Another term of Intro to the Jewish Experience is finished – what a pleasure it was, learning with you! For those who are continuing (or who are thinking of joining us in the fall) we’ll begin again in October, still on Wednesday nights, at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, CA. I’ll post more specific information [...]
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This week we are going to look at the vast diversity of Jews in the Jewish world.
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Tonight we begin a new class at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael, CA: Jewish Journeys, Jewish Stories. I’m particularly excited about this class because it is an experiment in teaching Jewish Peoplehood using the Passover Haggadah as a text.
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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?
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I’m very excited about this coming week in Intro: 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.
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I suggest you try taking on one Shabbat observance at a time. Light candles and have a Shabbat dinner: see what that’s like. Take the day off: see what that’s like. Turn off the smartphone: see what you see when you are not looking at the little screen. Bringing Shabbat into your life is a process.
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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. 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.
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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 [...]
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