Adult Jewish Learning

$295 for this 25-session series.
Mondays at 9:30 AM, Sep. 23, 2024 – May 12, 2025.
Please Note: No class on Nov. 4, Dec. 23, 30, Jan. 6, Feb. 24, Mar. 3, 10, 17, Apr. 14.

The prophetic section of the Hebrew Bible contains powerful material that is rarely studied closely. In this 25-session course, read through the works of the Early Prophets while gaining insights into their enduring significance.

$250 for this 20-session series.
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, Sep. 24, 2024 – May 20, 2025.
Please Note: No class on Nov. 5, 26, Dec. 17, 24, 31, Jan. 7-Mar. 4, Apr. 15.

If you want to study the essence of Judaism on a sophisticated level – no prior knowledge required – this 20-part course is for you. Designed by the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, this class delves into core Jewish concepts through accessible and engaging texts and conversations.

$145 for this 10-session series. Mondays at 7:00 PM, Sep. 30 – Dec. 9. Please Note: No class on Oct. 7.   What is Zionism? This course will examine the history of the modern Zionist movement, its revolutionary impact on Jewish life and the challenges to Zionism in 2024.

$85 for this 6-session series.
Tuesdays at 12:00 PM, Oct. 15 – Nov. 19.

This course will take the pulse of the five largest Jewish communities in the world (not including Israel and the US): France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina and Russia. Rabbi Schiff will converse with experts on each of these Jewish communities, assessing the impact of antisemitism and the health of these communities one year after October 7.

$55 for this 4-session series. Thursdays at 7:00 PM, Nov. 7 – Dec. 5. Please Note: No class on Nov. 28. *Please note on the brochure this class was marked as April 14, which is incorrect and we apologize for the confusion. Meet Rashi. This course will provide a closeup encounter with the most important and prolific commentator that the Jewish people has ever known, together with a look at some of his key insightful texts.

$90 for this 4-session series. Wednesdays at 9:30 AM, Jan. 15 – Feb.5 , 2025. In 2012, Amos Oz and his daughter, Fania Oz-Salzberger wrote “jewsandwords”. The book describes the “chain of words at the core of Jewish life, history, and culture.” In this course, we will read the book together and consider the chain of words that lies at the heart of Jewish literature.

Are popular secular practices with roots in beliefs that are foreign to Judaism benign from a Jewish perspective? Or are there Jewish legal concerns that should be weighed? This CLE will explore how Judaism draws the line between the acceptable and the unacceptable – and why.

The legalization of cannabis is expanding. Jewish law has helpful insights on the use of cannabis both for medicinal and recreational purposes. This session will focus on cannabis concerns through a Jewish lens.

Written Torah. Oral Torah. Mishnah. Midrash. Talmud. Codes. Commentaries. Responsa. We often quote from these Jewish legal sources. But what exactly are they? How do they fit together and how important are they? This CLE will explore the structure of Jewish texts. 

Israel is a Jewish state. How, though, should Jewish law most appropriately be incorporated into the state’s legal system, and to what extent? This CLE will explore the controversial relationship between Jewish law and the state of Israel.