Classes

First Semester: Rivi Frankel

Second Semester: Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Tours led by Shulie Mishkin

Sefer Melachim – Dynasty, Division & Divinity Tour in each unit.

This year’s Learn & Tour course will focus on the Davidic dynasty as Shlomo succeeds his father as king of Israel. We will explore David’s testament as his monarchy continues to expand and flourish religiously, economically and culturally under the leadership of his son, climaxing with the building of the Beit HaMikdash. We will address the challenges presented by the prophets and the aftermath of a divided kingdom. The narratives and complex characters of the Kings of Israel and Judea will be examined through the  divine messages relayed by the court prophets and will come to life as we tour to the sites of the text.

Limited number of places

For details about the trips click here

Bereishit 1-11 offers an account of humankind’s beginning. What do these chapters teach us about the Torah’s view of the cosmic order, the purpose of humans, the nature of a failed society, and the relationships between God and humans, man and woman, and brothers? We will employ midrashim, medieval parshanut, and literary tools in an attempt to mine these rudimentary and profound chapters for their lofty and universal messages.

Tanakh, as a corpus of works, contains within it many seemingly contradictory outlooks.  Differences in ideology, theology, notions of leadership and visions for a robust society manifest on almost every page.  Through an in-depth exploration of narrative, legal and prophetic texts, this course will address seemingly- contradictory opinions and voices in Tanakh In doing so, develop an appreciation for a uniquely Biblical worldview.

We will study the final chapters of Sefer Devarim as Moshe bids farewell to Am Yisrael while he simultaneously prepares them for conquest and settlement in Eretz Yisrael. We will continue with the religious, political and military challenges facing Yehoshua as successor to Moshe Rabbenu as he leads them in battle and creates religious infrastructure based on teachings of the past.  Numerous timely themes will be evident through the prophet’s presentation of tribal settlement and national development in the Land.

This class will examine a wide range of some of the most famous sections in the Talmud in order to appreciate the literary depth and structure that make up the different sub-units (sugyot) of Talmudic discourse. Rabbinic stories and halakhic analysis intertwine to meld into a fascinating and very influential dialogue that has relevance for us today in matters of practice, belief and interpersonal relationships. Students will learn to listen to the voices in the Beit Midrash of the Sages and join their own to an ongoing 2000 year old conversation. In addition to focusing on  Talmudic terminology and methodology, we will also explore the conceptual framework of each and every topic and, in some cases, the practical legal ramifications as well. There will be a source booklet that everyone will be required to purchase.

We will discuss different concepts of time in Halakha starting from their formulation in the Gemarah through the Poskim.

The second semester will be dedicated to the origins of Halakhic prayer and the ongoing effort of encouraging spontaneity and authenticity within the structures of set prayer.  

From the written words of Torah, depths of meaning unfold. As we study midrashic and hassidic reflections on these words, we will listen for their resonance in the depths of human experience. Between language and silence, the murmur becomes audible.

In this course, we will learn selections from different Massechtaot in Seder Moed in accordance with the holidays of the year.  This course will teach the basic skills necessary for Talmud study. It will present traditional and historical approaches to the material studied. The program will integrate guided Beit Midrash style chavruta study with class discussion.

The Book of Proverbs was written by King Solomon considered to be one of the wisest people in our history. Written in poetry, prose, and parable it deals with the realities of the human experience. With the book as our guide, we will discuss ethics, morals, and everyday experiences and see how they apply to our world today.

Tanakh, as a corpus of sefarim, contains within it many seemingly contradictory outlooks.  Differences in ideology, theology, notions of leadership, and visions for a robust society manifest on almost every page.  Through an in-depth exploration of narrative, legal, and prophetic texts, this course will address seemingly-contradictory stances in Tanakh, and, in doing so, develop an appreciation for a uniquely Biblical worldview.

Each Hebrew month with its Chag has a theme like growth & potential (Shvat), happiness (Adar), freedom (Nissan) etc. Come and delve into these inner meanings, gain inspiration and integrate their lessons into your life.

The course will focus on the interaction between Judaism and other competing ideologies or philosophies. Examples: paganism, Marxism, feminism, egalitarianism, Buddhism, communism, fascism, Hinduism, pluralism, capitalism, existentialism, environmentalism, scientism, epicureanism, socialism, fundamentalism, humanism, determinism, pacifism, Islamism, universalism, Kantianism etc.

Explore the wisdom of Talmudic tales and halakhic literature on interpersonal relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, friends, individual and society and more. Halakhic texts provide practical frameworks while aggadic stories offer reasoning, imperfections and spirit, complementing halakha. Studying both together illustrates sensitivity, optimism and perceptiveness toward human relationships in Jewish sources.

Part III of Sefer Bereshit explores the lives of Yaakov and his offspring that touch, amongst others, on themes of pedagogy, personal development, parental favouritism, choice, and the psychology of resilience and trauma. Using the Biblical text as its springboard, this course will explore themes in Sefer Bereshit that stand at the foundation of our human and Jewish experience of existence. Through the prism of traditional commentators, ancient and modern philosophers, contemporary psychologists and social commentators, it will address a variety of topics that arise in the book of Bereshit from Yaakov onwards.

This course will be an in depth study of the last year of Bnei Yisrael’s travels in the desert. We will examine the trials and tribulations of the new generation as well as the preparations Moshe makes for the nation to finally enter the land of Israel.

We will study one of the less-familiar books in Tanakh, as we compare and contrast the texts of Divrei HaYamim with earlier works. We will explore the time-period and examine the possible agendas and commentary of the author, and learn about the establishment of Malchut Beit David from a renewed perspective. This shiur will enable us to view the trajectory of Jewish history from the Avot through Shivat Tzion, while revealing the book’s internal critique of some of the period’s events and characters.

(Alternate weeks)

The class will focus on the personalities and teachings of the sages who lived during the second temple period. We will look at their individual backgrounds, the historical context in which they lived, and their important lessons. We will cover the Men of the Great Assembly, the”Pairs”, Hillel and Shamai, and others.