Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out with Tracie Guy Decker
Sunday mornings beginning November 3rd at 10:30 am at Beth Am. Register here
Over the course of 8 sessions, we will use the wisdom of Mussar, Jewish character development, to make us more effective and authentic anti-racists. Grounded in Jewish sources and built for a complex world, the Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out curriculum from Kirva taps into the truth that we can change our hearts and m inds by changing our behavior. This will be a joint class with our Tichon (8th-12th grade) class and Beth Am adults interested in Mussar and our Tzedek Beth Am work. All are welcome who can commit to attending most of the sessions.
An Approachable Guide for Living a Spiritual Life with Desi Rotenberg
Monday evenings beginning November 4th at 8 pm on ZOOM. Register here
Aligning with modern psychological concepts ahead of its time, the Tanya is one of the many road maps for living an authentic spiritual life. This course is for anyone interested in gaining deeper insight into the meaning behind the struggles of life, adding spiritual depth, and seeking connection beyond the superficial.
Thursday Evening Classes with the Rabbis | 6:30 – 8:45 PM | Register Here
Great Jewish Debates with Rav Daniel | 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
We live in a time of heightened polarization and political animus. Zero-sum thinking is pervasive. Jewish tradition is sensitive to this tendency but resists it. Our Sages suggest a better approach: mahloket l’shem shamayim, “arguing for heaven’s sake.” Utilizing Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz’s 2012 book: Judaism’s Great Debates: Timeless Controversies from Abraham to Herzl, we’ll examine great disputes from Jewish history such as those between Hillel and Shammai, The Vilna Gaon and the Baal Shem Tov, and Spinoza and his contemporaries. Considering issues from Jewish law to spirituality to the policing of boundaries, we’ll also consider how the manner of disagreement can increase the value of disputation itself. Cost of participation includes refreshments and a copy of Schwartz’s book.
Swimming in the Sea of Talmud with Rav Tyler | 7:45 PM – 8:45 PM
The Babylonian Talmud, compiled in the 5th century CE, has come to represent a central text of the Jewish religion. It is the rabbinic cannon from which Jewish laws, traditions, and ethics have been debated and preserved. In contemporary times the study of Talmud has exploded; studied by new groups of people in most creative ways. Many innovations in Jewish tradition still develop out of the overflowing discourse around the Talmud. In this course, we will think about what it means to be a ‘People of the Book’, and look at some important sections of the Talmud, both to understand the work itself and to think about how its style of discussion may be a model for how we can have more constructive debates in our own lives! All of the texts will be studied in English translation, but we will look at the Hebrew and Aramaic text to understand how the book is put together and how it shapes Jewish living.
There will be a 15 minute break from 7:30 – 7:45 pm between each class.
If pricing is prohibitive to participation, please reach out to Alex Pomerantz for assistance.
