ALL OUR CLASSES ARE MEETING VIRTUALLY.
Sisterhood Torah Fund Classes There is a minimum $54 donation to attend one or ALL Torah Fund classes for the whole year. What a 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 donate to Torah Fund by credit card, see our registration information at https://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, 10:00–11:30am (first Monday of the month) 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. Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club Rachel Kamin Sunday, January 10, 1:00pm Join Rachel Kamin for a discussion of the novel A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum. In 1914 an ambitious young doctor and her scientist brother journey across Russia and race against Einstein to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. The author will join the group! Future dates and titles: Friday, February 26 at 12:00 pm - The Book of V. by Anna Solomon; Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 pm - Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein (Family Book Club); April (Date TBD) The Lost Shtetl by Max Gross. New participants are always welcome!
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.
Hebrew Language Beginning Ivrit: Beginning Conversational Hebrew Class Partnership with Moriah Congregation Silvi Freedson Wednesdays, 9:30 –11:00am, beginning January 13 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. Café Ivrit: Intermediate Conversational Hebrew Silvi Freedson Tuesdays, 6:00–7:30pm, beginning December 1 This Intermediate level course will help you improve your conversational and reading skills. Quarter Fee: Winter and Spring Sicha Ivrit: Advanced Conversational Hebrew Silvi Freedson Thursdays, 6:00–7:30pm, beginning December 3 Join this Advanced level course to study Israeli literature and culture in Hebrew! New students are always welcome. Quarter Fee: 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.
Classic Jewish Texts Talmud: Tractate Berakhot Rabbi Michael Schwab Tuesdays, 10:00–11:00am, beginning December 1 Rabbi Schwab takes students on a journey through the mainstay of the Jewish oral tradition, its rich history, structure, and famous personalities. Quarter Fee: Winter
Jewish Life and Culture Follow the Moon (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Fran Alpert and Dr. Betsy Dolgin Katz Mondays, 10:00– 11:30am (first Monday of the month) 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 archaeology. 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. Breaking Jewish News & Views: Jewish News Update Carl Schrag Wednesdays, 9:45– 11:30am (10 sessions), beginning January 6 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: Winter The Heart of Judaism in Theory and Practice Ali Drumm Wednesdays, 7:45pm (10 sessions), beginning February 3 This 10-lesson course from the Florence Melton School of Jewish Learning explores historical and contemporary examples of Jewish commitment to social justice through the lens of Jewish wisdom manifest in our texts. The goal is to inspire participants to take a stand and make a difference. Topics of study include poverty, immigration, environmental degradation and more. Quarter Fee: Winter Special Registration information: www.events.org/MeltonBethEl The pricing is $295, with a discounted Chicagoland non-member fee of $125 and a discounted NSSBE price of $60 as part of our Winter Quarter Fee. NSSBE members enter the code “BethEl” to get their discount. Chicagoland non-members use the code “Chicago.” Sulam for a Purposeful Life Rabbi Alex Freedman Tuesdays, 8:00pm (7 sessions), starting January 12 This engagement and leadership program from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism will help baby boomer congregants reflect, re-energize, and re-imagine their personal and communal lives. Traveling this road with their rabbi, a lay trainer and 10-20 peers, participants will explore their own life experiences, including friendships, careers, health, family relationships, and the legacy they hope to leave behind. They'll also be inspired by Jewish wisdom, challenging themselves to review their experiences and consider possible next acts as individuals or as a group. Quarter Fee: Winter
Jewish Life and Culture (continued) EduConcerts: Sing, Learn and Enjoy! Hazzan Ben Tisser Thursdays, 8:00pm (6 sessions): January 28, February 11, March 4, March 11, April 22, May 6 We will learn songs of a variety of genres, and learn about the people who wrote them and how they influenced the Jewish music we enjoy today! No background necessary for this class. Quarter Fee: Winter Writer's Beit Midrash Wednesdays, 9:30– 11:00am (every other week) 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. Open to the community; free of charge. Contact Rachel Kamin at rkamin@nssbethel.org or 847-926-7902 for information. Sisterhood Torah Fund Book Club (Sisterhood Torah Fund Class) Rachel Kamin Sunday, January 10, 1:00pm Join Rachel Kamin for a discussion of the novel A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum. In 1914 an ambitious young doctor and her scientist brother journey across Russia and race against Einstein to solve one of the greatest mysteries of the universe. The author will join the group! Future dates and titles: Friday, February 26 at 12:00 pm - The Book of V. by Anna Solomon; Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 pm - Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein (Family Book Club); April (Date TBD) - The Lost Shtetl by Max Gross. New participants are always welcome!
When are these classes?! You choose! Get a minimum of 5 fellow students together and pick the time and place. 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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
Quarter Fee: Contact Marcie Eskin at meskin@nssbethel.org to begin to set up your learning sessions.