles that is Hong Kong."
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"[A] witty and accessible look at Scripture ... Hoffman has produced the best kind of popular scholarship."
- Publishers Weekly
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