Jewish Learning Project - Sunday Classes

Schedule and Registration | Handouts & Recordings

Invitation to Judaism | 9-10a | Year-Long Course

Instructor: Rabbi Steven Morgen

This class is open to anyone, but is especially designed for newcomers to Judaism to learn the basics of our way of life, our way of thinking about God, and our way of looking at the world. A separate syllabus outlines the class sessions and topics. Reading list includes Anita Diamant Choosing a Jewish Life, Harold Kushner To Life!, George Robinson Essential Judaism, and Joseph Telushkin Jewish Literacy.

Adult B'nei Mitzvah Hebrew and Prayers | 9-10a | Year-Long Course

Instructor: Cantor Diane Dorf

This class is especially designed for those who did not have a bar or bat mitzvah when they were young. The class will learn how to lead the Hebrew prayers for the Saturday morning service, and how to chant a few verses from the Torah. The Adult Bnei Mitzvah service is scheduled for May 22, 2021 at Beth Yeshurun.

Beyond Dispute | 10-11a | Year-Long Course 

Instructor: Rabbi Danny Horwitz

Debates—philosophical, spiritual, ethical, and cultural—are at the heart of Judaism and Jewish life. Are religion and reason compatible? Can Jewish law change based on context? How do we teach and talk about the Holocaust and the State of Israel? Should we prioritize Jewish causes or universal causes in our giving? Is Jewish tradition intrinsically patriarchal and ableist? Is our relationship with God defined by human obligation or divine compassion? This course was produced by the Jewish Theological Seminary and includes texts and videos with JTS professors on each of the 11 different topics. Rabbi Horwitz will guide the class through this engaging curriculum.

Adult B’nei Mitzvah Class | 10-11a | Year-Long Course 

Instructor: Rabbi Steven Morgen

This class will focus on the structure and meaning of Jewish prayer services as well as interpretation of the Torah, with a particular emphasis on the Torah portion for the Adult Bnei Mitzvah service. (Nasso: Numbers 4:21-7:89).

Introduction to Hebrew | 10-11a | Year-Long Course 

Instructor: Cantor Diane Dorf

Learn to read Hebrew and recognize essential prayer vocabulary. No prior knowledge is necessary. This course is open to everyone, but is required for the Invitation to Judaism students.

Book of Genesis | 10-11a | Year-Long Course 

Instructor: Nahum Footnick, D.A., L.AC

Nahum Footnick continues his close reading of the Book of Genesis, a popular class dedicated to learning valuable lessons from the Torah, verse by verse.

Where Heaven Meets Earth | 11a-12p | Year-Long Course 

Instructor: Rabbi Danny Horwitz

Where Heaven Meets Earth – An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism. Jewish mystics throughout the centuries yearned to come ever closer to our Creator, to penetrate the great mysteries of our world and the meaning of our existence. Using Rabbi Horwitz’s illuminating book, he will explore the various methods and opinions that the mystics uncovered in their quest for Ultimate Truth. The focus this year will be on the 16th century to the present day. Highly recommended to buy Rabbi Horwitz’s book: A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader (JPS, 2016).

Four Paths to One God | 11a-12p | Limited Series Fall 2020

Instructor: Rabbi David Rosen

There are six million Jews in America. Hundreds of books are written yearly by and about Jews. Innumerable studies have been published about American Judaism. Yet American Jewry remains something of an enigma. What are the various religious schools of thought in Jewish life in this land?  How did they emerge and develop? Who were the builders of American Jewish religious life and institutions? Which theologians have shaped the thinking of American Jews? What are the practical and ideological differences between Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Judaism? And will these trends coalesce in the future?