Jewish Studies & Hebrew Classes
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR 2011-2012 CLASSES
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD OUR COURSE CATALOG AND PAPER REGISTRATION FORM
Below you will find our Sunday morning course offerings for the 2011-2012 academic year.
Jewish Studies Courses
Exploring Judaism
Embodied Judaism: Mikvah, Tefillin, Tefillah with Rabbi Nicki Greninger - CANCELLED
The Poetry of Prayer or Please Don’t Be So Literal! with Rabbi Judy Shanks
Judaism’s Sacred Trilogy with Rabbi Roberto Graetz
Class with Cantor Leigh Korn
Hebrew Courses
Beginning Hebrew
Conversational Hebrew
Jewish Studies Courses
Exploring Judaism
This course is a year-long exploration of the history, beliefs, traditions, and practices of the Jewish people. “Exploring Judaism” will be interesting and meaningful whether you are becoming an adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah, you are just beginning to explore Jewish studies, you are considering choosing Judaism, you are in an interfaith relationship, or you are simply looking for a deeper and more mature understanding of Jewish history and tradition. Students are encouraged to expand their Jewish literacy by taking this course in conjunction with Beginning Hebrew.
Year-long Course (23 sessions): Sundays, Sept 25 through May 20 (No Class: 10/9, 11/27, 12/18, 12/25, 1/1, 1/15, 2/19, 3/4, 4/1, 4/8, 5/6, 5/13)
9:00-10:00 a.m. in Room 101 of the CCJDS Building
Instructor: Rabbi Ruth Adar
Tuition: $100/members; $250/non-members
If you would like to sign up for 1 or more blocks of Exploring Judaism (instead of registering for the whole year), we welcome you to do so. Tuition is $30 per block for members; $65 per block for non-members.
- Jewish Calendar / Holidays (i.e. Jewish “public time”) – 9/25, 10/2, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
- Jewish Lifecycle & Home (i.e. Jewish “private time”) – 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11
- Jewish Text & History – 1/8, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/26
- Jewish Thought, Prayer, and Music – 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/20
Embodied Judaism: Mikvah, Tefillin, Tefillah - CLASS CANCELLED
Please note: due to illness Rabbi Greninger’s class has been cancelled until further notice.
While Judaism can be intellectual and emotional, it is also inherently physical. There are a number of important Jewish rituals that help us connect to God, Judaism, and spirituality through our bodies, and in this course we will explore three of those rituals: mikvah, tefillin, and tefillah. Come learn about the ancient tradition of immersion in the mikvah, exploring how and why the ritual of mikvah has modern applications. We will also explore the ritual of laying tefillin – what it symbolizes, how it’s done, and why it can be meaningful for liberal Jews. Finally, we will examine the physicality of tefillah, discovering how body movements can enhance and energize our experience of prayer.
The Poetry of Prayer or Please Don’t Be So Literal! with Rabbi Judy Shanks
Rabbis often hear some version of this statement: “I just cannot believe what I’m saying, so I would rather not pray.” What a shame, what a lost opportunity to reach toward something sacred in our lives. We moderns can easily forget that the prayers in our prayer book represent our ancestors’ attempt to capture the mystery and enormity of their experience of human life in all its beauty and tragedies. Prayers, ancient and modern, are couched in metaphor, poetry, the soul-fed words of the human heart. In this class we will learn to “unpack” the multiple layers of meaning contained in the prayers/poetry written in ancient times and those found in modern poetry as well. Our rabbis codified the prayer book to include three themes that illustrate and shape our human relationship with God: Creation, Revelation, and Redemption. We will focus on one theme per session, finding new ways to see the sacred in nature, the ever-unfolding gift of Torah wisdom and the promise of freedom from the narrow places of human experience.
3 Sessions: 1/8, 1/22, 1/29
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Oneg Room
Instructor: Rabbi Judy Shanks
Tuition: FREE
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Judaism’s Sacred Trilogy with Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
For many centuries people have tried to define what is at the core of Judaism. In the pursuit of “the Essence of Judaism” many Jewish thinkers settled on the trilogy of people-land-faith. Firmly anchored in North American culture Jews often have trouble connecting with some aspects of this trilogy. In the course of our studies we will seek to understand how each of the elements functioned throughout history and explore the possibilities of them working again in our generation and present cultural context. Please note that there will be no class on President’s Weekend (February 19) and on the Sunday when our Religious School celebrates Purim (March 4).
4 Sessions: 2/12, 2/26, 3/11, 3/18
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Oneg Room
Instructor: Rabbi Roberto D. Graetz
Tuition: FREE
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Class with Cantor Leigh Korn
Temple Isaiah’s Rabbis & Cantor teach courses on topics of their choosing each year. These courses are free of charge. Although the topics have not been selected yet, you are welcome to register for any of the clergy classes.
3 Sessions: 4/15, 4/22, 4/29
11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in the Oneg Room
Instructor: Cantor Leigh Korn
Tuition: FREE
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Hebrew Courses
Beginning Hebrew
Designed for those with little or no previous exposure to Hebrew, this introductory course will focus on developing the foundation for reading comprehension and a basic Hebrew vocabulary. We will learn the basics of prayer-book Hebrew, beginning with the alphabet and moving through the basic grammar and vocabulary of the siddur (prayerbook), including the key texts and melodies of some prayers and blessings found in the siddur. Required text: Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way. This textbook is not included in the price of the class.
Year-long Course (22 sessions): Sundays, Sept 25 through April 29 (No Class: 10/9, 11/27, 12/18, 12/25, 1/1, 1/15, 2/19, 3/4, 4/1, 4/8)
10:10-11:10 a.m. in Room 102 of the CCJDS Building
Instructor: Rachel Valfer
Tuition: $100/members; $250/non-members
Rachel Valfer began learning Hebrew and Tanach at age 5. She lived in Israel for 6 years, where she studied Hebrew and Ladino literature at the graduate level at the Hebrew University. Rachel is a professional musician in classical and folk music of the Middle East.
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Conversational Hebrew
This is a Modern Hebrew from scratch course with a focus on conversation skills, taught in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. We will explore various common daily situations, such as greetings, phone conversations, food, shopping, finding your way around town, and expressing a wide variety of emotions. We will build a vocabulary and begin to see how the Hebrew language is spoken. All that is required is the ability to read Hebrew letters and a desire to learn. A required textbook is not included in the price of this class. Prerequisite: Ability to sight read Hebrew
Year-long Course (22 sessions): Sundays, Sept 25 through April 29 (No Class: 10/9, 11/27, 12/18, 12/25, 1/1, 1/15, 2/19, 3/4, 4/1, 4/8)
11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. in Room 102 of the CCJDS Building
Instructor: Rachel Valfer
Tuition: $100/members; $250/non-members
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