Class Offerings and Descriptions

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.

Summer Quarter Courses 2024

Register for Summer Quarter 2024 Classes

Adult Torah Trope with Hazzan Jenna Greenberg
Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00 pm, June 25 – August 6
Unlock the secret of chanting Torah, decode the melody patterns, and learn the “how” as well as the “why” of Torah cantillation. This is the perfect opportunity for: people who would like to learn to chant Torah for their friends’ and family members’ B’nai Mitzvah or other s’machot; anyone who has taken this class before but wants to refresh their skills; or anyone who wants to become a Torah reader to earn a Team Torah cookie in 5785. Comfort with reading Hebrew text is required. Class will meet in person or on Zoom. FREE

Summer Stories with Rachel Kamin
Mondays, 1:00 -2:00 pm and/or 8:00-9:00 pm, July 8, July 22 and August 5
In The Hebrew Teacher, three Israeli women, whose lives have been altered by immigration to the United States, seek to overcome crises. Join Rachel Kamin to discuss these stirring novellas by celebrated Israeli author Maya Arad. Class will meet in-person and/or on Zoom. Quarter Fee: Summer (includes a hardcover copy of the book)

 

Breaking Jewish News & Views with Carl Schrag
Wednesdays, 9:45-11:00 am, July 17 & 24 and August 7 & 14
This weekly discussion-based class zooms in on local, national, and global news through a distinctly Jewish lens. We’ll talk about politics, Israel, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, rifts in our Jewish community, local and global Jewish affairs, campus life, and the intersection between these topics and more. Carl Schrag, who was the Editor of The Jerusalem Post, brings a journalist’s probing questions to every topic. Class will meet on Zoom. Quarter Fee: Summer

A Closer Look at Our Books of Worship with Rabbi Alex Freedman
Thursday, July 25, 11:15 am (after HAZAK Fitness)
We are very comfortable using the Siddur Lev Shalem and Etz Hayim Chumash in our Shabbat services. But each of these books offers many more tools and features, which will greatly enhance our use of them. This class will review all the different components of these books to enable readers to get more out of them in services and anytime. Class will meet in person and on Zoom. FREE

Beautiful Brokenness: Building a Vessel for Loss
with Rebecca Minkus-Lieberman, Thursdays, 11:15 am – 12:30 pm, August 1, 8, 15 & 22
Add meaning to your summer by exploring the poignant period of time in the Jewish calendar between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av, a period known as a time for mourning loss and brokenness. We will explore sources of Jewish wisdom from the Talmud and midrash, as well as selected poems and excerpts from Mary Pipher’s book A Life in Light, as we delve into the ways in which these weeks in the calendar can open us to seeing and holding our loss and brokenness with courage and tenderness. Class will meet in-person and on Zoom. FREE for Beth El members; $125/guests.

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Michael Schwab
Thursday, August 29, 12:00-1:00 pm
Join Rabbi Schwab at Beth El or from the comfort of your own home or office for study and discussion. Class will meet in-person and on Zoom. A complimentary lunch will be served at Beth El!

Open Conversational Hebrew (ongoing)
Sundays, 9:30-11:00 am
Practice Hebrew conversation informally with other participants. For information, contact Judy Farby at judyfarby@yahoo.com or 847-372-1700. Class will meet on Zoom. FREE

Writer’s Beit Midrash
Wednesdays, 9:30 am, July 24, August 7 & 21, and September 4 & 18, 2024

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