Courses Offered

Courses for Teenagers

Big Ideas from the Weekly Parshah

What can Isaac’s story teach us about dealing with psychological trauma? What role does dream interpretation have in Jewish literature? How do memorials, like the jar of manna in the Tabernacle, build Jewish self-understanding? This class introduces students to text-based study of the Bible, using Hebrew & English commentaries as well as classic art to study different ways of interpreting each week's Torah portion.
Some Hebrew reading required (translations are provided)
Structured for ages 10-12. See below for adult version.

Mitzvot in the Real World

Have you ever wondered... How do laws of kashrut respond to new innovations in food technology? What does "do not place a stumbling-block before the blind" have to do with friendship? What is the proper balance between protecting the environment and providing for our needs? Mitzvot in the Real World asks students to explore how halakhah, Jewish legal reasoning, can help us understand modern-day problems. Prompted by questions from modern rabbis, students probe classical Jewish legal texts and contemporary approaches.
Major units: Jewish Identity, Vices, Social Relations, & the Environment
Structured for ages 13-18. See below for adult version.

Women of the Scrolls: Ruth & Esther
Locked in the scrolls of Ruth & Esther are truths about core Jewish (and human values) like bravery, honesty, loyalty, compassion, and initiative. In this course, we read the scrolls and their classic commentaries carefully, seeking to understand the lessons of these narratives and their relevance to 21st-century life.
Structured for ages 13-18. See below for adult version

Theology: The God of the Hebrew Bible
Meet the God of the Hebrew Bible in God's Different Personas. At Creation, God appears as a surreal mist hovering above the surface of the waters. Yet in Eden, God walks through the Garden and speaks directly with His creations. Noah finds God in a rebuke and a threat, but later sees God in the compassionate promise of the rainbow. In Egypt and at Mount Sinai, God displays great wonders and powers, and Job finds God to be a grand mystery, yet the tales of Moses and Elijah also reveal God's remarkable subtlety. Where does all this lead us? This course takes students on a grand tour of God's personas spread across the breadth of the Biblical canon.
Structured for ages 13-18.

Talmud: 9 Linear Feet of Books on a Shelf
Interact with the Talmud's 9 Linear Feet of Books on a Shelf as a 21-Century Jew. Survey the grand repository of Judaism's Oral Law. Learn to navigate its pages and parse its logical arguments. This class immerses students into the debates among rabbis, and sometimes their curious tales, that fill this monumental work.
Structured for ages 13-18. See below for adult version.

Midrash as Storytelling
Reading between the lines of Biblical text, Midrash is the art of drawing wisdom through imagination, interpretation, and wit. The best way to understand midrash is to re-tell it, in your own words and in new media. This course both explores the structure of classic midrash narratives and helps students channel their imagination through Biblical interpretation and modern technology.
Structured for ages 13-18. See below for adult version.

Hebrew Courses

Prayer Hebrew
Navigate the Siddur and explore the meaning of prayers like the Shema', the 'Amidah, and the Psalms. We will also explore ritual Hebrew texts like the Haggadah and the Book of Esther.

Advanced students will learn to identify, translate, & conjugate Hebrew roots.

Modern Israeli Hebrew
With the rise of Zionism, Hebrew experienced a language revolution. Israelis speak a Hebrew that comes alive with emotion, descriptive imagery, and a modern vocabulary. Learn to speak better Hebrew on the Israeli street, understand Hebrew film, and start reading modern Hebrew writing.

Trope - Chanting the Hebrew Bible
Go beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons and learn how to chant any Torah or Haftarah portion. In addition to group lessons, each student will learn a specific text that they can chant in synagogue.

Structured for students ages 13-18. See below for adult version.

Bar / Bat Mitzvah Tutoring

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Tutoring
Getting ready for your child's entry into the age of Jewish young adulthood? In one-on-one study sessions, the tutor works with your child to build and strengthen skills that will help him or her grow into a mature Jewish young adult. Subjects covered:
Torah & Haftarah Trope (Chanting)
Biblical Text Study
Participating in & Leading Prayer Services
Crafting Divrei Torah (Bar/Bat Mitzvah Speech)
Bar/Bat Mitzvah Projects

Courses for Adults

Trope - Chanting the Hebrew Bible
Go beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons and learn how biblical trope works. Trope - te'amei hamikra - are the grammatical building blocks of the Bible, and they are key to interpreting the meaning of biblical text. This course will look at the trope as a full system of biblical reading. In addition to group lessons, each student will learn a specific text that they can chant in synagogue.
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version.

Big Ideas from the Weekly Parshah
What can Isaac’s story teach us about dealing with psychological trauma? What role does dream interpretation have in Jewish literature? How do memorials, like the jar of manna in the Tabernacle, build Jewish self-understanding? This class adopts a text-based study of the Bible, using Hebrew & English commentaries as well as classic art to study different ways of interpreting each week's Torah portion.
Some Hebrew reading required (translations are provided)
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version.

Women of the Scrolls: Ruth & Esther in Art & Film
Locked in the scrolls of Ruth & Esther are truths about core Jewish (and human values) like bravery, honesty, loyalty, compassion, and initiative. In this course, we read the scrolls and their classic commentaries, seeking to understand the lessons of these narratives and their relevance to 21st-century life. We also grapple with contemporary depictions of these biblical heroines in contemporary art, film, & literature.
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version.

Legal History: Western & Jewish Law
Why is there a relief of Moses among 23 figures of lawgivers above gallery doors in the US Capitol Building? Who is Hammurabi and what's in his ancient law code? Where do our laws come from? How many sets of 10 Commandments are there and why are they in secular courtrooms? Survey modern Western law & ancient Jewish legal principles in this course.
Structured for adults.

Talmud: 9 Linear Feet of Books on a Shelf
Interact with the Talmud's 9 Linear Feet of Books on a Shelf as a 21-Century Jew. Survey the grand repository of Judaism's Oral Law. Learn to navigate its pages and parse its logical arguments. This class immerses students into the debates among rabbis, and sometimes their curious tales, that fill this monumental work.
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version.

Mitzvot in Current Events
Have you ever wondered... How does Jewish law address health-care access problems? Can people create legitimate prayer communities online? How do laws of kashrut respond to innovations in food technology? How do adoption, IVF, and alternative parenting structures affect personal status? What is the proper balance between protecting the environment and providing for our needs? Mitzvot in Current Events asks students to explore how halakhah, Jewish legal reasoning, can help us understand modern-day problems. Prompted by questions from modern rabbis, students probe classical Jewish legal texts and contemporary approaches.
Major units: Jewish Identity, Vices, Social Relations, & the Environment
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version.

Midrash: Crazy Stories
Why did Potiphar's wife give her friends citrons before she showed Joseph to them? Where is the phoenix in the Noah's Ark narrative? When did Esther become a vegetarian? Midrash, or rabbis' imaginative re-telling of the biblical text, produces some of the craziest stories you've never heard. Learn why they make sense and matter.
Structured for adults. See above for teenagers' version ("Midrash as Storytelling").