With Rabbinic Intern Sarah Pollack. Together, we will examine the complex relationship between Jewish communities and secular government through the lens of political transitions, using the U.S. presidential inauguration as a springboard to explore classical Jewish texts and contemporary questions. Through studying Talmudic discussions about the Roman government, we'll grapple with fundamental questions about how Jewish communities navigate periods of feeling more and less represented in corridors of power, examining the tensions between participation in and separation from state institutions. We'll take a look at the tradition of the Prayer for the Government recited in synagogues, and think about what it has meant at various points in history, considering what it means to pray for governmental leadership while maintaining religious autonomy.