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Courses September Classes Methodology: The Garden of Eden Monday, September 13, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Trees and Teshuvah Tuesday, September 14, 9:45 to 11 a.m. Introduction to the Garden of Eden Wednesday, September 15, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Year long courses The Garden of Eden: Adam and Chava, Kayin and Hevel Tuesdays evening, October 5 – May 24, 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday mornings, October 6 – May 25, 9:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Prophets: Yoel, Ovadiah, Yonah and Michah A text-centered journey into Trei Asar, the Bible’s often-overlooked collection of twelve prophets. While relatively brief, each packs an important educational punch. We will pay close attention to the structure, content, style, historical context and unique message of each book and examine its relationship to other books of the Bible. This course is open to students of all levels and backgrounds offering something for everyone. Join us for one session or all four. Yoel predicts Divine punishment as well as redemption and educates the Jewish nation in paths of repentance and prayer. Ovadiah, a convert from the religion practiced in Edom, lived at the time of Eliyahu and his disciple Elisha and was chosen to deliver the message of Edom’s doom. Yonah, one of the most well-known of the minor prophets, is sent by G-d to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh, but tries to escape the divine mission. This is the haftarah for the afternoon of Yom Kippur due to its telling of G-d’s willingness to forgive those who repent. Michah, who is often compared to Hosheia, calls the nation of Judah back to G-d. Talmud: Bava Kama We will study the second chapter of the tractate Bava Kama and explore various forms of damage, liabilities and the compensation owed for them, conditions in contracts and guarding property. This course will teach Talmudic structure and terminology and is designed to enhance skills in reading Mishna and Gemara. The course presumes a certain facility with Hebrew text, but does not require it. One can follow the arguments by listening carefully. Sundays, October 10 - May 29, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. NEW THIS YEAR! Bat Mitzvah and Beyond Learning Let your bat mitzvah be just the beginning. Girls in grades 7 and 8 are invited to join their friends and unlock the treasure that is Torah learning. Discover a true Jewish heroine, Esther, who was more than just a pretty face. Together with your friends, delve into the text of Megillat Esther with commentators and midrash and form the unique bounds forged through Torah study.
Mini Courses The Yearning for Inner Heart: Inner Torah The 11th century classic Chovos HaLevavos (Duties of the Heart), by Bachya Ibn Pakuda, highlighted the need to cultivate an inner spiritual consciousness and relationship with G-d This class will explore selected passages from this work as well as other texts from Chassidic and Mussar sources dealing with this dimension of developing our souls. Thursdays, October 14 - November 4, 9:45 to 11 a.m. The Warsaw Ghetto Rebbe’s Sermons from the Fire In a sustained act of supreme resistance, the Hasidic master, Kalonymous Kalman Shapira (1889-1943), the Piaseczner Rebbe, more popularly known as the Warsaw Ghetto Rebbe, vigorously maintained his role as Rebbe to his followers even in the face of unimaginable pain and loss. His collection of sermons, The Holy Fire (Esh Kodesh), delivered in the Warsaw ghetto between the fall of 1939 and the deportations of the summer of 1942, transcribed, buried, and then fortuitously retrieved after World War II, is a rare and vital testament to both console his followers and wrest spiritual meaning out of evil of such magnitude as to defy all theological reason. These sermons are profoundly unique in the entire body of Holocaust literature in their desperate attempt to come to grips with the challenges posed to divine justice and providence by the mind-numbing barbarism and suffering of the Shoah. Wednesdays, October 13 - November 3, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. The Binding of Isaac: A Family Drama In this three-part course, we will analyze the story of the binding of Isaac from the perspective of three of its protagonists: Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah. We will begin with the biblical text (Genesis 22) and then explore interpretations of the story found in literature from the Second Temple and rabbinic periods as well as medieval and modern texts. In each session, we will focus on a different central character and the themes that emerge when the binding of Isaac is read through his or her eyes. What did it mean for Abraham willingly to bind his son to the altar? Did Isaac know and accept his fate? What role did Sarah play? Each ancient and modern interpretation offers us a different and compelling way to understand this perplexing and disturbing tale. Wednesdays, November 10 - 24, 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.
To join ongoing classes call 416-877-2050 |
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