GERTRUDE LEDERMAN Gertrude Lederman Family Continuing Education Program classes at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El offer a wonderful chance to deepen your understanding of Jewish thought, culture, and identity. Please contact Ali Drumm, Director of Informal Education, with any questions at adrumm@nssbethel.org or 847-432-8126. North Suburban Synagogue Beth El's Continuing Education program is made possible through the generous gift of the estate of Gertrude Lederman. The value she placed on Jewish education became the cornerstone of her legacy of lifelong learning in our congregation.
REGISTRATION, TUITION & PAYMENT INFORMATION Check out all our classes and events by going to the Continuing Education page of the Beth El website (www.nssbethel.org/learn/lederman-continuing-education), and register online by clicking on the Registration link on the page. You may also register by contacting Marcie Eskin, Informal Education Coordinator, at meskin@nssbethel.org or 847-926-7903. Classes are offered in four quarters – Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. The fee structure for regular Continuing Education courses with multiple sessions is $125 per quarter, but offered at a discounted price of $60 to NSS Beth El members. Payment for one multiple session course includes any additional Continuing Education classes during the same quarter with no additional charge. For Sisterhood Torah Fund classes, a minimum annual donation of $54, made payable to Torah Fund, entitles the donor to attend any Sisterhood Torah Fund class for the entire year. For registration and further information, contact Rolly Cohen, Torah Fund Vice-President, at rollycohen7@gmail.com. In addition, the Gertrude Lederman Family Continuing Education Program offers a variety of free events, classes and community opportunities which are listed in this brochure, as well as others that will be publicized via email throughout the year. To make sure you are on our mailing list, or for questions about adult education, contact Ali Drumm, Director of Informal Education, at adrumm@nssbethel.org or call 847-432-8126.
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Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World
Book of Jonah = Story of Noah's Ark 2.0
Friday, September 11, Noon–1:00pm Rabbi Alex Freedman On Yom Kippur, we read the story of Jonah as an independent tale of Teshuvah/repentance. But Dr. Judy Klitsner of Pardes points out numerous parallels to the Noah story that enable us to understand the Jonah story in a new way. We will look at her insights and build on them.
Book Launch with author and congregant Professor Roberta Rosenthal Kwall Co-Sponsored by the NSSBE Sisterhood Tuesday, August 25, 8:00 – 9:00pm
Isaac Unbound: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Read the Offering of Abraham’s Beloved Son
Zooming Into the Holidays: How to get the most out of Zoom services in your home and what to do if you're not Zooming in.
JTS Field Family Lecture with Rabbi Burt Visotzky
Monday, August 31, 8:00 – 9:00pm Rabbi Visotzky serves as Appleman Professor of Midrash and Interreligious Studies at The Jewish Theological Seminar. Join us for his presentation on Isaac Unbound: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam Read the Offering of Abraham’s Beloved Son. We will read texts from the New Testament, Church Fathers, and Quran to see how Christians and Muslims read this seminal story. We will then turn to a medieval Midrash to see how the rabbis respond to the interpretations of the other “Abrahamic religions.” Finally, we will discuss the problem with the ideology of martyrdom that all three religions read in the harrowing tale of Genesis 22.
Monday, September 14, 8:00 – 9:00pm Hazzan Benjamin Tisser We have learned these past months that our Synagogue is so much more than our building, and that will become even more evident as we approach the High Holy Days. We are taught that when we build Jewish homes we create a mikdash me'at, a "small Sanctuary", representative of the place where God dwelled in the Holy Temples in Jerusalem. In this session we will discuss practical ways to transform our homes into places of holiness, that we may experience all the depth and beauty of the High Holy Days, whether we do so on our own or by engaging with Beth El virtually.
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Wednesday, September 2, 8:00 – 9:00pm Rabbi Michael Schwab How do we truly see the other and understand the commonality we share? How do we approach people who have different life experiences from our own with humility and respect? How do we reach out of our comfort zone in a pandemic to support different parts of our community? Join Rabbi Schwab as we explore this part of our tradition and apply it to our daily interactions and our commitments for this new Jewish year.
The virtual High Holiday Boot Camp is free of charge to all NSS Beth El members. To register for our virtual High Holiday Boot Camp and receive the Zoom link for all 5 sessions, contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org or 847-926-7903.
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SISTERHOOD TORAH FUND CLASSES There is a minimum $54 donation to attend one or all Torah Fund classes for the whole year listed on this page and also listed on pages 5 through 8 of this brochure. We appreciate the wonderful opportunity to study and support the seminaries of the Conservative/Masorti movement at the same time. The Torah Fund theme for 2020-2021 is B'Yachad which means Together. Donations of $180 and higher will receive the beautiful Torah Fund B'Yachad pin/ pendant. Higher levels of giving include pins with gemstones: pearl, ruby, diamond, and emerald. For more information on these pins, email Rolly at rollycohen7@gmail.com. Wearing the pin signifies the joy of Sisterhood members working together to make our synagogues better and to support a new generation of young Jewish leaders at JTS. To pay by check, make your check payable to Torah Fund. Mail checks to Rolly Cohen, 730 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL 60035. To pay by credit card, see our registration information at www.nssbethel.org/ learn/lederman-continuing-education/registration. Conversational Hebrew Dr. Alicia Gejman Thursdays, 10:00 –11:00am Designed for adults who have basic fluency in reading and writing Hebrew. Follow the Moon Fran Alpert and Dr. Betsy Dolgin Katz Mondays, 10:00 –11:30 am (first Monday of the month), beginning October 5 Explore the Jewish life and literature that emerge from the weeks of each new month of the calendar. Fran and Betsy will select readings and illustrations and guide discussions of Torah, literature, history, art and archeology. The topics will develop from the participants' thoughts and questions. Join us in finding new insights and understanding of the Jewish calendar, Jewish life, and your Jewish heart and soul.
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2021 Torah Fund Pin
Beyond Dispute Rabbi Alex Freedman Tuesdays, 11:00am – Noon, beginning October 20 Debates–philosophical, spiritual, ethical, and cultural–are at the heart of Judaism and Jewish life. Are religion and reason compatible? Can Jewish law change based on context? How do we teach and talk about the Holocaust and the State of Israel? Should we prioritize Jewish causes or universal causes in our giving? Is Jewish tradition intrinsically patriarchal and ableist? Is our relationship with God defined by human obligation or divine compassion? Rabbi Freedman will facilitate communal conversations to go beyond the conflicts themselves to uncover the essential questions that underlie them, and to build a more inclusive view of the Jewish past, present, and future. The curriculum includes videos featuring JTS faculty and other expert scholars and practitioners in the field. Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club Rachel Kamin Sunday, October 18, 1:00 pm Kick-off the New Year with a discussion of the novel The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson. New participants are always welcome! Stay tuned for future dates and titles.
HEBREW LANGUAGE Beginning Ivrit: Beginning Conversational Hebrew Class Partnership with Moriah Congregation Silvi Freedson Wednesdays, 9:30– 11:00am, beginning September 9 Through this partnership class with Moriah Congregation in Deerfield, we will begin speaking Hebrew. We look forward to the chance to practice knowledge of letters, pronunciation, and the basics of reading and conversation. Quarter Fee: $125, $60 discounted tuition for NSSBE members and free to Moriah members. Register by contacting Judy Alex at jalex@moriahcong.org or 847-948-5340.
Sicha Ivrit: Advanced Conversational Hebrew Silvi Freedson Thursdays, 6:00–7:30pm, beginning September 10 Join this Advanced level course to study Israeli literature and culture in Hebrew! New students are always welcome. Quarter Fee: Fall, Winter and Spring Conversational Hebrew (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Dr. Alicia Gejman Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:00am Designed for adults who have basic fluency in reading and writing Hebrew. Open Conversational Hebrew Sundays, 9:30– 11:00am Practice Hebrew conversation and reading informally with other participants. Free. For information, contact Judy Farby at judyfarby@yahoo.com or 847-372-1700.
Café Ivrit: Intermediate Conversational Hebrew Silvi Freedson Tuesdays, 6:00–7:30pm, beginning September 8 This Intermediate level course will help you improve your conversational and reading skills. Quarter Fee: Fall, Winter and Spring
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CLASSIC JEWISH TEXTS Talmud: Tractate Berachot Rabbi Michael Schwab Tuesdays, 10:00–11:00am; beginning August 25 Rabbi Schwab takes students on a journey through the mainstay of the Jewish oral tradition, its rich history, structure, and famous personalities. Quarter Fee: Fall and Winter Beyond Dispute (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Rabbi Alex Freedman Tuesdays, 11:00 am – Noon, beginning October 20 Debates–philosophical, spiritual, ethical, and cultural– are at the heart of Judaism and Jewish life. Are religion and reason compatible? Can Jewish law change based on context? How do we teach and talk about the Holocaust and the State of Israel? Should we prioritize Jewish causes or universal causes in our giving? Is Jewish tradition intrinsically patriarchal and ableist? Is our relationship with God defined by human obligation or divine compassion? Rabbi Freedman will facilitate communal conversations to go beyond the conflicts themselves to uncover the essential questions that underlie them, and to build a more inclusive view of the Jewish past, present, and future. The curriculum includes videos featuring JTS faculty and other expert scholars and practitioners in the field. Lunch and Learn Rabbi Michael Schwab Thursdays, Noon–1:30pm (3 sessions); October 22, November 19, December 17 Each of the three study sessions is centered on the ethical issues of our lives. Relying on source material from biblical and rabbinic texts, there will be discussion of the principles and interpretation of Jewish law over the centuries and how to apply these responsa to contemporary dilemmas. Free.
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JEWISH LIFE AND CULTURE Follow the Moon (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Fran Alpert and Dr. Betsy Dolgin Katz Mondays, 10:00 –11:30 am (first Monday of the month), beginning October 5 Explore the Jewish life and literature that emerge from the weeks of each new month of the calendar. Fran and Betsy will select readings and illustrations and guide discussions of Torah, literature, history, art and archeology. The topics will develop from the participants' thoughts and questions. Join us in finding new insights and understanding of the Jewish calendar, Jewish life, and your Jewish heart and soul.
Romancing the Stone: Jewish Inscriptions in Greco-Roman Society Dr. Ana Igornov Wednesdays, 6:00 -7:30pm, beginning October 21 (5 sessions) What would be known of the Jews in Greco-Roman society if there were no texts, no works by Josephus, or other authors? What if Jews were studied only through stone inscriptions? The Jewish stone inscriptions have much to tell us that is of great relevance and that is often unduly neglected. Quarter Fee: Fall
Together & Apart: The Future of Jewish Peoplehood Rabbi Michael Schwab Tuesdays, 7:45pm (9 sessions), beginning October 20 This Hartman Institute iEngage curriculum examines the forces dividing the Jewish people today, including nationalism, antisemitism, dual-loyalty, and identity politics. It imagines new conceptual frameworks that can help sustain and grow the story of our people for a new millennium. Before each class discussion, students will view lectures by senior Hartman faculty, watch interviews with faculty, rabbis, and public intellectuals, and read primary sources and other selections included in the course sourcebook. Quarter Fee: Fall
Writer's Beit Midrash Wednesdays, 9:30 –11:00am (every other week), beginning September 9 The NSS Beth El Writer's Beit Midrash meets every other Wednesday on Zoom until the synagogue building reopens. All fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoir, and essay writers (published or not yet published) are welcome for discussions, exercises, camaraderie, and critique. Contact Rachel Kamin at rkamin@nssbethel.org or 847-926-7902 for information. Free.
Breaking Jewish News & Views: Jewish News Update Carl Schrag Wednesdays, 9:45–11:00am (10 sessions), beginning October 14 This weekly discussion-based class zooms in on local, national, and global news through a distinctly Jewish lens. We'll talk about Covid-19 and how we're adapting to our new reality, politics, Israel, anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, rifts in our Jewish community, local and global Jewish affairs, campus life, and the intersection between these topics (and more). Every session will challenge everything you thought you knew or believed on a wide range of subjects. You'll learn new things, reconsider old ideas, feel joy, surprise, and even a little frustration. The class is led by Carl Schrag, who formerly was the Editor of The Jerusalem Post and brings a journalist's probing questions to every topic. Quarter Fee: Fall
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EduConcerts: Synagogue Music from Debbie Friedman to Today Hazzan Ben Tisser Thursdays, 8:00pm (4 sessions), October 29 –November 19 Have you ever wondered about how Jewish music has evolved from the traditional choral and Cantorial music of the early 20th Century to the wide variety of melodies we sing today? Join Hazzan Tisser as he introduces us to some of the major influencers of contemporary Jewish music through story and song in a 5-part course. Some of the composers/songwriters we will "meet" include: Debbie Friedman, Michael Isaacson, Craig Taubman, Josh Warshawsky, and other recognizable names! Quarter Fee: Fall
JEWISH LIFE AND CULTURE Conservative Judaism: A Proud and Resonant Intellectual Movement Jacob Cytryn, Executive Director of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin Wednesdays, 8:00pm (3 sessions), beginning October 28 Join us for one or more of four connected but independent sessions that will offer an accessible perspective on the core framework of Conservative Judaism. Sessions will explore the halachic process (Session 1), crucial and compelling contributions to our relationship with Judaism provided by the Movement's intellectual approach (Session 2), and a chance to think deeply about the future of American Judaism and our place within it (Session 3). Session 1: An Unconventional Introduction to the Halachic Process in Conservative Judaism Session 2: Context Really Matters: Light, Fire, and a Theology for Pandemic Session 3: Yamin usmol tifrotzi? Self-Perception of the Conservative Movement and the Future of Denominational Judaism This class is offered for free as a gift from Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. Registration required.
Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Rachel Kamin Sunday, October 18, 1:00 pm Kick-off the New Year with a discussion of the novel The Imperfects by Amy Meyerson. New participants are always welcome! Stay tuned for future dates and titles.
ADULT EDUCATION ON DEMAND When are these classes?! You choose! Get a minimum of 5 fellow students together and pick the time and place. The teachers will travel or you can meet in the synagogue. This can be your personal havurah or book club or just a group of friends who want to get together and learn! Short Stories from The New Diaspora: The Changing Landscape of American Jewish Fiction Rachel Kamin Rachel will help to explore a selection of short stories by a fresh crop of Jewish writers who are sharing about the Jewish experience in America.
Girls in Trouble Ali Drumm “Girls in Trouble” is a series exploring women in the Bible through ancient texts, Rabbinic interpretations, visual art, and original songs. New, just-released sessions include Hannah, Sarah, Vashti, the Sotah, and the Daughters of Tzelofchad.
An “Unorthodox” Class Rachel Kamin Each session we’ll listen to segments of Tablet Magazine’s podcast Unorthodox, the world’s leading Jewish podcast. We’ll discuss the news of the Jews and learn more about the interesting guests, books, films, and projects featured on each episode. Fermenting food at Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred restaurant Noma, Jews in prison, etrog farmers in California, the best and worst apologies for Yom Kippur, a Franciscan nun’s first Shabbat dinner, ancient Israeli wine, and more have all been covered on this smart, fresh, fun take on Jewish news and culture. Join us to listen and learn!
Tough Questions Jews Ask Rabbi Alex Freedman Have you ever wondered the following: Why does G-d let awful things happen? Why does Judaism have so many rules? Why marry someone Jewish? This class will explore one big topic after another, utilizing as a guide the book “Tough Questions Jews Ask” by Rabbi Edward Feinstein. We will supplement this book with texts from the Torah and Rabbinic Literature. Participants are encouraged to ask their toughest questions – and share their experiences and honest opinions - with the rabbi and each other.
Quarter Fee: Contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org to begin to set up your learning sessions.
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