Instructor: Rabbi Alice Goldfinger
Enter the world of Jewish mysticism. In this class we will trace the development of Jewish mysticism from late biblical times through the beginning of the Hasidic period. We will focus on how Kabbalah influenced Jewish thought and practice. This is a beginner class. No previous experience required and texts will be studied in English.

Instructor: Rabbi Alice Goldfinger
This class is for anyone who would like to understand the development of Jewish law and decision-making. No previous experience is necessary and texts will be studied in English.

Instructor: Steve Steinbock 
If you can read Hebrew, but are tired of not knowing what the words mean, this class is for you.  In eight sessions, students will learn the basics of Hebrew grammar and enough vocabulary to begin making sense of our sacred texts, particularly the Bible.

This class is open to anyone who has taken either Steve Steinbock’s beginning Hebrew course or the one-day Hebrew Crash Course, as well as to anyone else who has the ability to read Hebrew.

Companioning the Spiritual Journey: Experiencing Jewish Spiritual Direction
Instructor: Christine Dietz
Spiritual direction is a contemplative practice found in most major religions, including Judaism, that supports people in their spiritual journeys.  A Jewish spiritual director is a “holy listener” – someone who acts as a companion to individuals or groups as they explore their spiritual lives and their relationships with God. Recently, Jewish spiritual directors have been redefining the practice of spiritual direction for modern Jews, grounding this practice in traditional Jewish texts and practices.  Examples of spiritual direction are found in the Torah and Tanakh, as well as in post-Biblical traditions such as Mussar and Hasidism. Some Hebrew terms for spiritual director include “moreh derekh” (“guide to the way”) and “mashpi’a,” (“channel”).
 

Jewish Ethics in Daily Life
Instructor: Christine Dietz
Many of us are committed to living Jewish lives, yet we may struggle with how to apply Jewish teachings to the ethical dilemmas we encounter every day. How do Jewish ethics influence our family relationships and friendships? What do we do when Jewish values conflict with expectations at work? What is the relationship between Jewish values and our political activities and choices? Join us as we explore these questions and more in a three-session discussion group facilitated by Christine Dietz. The group will be informal, with plenty of opportunity for discussion of the ethical questions and dilemmas most relevant to you.

Instructor: Rabbi Goldfinger
On the eve of Passover in 1135 in Cordova, Spain, perhaps the greatest Jewish thinker of all time was born: Moses Maimonides.  Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “If one did not know that Maimonides was the name of a man, one would assume it was the name of a university.” Jewish day schools, hospitals and colleges around the world bear his name because his erudition and influence on medicine, philosophy and Jewish law was so profound.read more

Instructor: Rabbi Alice Goldfinger
The Introduction to Judaism class is a 15-session course designed to provide a basic foundation in the principles and practices of Judaism. This class is helpful both to Jews seeking to improve their knowledge of “the basics” and non-Jews who are curious about Judaism. This class is required before conversion to Judaism at Bet Ha’am.

European Gestation - American Birth: Modern Jewry in Transition from 1763 to 1863
Instructor: Rabbi Laurence Rubenstein
This wide-ranging class covers an important century of Judaism’s growth in Western Europe and the United States.  Discussion topics include the Haskalah and the emergence of the modern Jewish mind; the emergence from the ghetto and assimilation into western Europe; Napoleon’s plan for the Jews (including the Egyptian campaign and the Jewish Homeland, the Sanhedrin, and the Jews as “citizens” of France); the Jewish community in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; the Viennese Jewish community; the Mortara case; the development of Jewish institutions in America; the first Jewish prayer in congress, and the Jewish fight for equality during the Civil War.

Instructor: Rachel Stamieszkin          
Are you a Jewish adult who would like to celebrate becoming Bar/ Bat Mitzvah by chanting from the Torah? You don't read Hebrew well or at all?  Don't know how to chant the trope?  If the answer to these questions is YES, you should consider joining the Bet Ha'am Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah class!

The class meets two hours weekly for about a year.  The most recent group began its studies in early 2005.  The class prepares students to lead Shabbat morning worship, including chanting Torah and Haftarah.  Students study the service, its development and content.  A variety of Jewish topics and themes also are covered.
 
The fee for this course is determined based on the number of students in the class. Scholarships are available.  If you have any questions, please contact please contact Rachel Stamieszkin or Rabbi Goldfinger.

Instructor: Rabbi Harry Sky
Midrash is the study of texts, and this class will focus on midrashim about the Torah portion “Lech Lecha.”  The course attempts to enable students to delve beyond a literal reading of biblical text so they can fathom its deepest meanings.

In the three evenings of study, the class will adopt a midrashic approach toward understanding Abraham’s response to the call he sensed asking him to become the progenitor of Jews and Judaism.

The Mysteries of Torah: Zohar and Other Kabbalistic Texts
Instructor: Rabbi Goldfinger
In this class with Rabbi Goldfinger, you will study the foundational texts of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. No previous knowledge is necessary. It is recommended that participants read A Guide to the Zohar by Arthur Green, Stanford University Press, 2004.