Sacred Cycles of Time: Hasidic Teachings on Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot with Rabbi Fern Feldman
Reading Hassidic texts, supplemented with background from Tanakh, Midrash, and Kabbalah, we will explore how to ride the waves of sacred time through the major spring holidays, allowing us to interweave our own journeys with the journeys of our people, the earth, and the flow of divine presence. This course will be in-person, in the CBS Beit Midrash.
Purim: Wednesday, 3/20, 7-8pm
Pesach: Wednesday, 4/10, 7-8pm
Shavuot: Wednesday, 6/5, 7-8pm
Poems for our Days with Rachel Korazim
Monday, April 15
8-9pm on Zoom
The calamity of October 7th and the war that followed, had left Israel and the Jewish world in shock and despair. The unimaginable became our reality. As more details of the horror unfold, as we are facing the painful daily losses in battle and above all the plight of the hostages and their families, we find ourselves less and less able to talk about it. The expression most commonly used is אין מילים ein milim – No Words!
And yet – there are those who struggle and find words to express pain and anger, despair and abandonment.
In our sessions we will read and discuss poetry written these very days. The poems are often raw and painful, while at the same time full of love and even hope. Some are written in forms of prayers such as a new “Kadish”, many reference biblical motifs such as the Akeida or Joseph. Others address the new “correct” language, since one cannot say any more simple things like “I am Okay”, or the two most horrible words in Hebrew nowadays: הותר לפרסום “released for publication” that precede the names of the fallen soldiers on Israeli media. The poems come from different parts of Israeli society and reflect a large variety of voices, new ones are added weekly.
Forks Over Knives Movie Night & Vegan Dessert
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 7:00 - 9:00pm
Join us for a community movie night, followed by vegan dessert and discussion about how animal welfare and animal rights intersect with Jewish values. This year, the CBS Social Action Committee sub-committee Ahavat v'Avodat HaAdamah is embracing the challenge of integrating vegan learning and food into certain Beth Shalom programs to encourage our community to think consciously about food choices and their impact on the environment, thanks to a grant from the Jewish Animal Advocacy Group, SHAMAYIM.
Pre-Yizkor Cemetery Visit
Sunday, April 28, 2024
10:30-11:00am
Join Rabbi Borodin at the Beth Shalom Cemetery (3601 Alaska Road, Brier) for a very brief service in memory of loved ones before Yizkor at the end of Passover. There will also be a chance to learn about Jewish cemeteries in general, and how to read a gravestone. This program is intended for folks visiting loved ones buried in the Beth Shalom cemetery, thinking of loved ones buried elsewhere, or just interested in learning more about Jewish cemeteries (and Beth Shalom's in particular).
2nd Semester Classes
Beyond the Aleph Bet with Gus Feliu
This class focuses on developing proficiency in reading and understanding Biblical Hebrew. Over the 12 weeks of class you’ll have the opportunity to practice sight reading, grow your vocabulary, become familiar with Hebrew grammar and develop your skills as a translator. We will also spend some time learning to write in and read the cursive Hebrew alphabet. We'll be using The First Hebrew Primer (Simon, Resnikoff, Motzkin) as our primary text. Prerequisite: Knowledge of the alef-bet is required.
Format: In-person
Time: Tuesdays, 7:00-7:55pm
Dates: Jan. 23, 2024–Apr. 16, 2024 (12 sessions no class on Feb. 20)
Intermediate Yiddish with Marianne Tatom
This class will help you develop intermediate Yiddish skills, including reading comprehension, conversation, and translation. We will use a variety of textbooks and supplementary materials. Prerequisite: open to students who have completed Intermediate Yiddish at Beth Shalom OR to others with prior instructor approval. The lowered tuition for this class for non-members is possible due to the projected class size.
Format: Virtual (on Zoom)
Time: Tuesday nights, 7:00-8:30pm
Dates: Jan. 23 – Apr. 2, 2024 (10 1.5-hour sessions, no class on Feb. 20)
Exploring Jewish Living
Taught by Gus Feliu. A basic introduction to Judaism, including holidays, texts, and home traditions and a Hebrew class (below). This is our required course for conversion students.
Our Exploring Jewish Living has reached capacity and registration is now closed. If you're interested in conversion and/or want to inquire about class for next year (2024-25), please contact our rabbi's assistant, Ellis Engbar.
Tune In
Honi's Circle
Ḥoni's Circle is a climate chevruta (partner text study), in which Rabbi Paula Rose and Tamar Libicki explore Jewish texts from the Torah, the Talmud, and Commentaries to grapple with climate change. Every two weeks, we will release a new 15-minute episode with its own source sheet, allowing listeners to study along with the discussion. This Podcast is a project of Congregation Beth Shalom and Ahavat V'Avodat HaAdama, our community's environmental group.
Follow along with the source sheet here.
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Additional Learning Opportunities
ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES
FOOD & FRIENDS
COMMUNITY SCHOLAR
ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES
EO is a Jewish community-wide social & education program sponsored by Temple De Hirsch Sinai, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation Kol Ami, Jewish Family Service, Kline Galland, Temple Beth Am and Temple B’nai Torah.
Please see our Adult Social Groups page for more information.