There are many Adult Learning opportunities at Congregation Beth Yeshurun this program year. All can be found atbethyeshurun.org/learn/adult-learning and we hope that you’ll take some time to read through all of our offerings. We hope that there is something for everyone!
Registration is now required for all classes prior to your attending classes, and that will be completed on the website.
Beth Yeshurun is excited to partner with the Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning to present some of our classes. We are pleased to be able to offer these classes to you at a deep discount.
For more information, please contact Sheryl Eskowitz, Director of Congregational Learning, at seskowitz@bethyeshurun.org or 713.255.8040.
Here is some brief information about classes that are starting soon, but please go to our website to learn more:
B’reishit: For First Time Expectant Parents Led by: Rabbi Sarah Fort
4 Weeks | Thursday evenings | August 28 - September 18 | 7 – 8:30p |light bites 7 -7:15 Cost: $36 per couple and includes a copy of the book The New Jewish Baby Book by Anita Diamant.
Join Rabbi Fort and local professionals for a 4-part series designed especially for first time expectant parents. Prepare for parenthood in a supportive community of expectant couples!
Unlocking the Gates: A Journey Through the High Holy Day Machzor Led by: Rabbi David Mendelson
4 Weeks Thursday evenings| August 28 - September 18| 7 – 8:30p | light bites 7 -7:15 Cost: $18 The High Holy Days are filled with powerful prayers, stirring poetry, and profound spiritual opportunities—if we know how to access them. Together, we’ll uncover the historical roots, theological meanings, and emotional resonance of these prayers, helping you approach the Days of Awe with deeper understanding and greater intention.
Invitation to Judaism Led by: Rabbi Steven Morgen
Year Long Course |September 7 – May 17 | Sundays 9:00 – 10:00am Cost: $100 + purchase of books on Amazon At Beth Yeshurun, we have a program that enables 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. This class is open to anyone but is specially designed for newcomers to Judaism. Cantor Dorf's Introduction to Hebrew class at 10:00 is required for those taking Invitation to Judaism.
The Fundamentals of Kabbalah Led by: Rabbi Danny Horwitz
Year Long Course |September 7 – May 17 | Sundays 9:00 – 10:00am Cost: $36 Rabbi Horwitz will explain and present the basic ideas behind Kabbalah, along with how it became an important way to understand many aspects of Judaism, and other branches and central themes of Jewish mysticism.
Living Wisdom: A Year of Discovery Led by: Rabbi Danny Horwitz
24 Weeks | September 7 – March 29 | Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $120 (Melton Course) Immerse yourself in an engaging Melton learning experience that combines multiple courses from Melton's Living Wisdom series. Register for all 24 weeks (4 courses- listed below in light green headings – 6 weeks each) to get the best deal or register for just 1 or 2 of the courses below (6 weeks each)! Read more on our website. Be sure to use the Coupon Codes given when registering to pay the heavily discounted rate!
Course 1: Highs and Lows: Our Communal Joys and Sorrows
6 Weeks |September 7, 14, 21; October 5, 12, 19|Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $35 (Melton Course) Jewish history puts a new twist on the famous opening line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Together, we look back on the moments that offer a deeper understanding of the Jewish people throughout the millennia — and inspire us in the present.
Course 2: Press Pause: Rest, Assured
6 Weeks |October 26; November 2, 9, 16, 23; December 7| Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am| Cost: $35 (Melton Course)
Course 3: Pray It Forward: God, Gratitude, and Gathering Together
6 Weeks | December 14; January 4 - February 1 | Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $35 (Melton Course)
Course 4: OMG: Can You Believe?!
6 Weeks | February 8, 22; March 8, 15, 22, 29| Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $35 (Melton Course)
How Do the Ten Commandments Fit Into the Modern World? Led by: Rabbi Brian Strauss
8 Wednesdays | September 10, November 12, December 10, January 14, February 11, March 11, April 15, May 6 | 12:00 – 1:30pm Cost: $80 How do the Ten Commandments speak to the world we live in today? Join Rabbi Strauss for a dynamic, engaging, and informal monthly discussion group. Limited spots available. Registration will open on Thursday morning, August 14.
Introduction to Hebrew Instructor: Cantor Diane Dorf
Year Long Course | October 5 – May 17 | Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $100, which includes a book and flashcards 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.
Prayerbook Hebrew and More Instructor: Naomi Enav
Year Long Course | October 12 – May 17 |Sundays 10:00 – 11:00am Cost: $100, includes books. Have you been looking for a class to help you to understand the Hebrew in our prayerbooks and in the Bible? Or even speak with your Israeli friends and relatives? This is the class for you! Prerequisite is the ability to read Hebrew with vowels.
American Judaism: How It Got Started, Where It’s At, Where It’s Going Instructor: Rabbi David Rosen
6 Weeks: Sundays, October 5 - 26; November 2 - 9 |11:00am – 12:00pm Cost - $18 We will explore how the different movements within American Judaism came into being and how, over time, Judaism itself came to be re-defined by a cohort of religious and secular Jewish organizations.
