The Gertrude Lederman Family Continuing Education courses at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El offer a wonderful chance to deepen your understanding of Jewish thought, culture, and identity. This program is made possible through the generous gift of the estate of Gertrude Lederman. The value she placed on Jewish education became the cornerstone of her legacy of lifelong learning in our congregation.
The fee for Continuing Education tuition courses is $60 per quarter for NSS Beth El members and $125 per quarter for guests. Payment for one course includes any additional classes during the same quarter at no additional charge. Note that many of our courses are offered for free.
Contact Rachel Kamin, Director of Lifelong Learning, for more information about adult education and Marcie Eskin, Education Coordinator, for registration and other class-related information. Note: Because the cost of tuition should never be a barrier to participation in our NSS Beth El classes, we do offer financial assistance. Please contact Marcie Eskin for scholarship information.
Register for Fall Quarter 2025 Classes
High Holiday Boot Camp
Tuesdays, 8:00 – 9:00 pm, September 2, 9 & 16, 2025
September 16 for Teens & Parents with Rabbi Miriam Lichtenberg
As the new school year gets underway and we prepare to meet the Jewish New Year of 5786, we examine how we are partners with God in creation. This partnership calls on us to take responsibility for the world we live in, to repair what’s broken, to reflect on our own roles and actions. Teens in grades 8-12, and their parents, are invited to this special conversation with Rabbi Lichtenberg, the school rabbi at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School. Co-sponsored by the Sokol Hebrew High School, for teens in grades 8-12 and their parents, in person at Beth El.
Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class with Hazzan Jenna Greenberg
Tuesdays, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, October 28, 2025 – May 19, 2026
Embark on a meaningful journey of learning and growth, culminating in a community B’nai Mitzvah celebration on the second day of Shavuot 5786. Together we will learn Torah reading and prayer leading skills and gain a deeper understanding of the Siddur, Chumash, and the Jewish calendar. A beginning level of Hebrew is required. FREE for Beth El members; $360 for guests.
Open Conversational Hebrew (ongoing)
Sundays, 9:30-11:00 am
Practice Hebrew conversation informally with other participants. Class will meet on Zoom. FREE
Writer’s Beit Midrash
Wednesdays, 9:30 am, September 17; October 22; November 5 & 19; December 3 & 17, 2025
All fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and essay writers (published or not yet published) are welcome for discussions, exercises, camaraderie, and critique every other Wednesday morning. Class will meet in person. FREE
Talmud: Tractate B’rachot with Rabbi Michael Schwab
Tuesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 am, September 2 – 16; October 21 – December 16, 2025 (no class November 25)
Rabbi Schwab takes students on a journey through the mainstay of the Jewish oral tradition, its rich history, structure, and famous personalities. Class will meet in person and on Zoom. Fall Quarter Fee
Breaking Jewish News & Views with Carl Schrag
Wednesdays, 9:45 – 11:00 am, October 22 – December 17, 2025 (no class November 26)
This class zooms in on local, national, and global news through a distinctly Jewish lens. We’ll navigate the ever-evolving post-October 7 reality as we talk about politics, Israel, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, rifts in our Jewish community, and more. Carl Schrag, former editor of The Jerusalem Post, brings a journalist’s probing questions to every topic. Class will meet on Zoom. Fall Quarter Fee
What Jews Should Know about Christian Scripture with Rabbi Steven Bob
Thursdays, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm, October 30; November 6, 13 & 20, 2025
Many Jews regularly interact with Christians but know little about Christian beliefs or texts. This course will introduce the four Gospels and Paul’s Epistles, exploring their key themes, messages, and both well-known and lesser-known passages. As the Torah commands us to “love your neighbor as yourself,” deepening our understanding of Christianity is a meaningful step toward this goal. Class will meet in person and on Zoom. Fall Quarter Fee
Melton’s A History of Hatred: The Ever-Present Threat of Antisemitism with Rabbi Michael Schwab
Tuesdays, 8:00 – 9:00 pm, November 4, 11, & 18, 2025; December 2 & 9, 2025; January 6, 13, & 20, 2026
Learners will explore pivotal periods, such as the interactions between Jews and early Christianity and Islam, medieval manifestations in Christian Europe, the rise of racially motivated antisemitism leading to the Holocaust, the influence of communism and Islamism on perceptions of Jews, and the contemporary landscape of antisemitism, encompassing both extreme right-wing and left-wing ideologies. Class will meet in person and on Zoom though in person is preferred. Additional fee for those paying for the Fall Quarter or an Annual Pass includes print book or ebook: $60 for members; $125 for guests
Introduction to Conversational Hebrew II with Pnina Arsers
Wednesdays, 6:15-7:30 pm, September 10 & 17; October 22- December 10, 2025 (no class November 19 or 26)
Continuing from last year with the Brandeis Modern Hebrew textbook, this course will focus on Hebrew language skills through listening, reading, speaking, and vocabulary Class will meet in person. Fall Quarter Fee
Café Ivrit: Intermediate Conversational Hebrew with Pnina Arsers
Tuesdays, 6:15 – 7:30 pm, September 9 & 16; October 21 – December 9, 2025 (no class November 18 or 25)
Using the Brandeis Modern Hebrew textbook, we will continue to improve our listening, reading, and speaking skills and explore aspects of Israeli culture through language, literature and current events. Class will meet in person. Fall Quarter Fee
Sicha B’Ivrit: Advanced Conversational Hebrew with Shlomit Hoch
Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, October 23 – December 18, 2025 (no class November 27)
Using the textbook, Kriat Beynaim from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, we will explore an array of enriching materials including news articles, songs, literature, and much more. We will also have fun with online games and engaging warm-up activities to enhance our learning experience. Class will meet on Zoom. Fall Quarter Fee
Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies
Entering the Land of Canaan with Rabbi Dr. Vernon Kurtz
Sundays, 10:30 – 11:45 am, November 2, 2025 – January 25, 2026
Explore the dramatic transition from wilderness to nationhood as we study key episodes from the Books of Joshua and Judges. Through biblical text and rabbinic commentary, we’ll examine the Israelite’s entry into the Land of Canaan, the role of early leaders, and themes that still resonate today. Sponsored by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, class will meet on Zoom. Tuition: $195; register online with the Schechter Institute.
Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club
Join Rachel Kamin, Director of Lifelong Learning, for lively book discussions and author events. New participants are always welcome!
Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 12:30 pm
Long before Oliver Twist, Jacob Fagin carves out a life in 19th-century London’s underworld, forming a found family of thieves, including Bill Sikes and the Artful Dodger, until a botched heist forces him to confront his morals. Meet the author in person at Beth El on Tuesday evening, October 28!
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
Saturday, December 6, 2025, 12:30 pm
Across centuries two women – one a modern playwright and the other her Elizabethan ancestor – each fight societal expectations to have their voices heard on the stage in a world that silences female playwrights.
Participants are encouraged to make a minimum donation of $54 to the Torah Fund Campaign. The Book Club will continue in February, March & May 2026 – stay tuned for more details.
Selichot Weekend with Rabbi Ethan Tucker
Friday, September 12 – Sunday, September 14, 2025
Rabbi Ethan Tucker, President and Rosh Yeshiva of Hadar, will be our guest scholar. He will deliver a D’var Torah on Friday and the sermon on Saturday morning plus a Post-Kiddush conversation. He will also lead a special pre-Selichot Program, as well as a Sunday morning learning session.
The Rabbi Irving and Amy Frankel Scholar in Residence
A Weekend with Ethan Schwartz, Ph.D.
Friday, November 7 – Sunday, November 9, 2025
An Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at Villanova University, Dr. Schwartz will deliver a D’var Torah on Friday and the sermon on Saturday morning plus a post-Kiddush presentation. The Frankel Lecture will be on Sunday at 2:00 pm on “Jewish-Christian Relations since October 7th: What’s Happening and Why It Matters.”
1175 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035 | (847) 432-8900 | nssbe@nssbethel.org |
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