New Intro to Judaism classes!

A Sefer Torah, the traditional form of the Heb...

This past Wednesday evening, Jan 11, we had our first class meeting for “Torah, Memory & History” in Oakland.  There were familiar faces, and new faces, and I’m looking forward to exploring Torah and history with you! Class members should have received by now a copy of the class syllabus and other “welcome” materials by email — if you have not received your copies, please let me know!

This coming Tuesday, Jan 17 a new class, “Jewish Texts” will start up at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael.  We’ll be talking about the texts that shape and inform Jewish life:  Torah, Tanakh, Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud, Codes, and Responsa.  It’s going to be an exciting four weeks!

It’s not too late to join either class.  For registration information about the classes, and information about upcoming classes, visit the Introduction to Judaism page in the Lehrhaus Judaica catalog.

Torah, Memory & History Class Starting Jan 11!

Jan 11 we will start a new portion of the Intro course, “Torah, Memory, & History.”  We’ll be looking at Jewish texts (Torah, Tanakh, Midrash, Mishnah, Gemara, Talmud, etc) in the context of history.  It’s going to be fun:  lots of great stories!

Newcomers are welcome to the class — the fall section is NOT a prerequisite!   To register for the class, just go to its page on the Lehrhaus Judaica website.  Partial scholarships are available for those with need — call the Lehrhaus office for more information.

To see the class schedule, click on “East Bay” at the top of this blog.  This class is co-sponsored by Congregation Beth El of Berkeley and Temple Sinai in Oakland.  It’s part of the Introduction to the Jewish Experience Series.

Goodbye — and Hello in January!

English: Photo of Rabbi Toby Manewith, spiritu...

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We finished up the last session of “God and Lifecycle” with a look at the Jewish Calendar.  There’s lots more to learn, of course, but we were out of time.  Thank you for a great eight sessions!

In January, we’ll return with “Torah, History, and Memory” and I look forward to exploring Judaism’s history and texts with you.  What makes a Jewish Bible Jewish?  What’s TaNaKh?  What are midrash, mishneh, and gemorah?  What’s Talmud, and why is it such a big deal?  Where have we been as a people?  What does history have to say?  We’re going to look at all of that and more.

If you’ve come to this site because you are considering taking the class, there’s something important you should know:  YOU DO NOT NEED ANY PRIOR JEWISH KNOWLEDGE TO TAKE THE COURSE. Join us in January, and you will be just fine.  This “three part series” can be taken in any order at all.

If you want to know about books for the course, click on Readings at the top of your screen (or that link) and it will take you to a page about that.  If you have any other questions, write to me using the form at the bottom of this page.

In the meantime, I wish you all a Chanukah of love and light: may all the holidays with your families be filled with peace and joy.

Chanukah sameach (Happy Chanukah!)

– Rabbi Adar

East Bay: Learning the Service

I’m very excited about this coming week:  we are going to learn about the service and the siddur [prayerbook].  My goals are to make the service itself less confusing and to start you in the process of finding your own path with Jewish prayer.

We’ll start with a basic introduction to the service on Wednesday night.  I’m bringing a handout that I call a “map” of the service that I hope will be helpful.  There will be plenty of time for questions.  Then, Friday night, we are meeting at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley to attend the Erev Shabbat service at 6:30, followed by a potluck supper for our class.  At the supper, we can talk about the service we just attended and think about it together.

As always, I look forward to learning with you!

– Rabbi Adar

Marin: Welcome & Shabbat

Shabbos (shabbat) table at my house, a few min...

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It was such a pleasure to meet the students in the Introduction to Jewish Life class last night!  We heard each other’s stories, and after break, learned a little bit about Shabbat.

We’re a very nicely mixed class, with some members born Jewish and looking to begin their adult Jewish education, some individuals considering conversion, and some friends of the community, looking to acquire some “Jewish fluency.”  Having such a good mix of students means that we’ll have good questions and lively discussions!

I often begin “Intro” classes with a discussion of Shabbat, because it is the most important Jewish holiday.  It is a one day a week when it is more important to be than to do, when we stop to consider and to rest.  Ahad Ha’am, a 19th century Jewish philosopher, wrote that “More than Israel has kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept Israel.”

Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown, and it continues until sundown on Saturday.  Traditionally it is kept by refraining from all kinds of work.  A whole body of traditional Jewish law grew up around Sabbath keeping, but for this class, I would just like for you to focus on the idea of being, rather than doing.  How would you like to be?  How would you like your household to be?  Then for Shabbat, give yourself and your household a taste of that.

Shabbat services in synagogue can help us reflect on our lives.  Talking with and listening to family and loved ones can be a real eye-opener.  Turning off the electronics (!) can be transformative.  Spending time in nature, making love, taking a nap — all of those are appropriate activities for Shabbat.  Shopping, running errands, working:  those we can do on ordinary days.

Now, not all of us can keep Shabbat for 25 hours.

The greeting for Shabbat is Shabbat Shalom:  ”Sabbath of Peace.”  That is my wish for each of you.

– Rabbi Adar

Tuesday night: Meet me in Marin Co!

Replica of the Temple menorah, made by The Tem...

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Tuesday, October 18, Introduction to Jewish Life, a shorter version of Intro to the Jewish Experience, will meet for the first time at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael, CA.  Class will meet from 7:15pm until 8:45pm.  The new series has three parts of four sessions each, and they can be taken independently.  Part 1 is “Jewish Time,” and we will take a look at the cycles that measure time for Jews:  the weekly cycle, the annual cycle of holidays, and the cycle of Jewish life celebrations.

We have just enough students for the class to meet, but we’ve room for more!  Walk-ins are welcome if you’d like to attend one class for a “taste,” or you can enroll via the Lehrhaus Judaica online catalog.  The class is suitable for anyone who wants some basic information about Jewish life:  Jews who didn’t get a Jewish education as children, someone who loves a Jew, anyone curious about Judaism.

Now Serving Marin, Santa Clara, and Alameda Counties!

Judaism

Image by Jrwooley6 via Flickr

I am so excited about this fall:  Introduction to the Jewish Experience has three new classes starting after the High Holy Days!  For detailed information and registration, just go to the Lehrhaus Judaica Online Catalog, where all the choices are on view.

This fall is going to be different, and this website is in the midst of a major overhaul, because I am going to be teaching at three sites starting in October:  in Oakland, San Rafael, and Palo Alto!  So if you have been watching this class website from Marin County or the South Peninsula  and thinking that Oakland is a long way and a lot of bridges, your time has come.

For now, you can check out the catalog for class details.  EVERYTHING on this website is under construction for a bit, but I hope to have the shiny new setup ready soon!

L’shalom,

Rabbi Adar

Thank you!

Summer

Image by ₪ Rando0om Girl ₪ QTR via Flickr

Thank you for a great term of Intro to the Jewish Experience!  We are in hiatus for the summer months.

Watch this space, and the Lehrhaus Judaica catalog, for news regarding Intro in the fall:  big plans are afoot!  The East Bay class will resume in October at Temple Sinai in Oakland, CA on Wednesday nights.  We hope to offer other locations as well.

Have a wonderful summer!

– Rabbi Adar

Who is a Jew?

question mark

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Last week we met with Dr. Jehon Grist, the executive director of Lehrhaus Judaica, who covered the history of the land of Israel in 90 minutes, an amazing feat in itself.

This Wednesday we’re going to be talking about another question that generates a lot of heat:  Who is a Jew?  And how do we get that way?  According to whom?  And (last but not least) why does it matter?

Bring your questions and concerns!  If you are wondering about it, probably half the class is wondering about it.  So ask!

– Rabbi Adar

Jews and Food

Kosher food

Image by drhenkenstein via Flickr

Food is an important part of Jewish life and culture, and our class period allowed us only to scratch the surface.  “Jewish Food” is a huge category:  it’s what Jews eat, be it kosher or un-kosher, holiday brisket or the lowly bagel.

We talked a bit about the various reasons Jews have distinctive food traditions, including the laws of kashrut:

  • The traditional understanding:  The laws of Kashrut are mitzvot (commandments) from God in the Torah.
  • The anthropological understanding: We began as a tribal people, and kashrut is a way to distinguish the group from outsiders.
  • Kashrut and food traditions are a statement about the sanctity of life.  Taking the life of another creature in order to live is serious business.
  • It’s a form of self-discipline.
  • It’s a mindfulness practice.
  • Some have suggested that it represents a healthier way of eating.
  • It discourages assimilation.
  • We do it because our ancestors did it:  Tradition!

There are lots of different reasons for it, but what we know is that it is a practice with ancient roots.  One in six American Jews practice some form of kashrut.

There are many different forms that Jewish dietary practice can take:

  • Some Jews practice traditional kashrut.
  • Some Jews practice a modified food practice, eating no forbidden animals.
  • Some Jews only observe some food laws during Passover.
  • Some Jews don’t keep kosher but enjoy eating “kosher-style” food as a cultural expression.  Saul’s Deli is a kosher-style deli.
  • Some Jews are very interested in Eco-Kashrut, which is concerned about the ecological impact of our food choices.
  • In recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the broader topic of Ethical Kashrut, which is concerned not only with ecology, but also with the treatment of animals and with labor practices.

Click this link for a basic primer on Kashrut.  If you are interested in learning more about keeping kosher, you may want to take a class on the subject.  Let me know and I will help you find one.

For the Biblical roots of kashrut, read Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14: 12-21.

To buy kosher food locally, you can visit Oakland Kosher Foods, and Grand Bakery.  Some supermarkets have a kosher section, and Trader Joe’s sometimes has kosher chicken for sale.  Kosher restaurants include Amba, and Holy Land Kosher Food.  For a complete listing of food sources (groceries, bakeries, restaurants, caterers, etc) in the East Bay, check out the restaurant list on the Congregation Beth Jacob website.

If you have a Jewish recipe (kosher or not!) to share with the class, please send it to my email address by Saturday night at the latest.  I will compile a file of recipes for the whole class and email it. If you would like to recommend a particular cookbook, I’ll include that in a list at the end.

Also, please watch your email for an invitation to the class’s Google Group.

Next week:  We will learn about Passover!

– Rabbi Adar

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