Exploring Jewish Living     Adult B'nai Mitzvah

Fall 2025 Language Classes     Jewish Text Classes     Winter Ceramics 2025

High Holiday Learning

Exploring Jewish Living with Colin Coltrera

The Exploring Jewish Living class at Congregation Beth Shalom provides an opportunity to experience and learn about the Jewish calendar and holidays, examine Jewish life cycle rituals and meanings, and learn about numerous other aspects of Jewish life. The class provides space for the exploration of the meaning and wisdom behind this ancient tradition.  You will explore Jewish living in a program designed with opportunities for you to connect with others on a journey of discovery.  The class is for current members of the Beth Shalom community, those who aspire to be part of the Jewish community and anyone who is curious about Judaism and wants to learn more. If you're interested in taking the Exploring Jewish Living class starting in Fall 2025, please complete this form. 

Adult B'nai Mitzvah 

A Two-Year Journey of Jewish Learning, Community, and Celebration
Want to deepen your Jewish knowledge? Be part of a warm and thoughtful cohort? Improve your Hebrew, learn Torah trope, write a dvar Torah or simply indulge your love of Jewish learning? The Adult B'nai Mitzvah cohort offers one of our three levels of Hebrew classes, study of the Siddur in the fall and the Tanakh in the winter/spring. Courses are led by Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin, Rabbi Rose, and special guests. Participants will also take part in cohort gatherings, shared learning, and opportunities for social action. The cohort is open to Beth Shalom members only. More information and registration here.

Fall 2025 Language Classes:

Hebrew 1 (Aleph Bet) Year-long Course with Ellis Engbar

Eliminate angst and build confidence while learning the Hebrew alphabet and gaining Hebrew reading competence. Come prepared for energized, spirited practice guaranteed to lay the foundation for your love of Hebrew. This is a beginning level course; no prior knowledge needed. More information and registration. 

Hebrew II – Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way (1st semester) with Colin Coltrera
and Sharon Greenberg

Improve your Siddur Hebrew and Tefillot reading fluency.  Do you know your alef-bet, but you’re ready to feel more comfortable in services? Can you sound out your prayers, but you want to know what they mean? In either case, this is the Hebrew class for you. We’ll be using Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way as our primary text.
More information and registration.

Hebrew III (1st semester) with Rabbi Rachel Kort

This course will focus on building proficiency in Biblical Hebrew, reading, grammar, and understanding.
The text book will be The First Hebrew Primer, 3rd edition.
More information and registration.

Intermediate Yiddish (Fall Semester) with Marianne Tatom

This class will help you develop intermediate Yiddish skills, including reading comprehension, conversation, and translation. We will be starting in chapter 6 of Motl Peyse dem Khazns Yiddish Edition (Motl the Cantor's Son by Sholem Aleichem, annotated with exercises by Sheva Zucker). Prerequisite: open to students who have previously taken Intermediate Yiddish at Beth Shalom OR to others with prior instructor approval.
More information and registration.

Jewish Text Classes:

These classes are part of the Beth Shalom B'nai Mitzvah program curriculum, and are open to all who wish to participate.

Deep Dive into Jewish Prayer: 12 sessions, with Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin & Rabbi Rose:

Join us for a rich exploration of Jewish prayer, its structure, theology, and the meaning behind individual prayers. Topics will include: Why pray, keva and kavannah (form and intention), the structure of services, birchot hashachar (morning blessings), the Shma and its blessings, the weekday and Shabbat/festival Amidah, Torah service, concluding prayers, and afternoon/evening services including Kabbalat Shabbat. Students will receive a siddur for this class. More information and registration.

Deep Dive into Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) with Beth Huppin, Rabbi Borodin & Rabbi Rose:

This course offers both an overview and close study of important sections of Tanakh. We will examine classic stories, wrestle with challenging texts, and explore rabbinic and modern approaches to studying the Hebrew Bible. The course also includes special sessions on biblical readings relevant to Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot. More information and registration.

Havdalah Deep Dive and Make Your Own Ceramic Havdalah Set 

Have you wanted to learn more about havdalah?  What’s behind those rituals and blessings?  We’re used to blessing candles and wine, but why would we bless spice?  And why so much ritual to say goodbye? Come to a one-week class learning the theology and history and practice behind havdalah with Rabbi Borodin. More information.

Ceramics Studio Opportunity: a chance to make your own ceramics havdalah set at a local ceramic artists studio in the neighborhood with ceramics teacher Jacquie Hill and Rabbi Borodin.  The studio portion of the class is four weeks, with two weeks sculpting the clay and two weeks of glazing.  More information and registration.

HIGH HOLIDAY LEARNING

Introduction to Rosh Hashanah with Colin Coltrera
Wednesday, September 10, 7:30-8:30pm 
No charge but pre-registration is appreciated.

Building Creative Resilience for a New Jewish Year
Tuesday, September 16th, 7:00pm at Temple Beth Am
Join Rabbis Jill Borodin and Laura Rumpf in collaboration with the Jewish Studio Project for a meaningful, creative exploration of the themes of Rosh Hashanah: renewal, return and repair. We’ll provide all texts and materials, no prior experience necessary to join us for an evening of learning, community connection and creative exploration. Register here.

Introduction to Yom Kippur with Colin Coltrera
Wednesday, September 17, 7:30-8:30pm
No charge but pre-registration is appreciated.
 

After Lunch Learning – Preparing for Rosh Hashanah with Rabbi Borodin
Saturday, September 13, 1-2pm
Registration is not required for CBS members. 
If you are new to CBS, please register for our Shabbat services.

After Lunch Learning – Preparing for Yom Kippur with Beth Huppin
Saturday, September 27, 1-2pm
How might we understand the complex Yom Kippur liturgy as an attempt to take
us on a journey of healing and repair? Join us as we examine some of the
main pieces of Yom Kippur liturgy as we prepare for the upcoming holiday.
Registration is not required for CBS members. 
If you are new to CBS, please register for our Shabbat services.

Return to top of page.