Classes

 Learn and Tour: From Ruins to Return – שיבת ציון: בימים ההם, בזמן הזה

We live in remarkable times of return to our homeland after two-thousand years of longing and dreaming of the re-fulfillment of prophecies of “Shivat Tzion” – the restoration of settlement and sovereignty following destruction. This year’s course will provide us with the opportunity to explore messages of the prophets and national-religious leaders of the past as we appreciate the parallels of challenges and opportunities in the present.

First Semester – (taught by Rivi Frankel) – The prophecies of Chaggai and Zecharya will be taught in their historical context of return to the Land of Israel after seventy years of Babylonian exile and the challenges of rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash and re-establishment of political sovereignty. We will examine the content and style of their nevuot and explore the visions that materialized and those yet to be fulfilled.

Second Semester – (taught by Shani Taragin) – We will explore the prophecies of Malachi and the historiographical messages of Ezra-Nechemia as they revive Jewish settlement and religious life in Yerushalayim. As we study the religious, economic, political and social tensions of the time, themes of Jewish identity, interpretation of history, theocracy, and Temple-based worship will trigger messages for our time as well.

TIYULIM (with Shulie Mishkin):

1. Last 100 Years of Bayit Rishon: Ketef Hinnom graves, graves from Jaffa Gate to Har Zion including Kever David, Broad Wall, Israelite Tower, Kotel excavations (if possible)
2. Shivat Zion#1 Rebuilding in Judea: Har HaZeitim, Nebi Samuel, Ramat Rachel
3. Shivat Zion #2 Making a Home in Bavel: Babylonian Jewry Museum, new Bet HaTfuzot
4. Those Who Stayed Behind: Visit to the Shomronim and Har Gerizim
5. Shivat Zion today: Hurban: Yad Vashem and Chamber of the Holocaust  

6. Shivat Zion today: A State in the Making: Castel, Latrun, Machon Ayalon or maybe Herzl Museum

This course will explore the stories in Bereishit that revolve around Avraham (chapters 12-25). We will utilize rabbinic and medieval exegesis alongside literary techniques to mine these chapters for their theological and moral messages.

In studying the Parsha of the week, we will explore texts that evoke the tension between ahava and yir’ah – love and fear – that marks human relations, as well as relations between the human and the divine. Our source materials will be midrashic, hassidic, and psychoanalytic.

This course will look at the institution of the temple in Ancient Israel, and it’s evolution from its inception, through its final destruction in the First Century C.E. We will look at the the symbolism and significance of the temple in the development of Jewish thought, and the central place it holds in our modern collective imagination.

The Myriad Interpretations of Parshat Hashavua

Using the weekly cycle of Torah or Haftorah readings, each week we will explore some of the most intriguing stories and commandments in the Torah. In addition to closely reading the textual narratives, we will use parallel midrashic and modern interpretations to understand how these narratives continue to resonate, influence and inspire us over thousands of years.

This semester we will explore various poetic expressions in Tanakh.  We will take a deeper look at the textual aspects of biblical poetry and understand how they are used to enrich our relationship with others and God through passages from Shir Hashirim and Tehillim.  

This semester we will explore various poetic expressions in Tanakh.  We will take a deeper look at the textual aspects of biblical poetry and understand how they are used to enrich our relationship with others and God through passages from Shir Hashirim and Tehillim.  

This semester we will explore various poetic expressions in Tanakh.  We will take a deeper look at the textual aspects of biblical poetry and understand how they are used to enrich our relationship with others and God through passages from Shir Hashirim and Tehillim.  

In studying the Parsha of the week, we will explore texts that evoke the tension between ahava and yir’ah – love and fear – that marks human relations, as well as relations between the human and the divine. Our source materials will be midrashic, hassidic, and psychoanalytic.

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot says: “Torah is acquired by means of 48 qualities”. We will study each one of these character traits in depth – for example: attentive listening, awe, joy, judging favorably, knowing one’s place – and see how they help us in our study and understanding of Torah as well as in our everyday life.

This course will look at the institution of the Temple in Ancient Israel, and its evolution from its inception, through its final destruction in the First Century C.E. We will look at the symbolism and significance of the Temple in the development of Jewish thought, and the central place it holds in our modern collective imagination.

The Talmud is not only a work of Jewish law, but also contains many stories and biographies of the Sages (aggadot). These narratives are the basis for Jewish thought and ideas and provide models of establishing a virtuous character. They include tales of love, devotion to Torah, friendship, suffering, leadership, attitudes toward the non-Jewish world and witchcraft. We will learn about why these narratives are interwoven into the Talmud and how they contain powerful messages for our world today.

On the last leg of our Bereshit journey, this course will follow the trials and tribulations of Joseph and his family. Through the prism of Biblical text, traditional commentators, ancient and modern philosophers, contemporary psychologists and social commentators, this course will take us on an unforgettable journey through Joseph’s life and legacy as it emerges in the biblical narrative.  It will address a variety of topics that arise from the text such as family dynamics, identity psychology, building resilience and the role of eschatology for religion. We will unpack the modern lessons delivered through the ancient text, uncovering its rich and profound relevance for our personal and national lives today.

All human beings sin. When viewing Biblical stories through the prism of sin and repentance, we gain new information and perspectives on these events. In this course we will study personalities and stories, some familiar, some more obscure – all through the lens of mistakes and their corrections – to discover new lessons and deeper understanding of these cases.

Where is the line between high expectations and unrealistic demands? When is giving in giving up and when is it being flexible?  As parents, grandparents, employers or community leaders, these are questions with which we often struggle. Rediscover Elijah, and his protégés, who struggle to balance these questions as they lead the Jewish people in a time of religious angst and turmoil.  We will rethink the role of prophecy as we examine the text closely and explore the midrashic literature.

This course will provide practical guidelines for observing the laws of the Shemittah year in one’s home, garden and the public square. Through this journey into the world of Shemittah, we will examine the tension between the Torah’s idyllic vision of Shemittah and its practical implementation today.

This course will provide a foundation in Mitzvot Hateluyot Ba’aretz and cover contemporary topics such as the Pruzbol and Rabbinic authority, the history and politics of Heter Mechira, Jewish perspectives on economic disparity and social justice, Jewish environmental values, and the very real challenges of living in the age of redemption.

This course will explore female characters in the Tanach, Talmud, and throughout history. Using midrashic literature and contemporary sources, we will learn about their important contributions to Jewish life and their lasting impact.

First semester

Oct. 12

Oct.26

Nov. 9

Nov.23

Dec.7

Dec.21

Jan.4

Jan.18

Semester break

Second semester

Feb.15

March1

March 15

March 29

Pessach break

April 26

May 10

May 24

June 7

A weekly study group where a contemporary Jewish philosophy text will be analyzed, discussed and critically assessed in an intimate group setting, harboring invigorating discussion and constructive dialogue. The aim of the workshop is to refine critical and analytical skills as well as to engender a deep and edifying religious approach to complex and challenging issues and thinkers.  Our vision is to create a space for open, stimulating and thought-provoking dialogue on the central and urgent questions facing Judaism today.

Due to the limited space and nature of the workshop, it will require a solid commitment  to weekly reading and attendance.

In this course we will survey some of the most fascinating and controversial teshuvot that have been penned over the past 1000 years, and while doing so, we will learn about the lives of different poskim, events in Jewish history, and how halacha is decided.

As we revisit the end of initial settlement and conquest of the Land of Israel, we will focus on the anarchy that ensues following the death of Yehoshua. National disunity and infiltration of foreign influences lead to a lack of proper leadership, and tribal polarization to the waning of strong political and military success. Instead, parochial leaders arise, achieving ephemeral successes and lack of centralized government. We will focus on these leaders as microcosmic expressions of the entire people and generation. We will “judge” the military and religious “judges” through the eyes of the prophet, as we employ classical and modern exegesis to better understand the religious messages of proper leadership and justice for Am Yisrael.

The class will only take place at Zoom

Our thematic study of Sefer Shemot will focus on the concept of ‘covenant’, i.e. how the events of the Exodus lead up to “brit Sinai”, and how the Mishkan reflects its key themes.  Once we identify the underlying theme of Sefer Shemot (in light of its roots in Sefer Breishit), we will return to a more detailed study of its numerous narratives and legal sections, to demonstrate how they relate to that theme.

The story of the Garden of Eden, with man and woman’s Creation, sin, confrontation with God, punishment, and exile constitutes an archetypal prototype for us to understand the essentials of human existence. Our course will dive deep into the text, the ideas, and the commentaries, and we will also remember to ask the most basic, yet ignored questions, like, “What is up with a talking snake?”

The teachings of the Torah provide eternal guidance for how to live sanctified lives as individuals and as a nation.  In this course, the weekly parsha will be our springboard to delve into fundamental lessons in living, taught by chasidic masters such as the  Netivot Shalom and the Aish Kodesh, and other contemporary Religious Zionist thinkers. Our study will aim to enhance our spiritual lives in the here and now, and provide inspirational divrei Torah to share at our Shabbat tables.

The story of יוסף and his brothers is the longest story in the Torah, and also many people’s favorite. In this course we will explore the final 14 chapters of ספר בראשית. Our main goal is to gain a greater appreciation for the absolutely fantastic way in which this story was written, and, perhaps, to gain a better understanding of the messages it teaches us.

On the last leg of our Bereshit journey, this course will follow the trials and tribulations of Joseph and his family. Through the prism of Biblical text, traditional commentators, ancient and modern philosophers, contemporary psychologists and social commentators, this course will take us on an unforgettable journey through Joseph’s life and legacy as it emerges in the biblical narrative.  It will address a variety of topics that arise from the text such as family dynamics, identity psychology, building resilience and the role of eschatology for religion. We will unpack the modern lessons delivered through the ancient text, uncovering its rich and profound relevance for our personal and national lives today.