Upcoming Adult Education programs at Bet Ha’am
The Tishrei Holidays
Join us for these classes on The Tishrei Holidays, which will be taught by Rabbi Saks at Bet Ha’am in the Adult Education classroom:
Wednesday, September 14, 7:00-8:30pm at Bet Ha’am
The High Holidays are a time for soul searching and performing t’shuva (repentance and forgiveness). We will explore the themes of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur and prepare ourselves for the beginning of the New Year. This class is geared towards people with experience with the High Holidays as well as those new to these traditions.
Wednesday, September 21, 7:00-8:30pm at Bet Ha’am
The holidays in the Jewish month of Tishrei continue with Sukkot and Simhat Torah, holidays filled with celebration and joy. We will explore the traditions of Sukkot, our fall harvest festival and Simhat Torah, when we begin reading the Torah from B’reishit (Genesis) again. We will find new meaning in the observances and customs associated with these holidays.
Sunday Mornings
Beginning Sunday, September 25 in the Bet Ha’am Adult Education room
Parents of students in religious school and everyone else: This year we will be offering classes Sunday mornings during religious school. The times are to be determined, but will be between 9:00am and noon.
9:15am - 10:15am : Jewish Values
We will have ongoing discussions of Midot, Jewish values (the theme for Religious school this year). After reading a short story or passage, we will discuss both the values represented in the story and how to bring this into our lives and families. We will parallel the specific values emphasized in Religious School this year. Led be Emily Brocks and Ginger Spiro. Some sessions will led by Dr. Shim Simons. The first class will meet September 25.
10:30am - 11:30am : Basic Hebrew Reading
Have you always wanted to be able to help your child learn Hebrew but do not know the language? Have you always wished you could read the prayers in Hebrew instead of the transliteration? If so, then join a basic Hebrew reading class for adults. We will start with the aleph-bet and progress to reading from the siddur (prayer book). First class will meet September 25.
Looking Ahead
Thursday Mini-Series in November
Thursdays, November 3, 10, & 17, 7:00-9:00pm at Bet Ha’am
Come to Bet Ha’am for an evening of learning and fun. Each night will begin in the Social Hall at 7:00pm for a nosh (snack) and a d’var Torah (teaching) by Rabbi Saks. Then you can choose a class to take for three weeks. We will be offering three concurrent classes, each of which will last for 3 weeks:
- Jewish Cooking with Emily McEntee
Watch for details.
- Joshua
"In Those Days There Was No King In Israel." The Books of Joshua and Judges pick up where the Torah leaves off, chronicling the settlement of the Promised Land and the first great (or failed?) experiment in self- government. We will explore this literature in its historical, literary and religious contexts, and try to find 21st century insights from these early books of the "wars of Israel."
Avis Merdek Smith has been a Jewish educator for more than 30 years. She holds degrees from Mount Holyoke College and the University of Virginia, and has studied at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies in England. Her areas of special interest include the Ancient Near Eastern background of the Hebrew Bible, and First Century studies.
- Reel Theology: Theological Encounters with Contemporary Culture
Is it possible to have a divine encounter while watching television? Can the book you are reading answer questions about God? Can other works of contemporary culture provide occasions of transcendence and religious and ethical exploration? What role can popular culture play in the sacred study of Judaism? We will use film, television and contemporary literature to address these and other important questions as starting points for theological and moral conversation. Taught by Rabbi Saks
The Adult Education Committee hopes every adult in our congregation will be able to find at least one program of interest that is offered at a convenient time during 5772 (2011-2012).
Please help us plan Adult Education programs for Bet Ha'am by completing our survey and letting us know what and when you would like to learn.
The survey can be taken online at: http://tiny.cc/AdultEdSurvey. Paper copies will be available at the synagogue.
The more people who fill out our survey, the better our chances are of offering courses that you want to take! Also, please contact us if you are interested in joining the committee or teaching a class. Thank you.
Please contact the office or Lynn Urbach, lurbach1@maine.rr.com, to let us know what classes you will attend.
All programs are free of charge unless otherwise noted. |
