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 unless otherwise noted. 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 Winter Quarter 2026 Classes
The Fours of the Passover Seder with Rabbi Freedman
Thursdays, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm, March 12 & 19, 2026
Prepare spiritually for the Passover Seders by delving into the sets of four found in the Haggadah: cups, questions, children, and mothers, exploring different windows into the story of the Exodus and its significance for us. This learning, using Hadar’s Project Zug curriculum, will guide you in a conversation with ancient sages and modern Jewish thinkers, looking at Talmudic texts, Hasidic commentaries as well as poetry and art. Class will meet on Zoom and in person (after the HAZAK Fitness class). FREE
Sapir Salon: The University with Randy Iden
Wednesdays, March 18 & April 29, 8:00-9:00 pm
Sapir is a journal exploring the future of the American Jewish community and its intersection with cultural, social, and political issues. Randy Iden, an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the Northwestern University School of Communication, will facilitate two discussions this spring focusing on essays featured in the journal: “Encouraging Debate, Not Settling It” by Daniel Diermeier and “Arguments for the Sake of Collegiate Heaven” by Brent Goldfarb and David A. Kirsch. Join a like-minded community of different-minded thinkers, in person at Beth El, for these thought-provoking and meaningful conversations. FREE.
Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club facilitated by Rachel Kamin
Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore
Saturday, March 14, 12:30 pm
While trying to save his family’s funeral home from financial ruin, Ezra, who can see ghosts, is haunted by his crush Jonathan’s gone-too-soon husband. The Association of Jewish Libraries 2025 Jewish Fiction Honor Award Winner.
The Book Club will continue on May 9, 2026– stay tuned for more details. New participants are always welcome!
Sisterhood Torah Fund Open Play: Mahjong & Canasta
Monday, 10:00 am -12:00 pm, April 20, 2026
Spend the morning playing with your Beth El friends. Continues monthly through April 2026. Open play, in person only.
Participants in the Book Club and Open Play Mahjong & Canasta are encouraged to make a minimum annual donation of $54 to the Torah Fund Campaign. Questions? Contact Maria Ponsillo, Torah Fund VP, at [email protected].
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, March 11 & 25, 2026
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, January 6 – March 17, 2026 (no class January 20 & 27 and March 3 & 10)
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. Winter Quarter Fee
Breaking Jewish News & Views with Carl Schrag
Wednesdays, 9:45 – 11:00 am, January 14 – March 18, 2026 (no class February 4)
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. Winter Quarter Fee
Liberal Zionism: Between Crisis and Aspiration
with Carl Schrag, Rabbi Freedman & Rabbi Schwab
Tuesdays, 8:00-9:00 pm, February 10 – March 17 and April 14, 2026
Using the iEngage curriculum from the Shalom Hartman Institute, we’ll explore the core tensions and values of liberal Zionism, responding to the dominant critiques of Israel and Zionism in a post-October 7 reality. Class will meet in person (Zoom link provided upon request). Winter Quarter Fee
Hebrew Classes
Introduction to Conversational Hebrew II with Pnina Arsers
Wednesdays, 6:15-7:30 pm, January 14 – March 18, 2026
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. Winter Quarter Fee
Café Ivrit: Intermediate Conversational Hebrew with Pnina Arsers
Tuesdays, 6:15 – 7:30 pm, January 13 – March 17, 2026
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. Winter Quarter Fee
Sicha B’Ivrit: Advanced Conversational Hebrew with Shlomit Hoch
Thursdays, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, January 15 – March 19, 2026
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. Winter Quarter Fee
Samuel and the Early Israelite Monarchy
Sundays: Feb. 15, 22; March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; April 12, 19, 26, 2026
10:30 – 11:45 am CST
In this course, we will journey through the Books of Samuel I and II, exploring the fascinating narratives surrounding the prophet Samuel and the first kings of Israel, Saul and David. We will analyze key narratives in their literary and historical contexts, exploring themes of prophetic and royal authority, political tension, and theological meaning. In addition to close textual analysis, we will engage with Rabbinic interpretations in the Midrash and Talmud and consider relevant modern scholarship. Discussions will highlight the continuing relevance of these foundational texts to broader questions of leadership, ethics, and community. Sponsored by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Learning in Israel, class will meet on Zoom. Tuition: $190 for 10 classes (dollar price dependent upon exchange rate on date of payment). Register directly with the Schechter Institute. The weekly zoom link will be sent via email from the Schechter Institute to all registered students one week before the start of class.
The Hidden Story of Nuremberg: A Daughter’s Discovery with Laurie Pasler
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 1:00 pm
What if your father left you the keys to one of history’s most defining moments? That’s the question Laurie Pasler confronted after inheriting her dad’s hidden World War II memorabilia from his service at the Nuremberg war crimes trials. An award-winning creative director and producer based in Chicago, Laurie spent a decade piecing together the story through original artifacts, documents, and archival research. This journey of inquiry led to Courtroom 600, a pioneering curriculum that teaches WWII through the lens of Nuremberg’s irrefutable evidence—and offers a different angle for confronting antisemitism and hate in today’s classrooms. Laurie is also the founder of Descendants Media Group, a Chicago based 501(c)(3) nonprofit carrying forward this mission at a pivotal moment: the 80th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials. In person. FREE.
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