ADULT LEARNING The Adult Learning Committee is proud to offer the following courses in the 2010–11 year (5771).

View the Shir Tikvah 2010–11 Adult Learning Brochure.

Rabbi Rim's Courses

• Modern Jewish Thought
  Instructor: Rabbi Rim Meirowitz
  Time: Sunday Mornings, 10–11:30 AM (during Religious School)
  2010–11 Dates: Oct 3 & 31, Nov 21, Dec 19, Jan 9 & 23, Feb 13, March 13, April 10, May 8
  Location: Vinson-Owen School
  Fee: Free to all Temple Shir Tikvah members, no registration
  
  We will look at the development of the modern Jewish world through a historical and history-of-ideas lens. Starting with Spinoza and the Enlightenment, we will move on to the beginnings of Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative Judaism. We'll see how emigration to America created a unique American Judaism. The impact of the Holocaust and birth of Israel will be explored. We will examine the recent challenge of feminism to every aspect of Jewish belief and practice. We will conclude by constructing a picture of the present post-denominational drift. While this course is a continuation of the Jewish History course started last year, it can be taken on its own. Each class will cover a specific topic and can be taken individually.



• Navigating the River of Life
  Instructor: Rabbi Rim Meirowitz
  First Class: September 18 (Yom Kippur afternoon), 2:15 PM at Winchester Town Hall
  Continuing Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
  Continuing Time: Monday evenings at 7:30 PM
  2010–11 Dates: Sept 18, Oct 4, Nov 1, Jan 3, Feb 7
  Fee: Free to all Temple Shir Tikvah members, no registration
  
  A series of 5 discussions with Rabbi Rim on how the Jewish tradition, wisdom, and ritual can help us move through life. The themes will include: The Changing Configurations of our Companions, Rapids: Expected and Unexpected, Change: the One Constant, How to Take Pleasure in the Still Water.
  

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Using Ritual as the Glue to Family Life

Instructor: Judy Elkin
Time: Sunday Mornings, 10–11:30 AM
2010–11 Dates: Oct 3 & 31, Nov 21, Dec 19, Jan 23, Feb 13, March 13, April 10, May 8
Location: Vinson-Owen School
Fee: Free to all Temple Shir Tikvah members, no registration

From bedtime to holiday celebrations and everything in between, there are many opportunities to create rituals that not only provide lasting memories but also shape a powerful family identity. In her book, The Heart of a Family, Meg Cox writes: “The power of ritual to comfort and heal and teach is enormous, and all parents have this power: they just need to know how it works.” Harness the power you have and explore the ways in which you can craft the rituals that create the family life you most want. The working definition of “ritual” includes embracing and adapting commonly known Jewish rituals as well as generic family rituals. We’ll reflect on readings in small and large groups as well as engage in exercises designed to clarify how rituals can help us enhance and strengthen our family life.

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Mussar Program

Facilitator: Lisa Goodman
Time: Sunday Evenings, 7 –9 PM
2010–11 Dates: Oct 17 & 31, Nov 14, Dec 5 & 19, Jan 9 & 23, Feb 6 & 27, March 13 & 27 (snow date)
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $120 + cost of books. Registration required.

The course will focus on 8 traits related to Lovingkindness; including Honor, Equanimity, Compassion, Truth, and Forgiveness. With each trait, the goal is not to achieve a single "ideal" standard but to seek our own individual balance. We will use the book The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness, by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, supplemented by texts from the Mussar tradition. We'll also refer to the book Everyday Holiness by Alan Morinis, a contemporary explanation and exploration of the Mussar tradition.

Class size limited to 12. Contact: ltcgoodman@gmail.com. 

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Focus on Learning

Exploring the Abrahamic Traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

Instructors: Ali Asani (Harvard University), Gregory Mobley (Andover Newton Theological School), Rabbi Or Rose (Hebrew College)
Time: Sunday Mornings, 9:45–11:15 AM (during Religious School)
2010–11 Dates: Oct 24, Nov 7 & 14, Dec 5, Feb 6, March 6, May 1
Location: Vinson-Owen School
Fee: $84. Registration required.

Join us as we explore the similarities and differences among the 3 great Western religious traditions. This unique course offers the opportunity to study the foundational teaching of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam with leading scholars from each tradition. Issues to be discussed in class include understandings of God, sacred texts, and religious praxis. The final session will feature a roundtable discussion on contemporary issues.

 

Beyond the Bible: Explorations of the Rabbinic Tradition

Instructor: Ronit Ziv-Kreger, MetroWest Jewish Day School
Time: Sunday Evenings, 7:30–9 PM
2010–11 Dates: Oct 24, Nov 7 & 14, Dec 5, Feb 6, March 6, May 1
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $72. Registration required.

While Jewish tradition is ultimately grounded in the Bible, the Judaism we know is a product of dramatically changing historical realities that have demanded innovation. The focus of this course will be the rabbis’ legacy, marked with the tension between continuity and the need to address a changing world. We’ll explore themes relevant to our lives such as Shabbat, food, prayer, and interpersonal communications through stories and texts from the Talmud through medieval rabbinic commentators.

 

Jewish Mysticism: Kabbalah Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Instructor: Rabbi Natan Margalit
Time: Sunday Evenings, 7:30–9 PM
2011 Dates: Feb 13, March 6 & 20, April 10, May 1
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $60. Registration required.

We will introduce the basic concepts, beliefs and practices of Jewish Mysticism, concentrating on Kabbalah. This 5-part series will include: “The Divine Romance: Exploring the Masculine and Feminine Within God;” “The Shattering of the Vessels: The Kabbalistic Creation Story;” “Levels of Being: The Theory of the 4 (or 5) Worlds;” “Heroes, Heretics and (False) Messiahs: Tales of Jewish Mystics;” and “Kabbalah Today and Tomorrow: Where Do We Go from Here?”

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Focus on Israel

Shabbaton

A Shabbat Learning Experience hosted by the Israel & Adult Learning Committees
Dates: Friday evening, Oct 29, 2010 at 7:30 PM; Saturday, 0ct 30, 2010; 9 AM – 3 PM
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $15 per person

This Shabbaton, featuring presentations, workshops, and entertainment, will help us understand Israeli cultural and societal factors that have affected the peace process in the past and continue to influence efforts toward peace. Topics will include the wide-ranging effects of immigration, the impact of religion on political behavior, and technology and the economic future of Israel. Bagel breakfast and lunch on Saturday.

 

The Modern Jewish Settlement of Israel

Instructor: Dr. Larry Lowenthal, National Sr. Advisor to American Jewish Committee
Time: Saturday Evening, March 26, 2011, 7–9 PM
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $15 at the door. No registration required.

This lecture will cover the history of the Zionist Movement in Palestine, including Herzl and the Dreyfus Trial in France, the 5 major Aliyot or waves of Jewish immigration to Palestine, the ongoing conflict with the indigenous Arab population, the struggle for Jewish independence in 1947, and the official proclamation of statehood in 1948. Dr. Lowenthal will outline the basic historical contours of one of the most intractable conflicts in modern history — the ongoing war between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

 

Landscape, People, and Culture: An Audiovisual Exploration of Contemporary Israel

Instructor: Ornit Barkai, Research Assoc., Brandeis Hadassah Institute
Time: Saturday Evening, April 9, 2011, 7–9 PM
Location: Temple Shir Tikvah
Fee: $15 at the door. No registration required.

Israeli documentary filmmaker Ornit Barkai will present artistic photography of contemporary Israel, depicting both locations and people, along with related Israeli popular music. In its exploration of contemporary Israeli culture and society, the presentation will include assorted images from Ms. Barkai's private collection and photos by professional and semi-professional photographers, as well as music from a variety of sources.

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Registration

Rabbi Rim's courses and Judy Elkin's course are open to all members, no registration required..

To register for other courses, please send the following information to the Temple Office prior to first class meeting:
Name, address, phone number, and email address.
Indicate the name of the course for which you are registering.

Please mail your check (payable to “Temple Shir Tikvah”) to: Temple Shir Tikvah, 34 Vine Street, Winchester, MA 01890.

Refunds: only for cancelled classes.

Scholarships: available for all fee classes — contact rabbirim @gmail.com.

A registration form may be found in the 2010–11 Adult Learning Brochure.