Exploring Jewish Living
An introduction to the basic traditions, structure, and meaning of Judaism.
Welcome! We're so happy that you're interested in beginning, or expanding, your Jewish journey with Congregation Beth Shalom.
The Exploring Jewish Living class at Congregation Beth Shalom provides an opportunity to learn about and experience 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 in a journey of discovery.
In addition to a weekly hour-long class about Jewish traditions, you will have the opportunity to take a Hebrew class geared toward your level of proficiency. Basic Hebrew knowledge provides a powerful window into Jewish living and meaning.
The Exploring Jewish Living 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.
This class is appropriate for you if:
- You have been Jewish your whole life but haven’t had the opportunity to engage in Judaism as an adult either because you didn’t learn as a child or because that which you did learn didn’t speak to the spiritual questions you are asking today.
- You are not Jewish but interested in learning more about Judaism.
- You would like to convert to Judaism through Beth Shalom.
Timing and Tuition
Class will meet in person on Wednesday evenings from September through June. The class fee includes tuition for Hebrew I or another Hebrew classes that meets your needs. Hebrew classes meet from 7:00-7:55pm and Exploring Jewish Living meets from 8:05-9:00pm.
Tuition is $635/member, $829/non-member. Take it with a partner for a discount: $905 for partners (members), $1175 for partners (non-members). Note that only one partner needs to be a member to qualify for the discount.
Scholarships are also available if the cost is a barrier; please contact Ellis Engbar for more information. The deadline to apply is typically in early October.
More Information
Check out these resources to deepen your learning about Jewish life. Here are topics that will be covered in class.
To know that Beth Shalom is a good fit, we ask that folks considering conversion learn about Conservative/Masorti Judaism prior to filling out the application below and beginning the official conversion process. You may choose to do this by reading this article from MyJewishLearning and/or this article from Jewish Virtual Library, or by attending Shabbat morning services at Beth Shalom.
Please learn more about our Shabbat morning services, and to register to attend. We ask visitors to register for services by Thursday at 12pm to join services that week.