2012/2013 Class Information

  

2012/2013 Continuing Education Class Brochure 

Class Offerings by Day of the Week 
 

 

Hebrew Language

Hebrew Crash Course
Dov Kahana 

Wednesdays, 8:00 – 9:30 pm; begins August 15 (5 sessions)
Before the High Holidays, learn to read Hebrew in 5 easy lessons and feel more comfortable with the prayer service.

Beginning Conversational Hebrew
Dov Kahana 

Wednesdays, 8:00 – 9:00 pm; begins October 17
Students will gain an understanding of Hebrew grammar and vocabulary; emphasis in this class is on speaking and comprehension.

Advanced Beginning Conversational Hebrew
Dov Kahana 

Wednesdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm; begins October 17
Build on your beginning conversational Hebrew skills.

Conversational Hebrew (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Alicia Gejman 

Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 18
This class is designed for adults who have basic fluency in reading and writing Hebrew. The focus of the class is to engage students in simple conversation using real life situations. Classes include the use of props, songs, dialogues and readings.

Intermediate Conversational Hebrew
Edith Belkind 

Mondays, 6:30 - 7:30 pm; begins October, 15
Improve your conversational and reading Hebrew skills. New students are always welcome!

Advanced Conversational Hebrew
Edith Belkind 

Wednesdays, 6:30 – 7:30 pm; begins October 17
Strengthen and retain your Hebrew skills from Intermediate Conversational Hebrew.

Open Conversational Hebrew

Sundays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins September 9 (follows the Cohen Religious School calendar)
Practice Hebrew conversation and reading informally with other participants.


Classic Jewish Text

Talmud: Tractate Rosh HaShanah
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz 

Tuesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 am; begins October 15
Study Jewish law in the original text. Discussion and commentary are in English. New participants are always welcome!

Conservative Judaism Looks at Modern Issues (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz 

Tuesdays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 16
Join a discussion of the principles of Conservative Judaism, its interpretation of Jewish law, and its response to modern issues, including ritual, ethics, sex and politics.

Study in the Loop
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz 

Thursdays, Noon – 1:30 pm, at the Illinois Decalogue Society (3 sessions)
A study session in the Loop, centered around the ethical issues of our lives.
* Advance reservations are necessary; lunch is provided for a nominal fee. Registration for the entire series is encouraged; please contact Lennie Kay at 847-432-8900 x221 or LKay@nssbethel.org.

Study in the Suburbs
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz

Thursdays, Noon – 1:30 pm, at the BJE (Board of Jewish Education), 3320 Dundee Rd, Northbrook (3 sessions)
A study session in the suburbs, centered around the ethical issues of our lives.
* Advance reservations are necessary; lunch is provided for a nominal fee. Registration for the entire series is encouraged; please contact Lennie Kay at 847-432-8900 x221 or LKay@nssbethel.org.

Jewish Laws of Daily Living
Rabbi Michael Schwab 

Wednesdays, 8:00 – 8:30 am; (this class is year-round and is free)
Join us for breakfast and study of the Shulhan Arukh – the basic code of Jewish law. Each week we read and translate a short chapter, exploring its impact on our lives and on the way we, as Conservative Jews, interpret it for our time. This is an ongoing class, but no experience is required and new members are welcome at any session.

Limitless Possibilities
Rabbi Michael Schwab 

Tuesdays, 8:00 – 9:00 pm; October 16 – December 18
Join this lively discussion group to learn how the great wisdom and insight of the weekly Torah portion can be applied to your life! No prior knowledge or skill set is required.

Midrash for the Modern World (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Rabbi Michael Schwab 

Tuesdays, 11:00 am – Noon; begins October 16
Explore the depth of meaning in passages of the Torah via beautiful interpretations and engaging stories created by the rabbis, speaking to the core values of Judaism. Learn the text and discuss its meaning and relevance to us today.

Torah Cantillation
Hazzan Larry Goller 

Wednesdays, 7:45 – 9:00 pm; begins October 10 (8 sessions)
Students learn the history and function of cantillation (trope), how to recognize, sing and apply them to Torah text. Students prepare a Torah portion for chanting.

Eicha Cantillation
Hazzan Larry Goller
Wednesdays, 7:45 – 9:00 pm; begins March (4 sessions)

Bible with Commentary
Aaron Klein 

Wednesdays, 10:30 – 11:30 am; begins October 10
Explore the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) with commentaries in English, as we connect the text in its historical context to our own experiences today.

Pray-er: Exploring Tefillah
Merle Tovian  

Wednesdays, 8:00 – 9:00 pm; begins January 16 (6 sessions)
Exploring the keva (how) and kavanah (why and with what intention) of Jewish prayer – we will look at the siddur but also at other forms of spontaneous and personal Jewish spirituality.

Demystifying Kabbalah: A Text-Based Approach
Rabbi Avi Feingold 

Mondays, 8:00 – 9:30 pm; begins November 12 (6 sessions)
Explore the major themes within Kabbalah and gain an understanding of the mystical tradition’s significance in Jewish life by examining the Zohar and other classic Kabbalistic texts.

Jewish Life and Culture

Shalom Hartman Institute Beit Midrash Discussion Series:
Peoplehood and Its Role and Significance in Jewish Life
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz 

Wednesdays, 7:00 – 9:30 pm; once a month (9 sessions; Oct. 10, Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Feb. 13, Mar. 13, Apr. 24, May 22, Jun. 12)
A series of nine lectures and conversations with Hartman Institute scholars led by Donniel Hartman that delve into the idea of Jewish Peoplehood – its complex origins, its implications and how it might be sustained. Lecture and discussion participants include Prof. Israel Knohl, Dr. Micah Goodman, Rabbi Dr. Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, and Dr. Melila Hellner-Eshed.
*There will be an additional $25 fee for class materials.

Monday Mornings at the Movies! (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Hazzan Larry Goller 

Mondays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 15
Through the viewing of some of Hollywood’s finest productions, explore how Jews and Jewish values influenced the American film industry, and, through film, American culture. Popcorn will be provided!

Torah Fund Book Club (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Rachel Kamin 

Saturday afternoons, 12:30 – 1:30 pm; 5 sessions to stay and chat after Shabbat Kiddush
October 13 and December 15, 2012; January 12, a March date to be determined, and May 4, 2013.

Great Short Stories: Exploring Individuals, Relationships and Communities
Lillian Miller 

Sundays, 11:15 am – 12:45 pm; October 7, October 28, November 18, March 17, April 21, May 5 
Reading classic authors and modern works, these stories illuminate the human condition. The assigned story for each class is to be read before coming to class. Several stories will be provided as part of the class and available to be picked up in the Beth El library by September 5th, but some books may need to be purchased. Books on Vernon in Glencoe will provide a ten percent discount if the purchaser mentions that the books are for Ms. Miller’s class.

Exploring Jewish Art
Lilach Schrag 

Wednesday, 8:00-9:30 pm; begins November 7 (4 sessions)
This monthly class will look at the Jewish experience through Judaica and fine art, and will expose you to treasures of ritual objects, paintings, sculptures, installations and architecture.


Sisterhood Torah Fund Classes

These classes have a separate fee of $36 for the entire year, made payable to Sisterhood Torah Fund. For registration and further information, contact Marilyn Lewis, Torah Fund vice-president, at 847-433-3506 or marilynllewis@yahoo.com.

Conservative Judaism Looks at Modern Issues
Rabbi Vernon Kurtz
Tuesdays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 16
Join a discussion of the principles of Conservative Judaism, its interpretation of Jewish law, and its response to modern issues, including ritual, ethics, sex and politics.

Midrash for the Modern World
Rabbi Michael Schwab 

Tuesdays, 11:00 am – Noon; begins October 16
Explore the depth of meaning in passages of the Torah via beautiful interpretations and engaging stories created by the rabbis, speaking to the core values of Judaism. Learn the text and discuss its meaning and relevance to us today.

Monday Mornings at the Movies!
Hazzan Larry Goller 

Mondays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 15
Through the viewing of some of Hollywood’s finest productions, explore how Jews and Jewish values influenced the American film industry, and, through film, American culture. Popcorn will be provided!

Conversational Hebrew
Alicia Gejman 

Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:00 am; begins October 18
This class is designed for adults who have basic fluency in reading and writing Hebrew. The focus of the class is to engage students in simple conversation using real life situations. Classes include the use of props, songs, dialogues and readings.

Torah Fund Book Club (Sisterhood Torah Fund)
Rachel Kamin 

Saturday afternoons, 12:30 – 1:30 pm; 5 sessions to stay and chat after Shabbat Kiddush
October 13, November 17, and December 15, 2012; January 12, March 16, and May 4, 2013.


Community Learning Opportunities

Florence Melton Adult Mini-School - Limud North Branch 

A 2-year program of Judaic Studies developed at Hebrew University; this year’s locations are Anshe Emet in Chicago and Temple Jeremiah in Northfield. For further information, contact Rabbi Yehoshua Ben-Avraham at yben@cfje.org.

Note from Rabbi Kurtz: I want to recommend this wonderful opportunity for Continuing Education in our community. We are very proud to be part of a consortium sponsoring the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School. We are pleased that so many members of our Congregation have graduated from this program of serious on-going Jewish study. It has made them more knowledgeable and involved Jews. If you have not already signed up, I encourage you to do so and make Continuing Education a priority in your life. You will gain from the experience and be pleased with the results.

North Shore Kallah 

Tuesdays, 7:00 – 9:15 pm; February 5, 12, and 19
Location to be determined.
This annual learning experience, presented by the North Shore Fellowship of Rabbis, has a wide variety of classes led by various community rabbis, cantors and educators so you can experience Jewish learning from a variety of viewpoints. For further information, please contact Cheryl Swenson at 847-432-8900 x222 or cswenson@nssbethel.org and sign up for the class of your choice.

Limmud Chicago 

Sunday, February 17, 2013
UIC Student Center East
For information, contact cochairs@limmudchicago.org.