Beginning Wednesday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m., Rabbi Yaakov Kotlarsky of the Chabad Jewish Center in Arlington Heights will offer a fascinating course on personal ethics in light of Jewish civil law. Beyond Right, a groundbreaking new six-session course from the acclaimed Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI), explores ethical issues big and small.

Can you use someone else’s property if you’re sure they won’t mind? Should we forgive and accept a repentant anti-Semitic executioner? If your neighbor is blocking your sunlight with a two-story fence, do you have any legal recourse? Do you have a legal obligation to report someone’s intentions to commit a violent crime?

“Many people are surprised to discover the attention that Jewish law gives to disputes between neighbors, ethical dilemmas regarding the workplace, and the maintenance of a peaceful and moral society,” Rabbi Kotlarsky said. “They assume that Jewish law is primarily about religious practice.”

The course, approved for continuing legal education in Illinois, will explore six core Jewish values ​​that underpin the practical application of Jewish civil law, translating abstract principles into detailed guidance on common real-life scenarios.

“JLI’s Beyond Right course explores fundamental topics that are of vital importance to any just society in light of the profound teachings of the Jewish legal tradition,” said Professor David Flatto of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Faculty by right. “It highlights the core values ​​and commitments that are at stake in addressing these issues. I commend JLI for developing this rich and illuminating course.”

Informative, practical and insightful, Beyond Right is sure to generate an appreciation of Jewish law as a distinctive Jewish system that can be used as a source of guidance and clarity when faced with professional or personal dilemmas.

Martin Pritikin, Dean of Concord Law School at Purdue University, praised Beyond Right as a course that “helps shed light on what it means to be a nation under the rule of law, and in fact, what it means to be human. “

Beyond Right is approved in Illinois for legal professionals looking to fulfill their CLE requirements. The course is designed for people of all skill levels, including those with no background or previous experience in learning Judaism. All JLI courses are open to the public and participants do not need to be affiliated.

The course will be offered in person as well as on Zoom.

Interested students can call (224) 357-7002 or visit www.ChabadAH.org/jli for registration and other course information.