LimmudVan '18

Already in the mishnah we learn that Jews gambled. The rabbis disapproved, but it hardly mattered. In 1939, sociologist Louis Rosenberg admitted that in Canada “gambling offences amongst Jews are more frequent than among the general population.” While officials would wring their hands in disapproval, counter-cultural figures would celebrate stories of Jewish high rollers. Together we will study the central rabbinic text on gambling. I will present some examples of Jewish gamblers and how they figure in narratives of Jewish life. We will discuss possible socio-cultural factors for the prominence of Jews in gambling, and the ethics of community-sponsored lotteries.