30/04/2026 –, (EG) Meiningen Idioma: English
What did ancient Israelites actually believe about the afterlife—and when did “Hell” enter the picture? This session traces the evolution from biblical Sheol and burial traditions to the later idea of Gehenna, exploring how changing concepts of the afterlife helped answer one of Judaism’s most enduring questions: where is justice when life seems unfair?
Judaism is often assumed (mostly because of dominant Christian culture) to have a clear concept of Heaven and Hell—but the biblical reality is far more complex. In the Hebrew Bible, the dead descend to Sheol, a shadowy, undifferentiated realm, closely tied to burial practices and ancestral identity. Terms like Bor and Abaddon deepen this imagery, but they do not yet suggest moral reward or punishment.
So when—and why—does that change?
In this session, we will trace the development of Jewish afterlife thought from the First Temple period through the emergence of Gehenna, a concept shaped by historical memory, ritual practice, and theological need. We will explore how the Valley of Hinnom, with its associations of fire and sacrifice, became reimagined as a post-mortem space of purification or punishment—and how this shift intersects with broader currents of dualism and evolving responses to the problem of theodicy.
Along the way, we will ask not only how these ideas developed, but what they were trying to solve—and what they might still offer us today.
Rabbi Paul Moses Strasko spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about things Jews are not supposed to be certain about—like the afterlife, Hell, and occasionally theology itself.
Proudly ordained at the Abraham Geiger Kolleg, he has served communities across Germany, the UK, Switzerland, and the United States, and has a long-standing habit of turning complicated ideas into slightly dangerous shiurim.
He also writes novels, teaches widely, and firmly believes that if a topic makes people a little uncomfortable, it is probably worth studying.