Town & Village Synagogue is dedicated to making adult Jewish learning available to all of its members. If you are interested in a class we offer and the cost is a concern, we invite you to contact Nina Lehman or Rabbi Sebert privately to make arrangements that are affordable for you.  We look forward to your participation.

This winter, whether you want to explore the art of Jewish storytelling, learn to lead a shiva minyan, understand the current scholarly debates around the Talmud or consider the concepts of social justice in Judiasm, there’s something to warm your heart and heat your mind. Join us at any of these programs.

THE JEWISH ART OF (SHORT) STORYTELLING: FROM THE CLASSIC TO THE CONTEMPORARY

TAUGHT BY LIATI MAYK-HAI

8 Tuesday mornings, 10:30 – 12 pm
January 17 – May 1
Fee: $175 for T & V members, $225 for non-members

What is the relationship between the storyteller, the story and life, tradition, language and text?  For over a century the short story has functioned as a key genre for Jewish writers across the globe, a genre that Isaac Bashevis Singer believed “constitutes the utmost challenge for the creative writer.”  This 8 session course will focus on the evolution of the Yiddish, Hebrew and English short story (in translation) considering its usage as a Modernist medium, a snapshot of the immigration experience, an expression of mainstream American belonging, a feminist device, a post-Modernist mode and as a contemporary means to reconnect to traditional Jewish storytelling.  We will consider the stylistic and thematic diversity as well as the historical and political context of this treasury of stories as we polish our skills as “crafty readers” of Jewish literature. We will read 2-4 stories for each session.

January 17: Yiddish Storytelling

IL Peretz  & Sholem Aleichem

January 31: Hebrew Firsts

Dvora Baron & Y. H. Brenner

February 21: Nobel Laureates

S. Y. Agnon  & I.B. Singer

March 6: Greenhorns and Real Americans

Abraham Cahan & Mary Antin

March 20: Postwar Fiction

Philip Roth & Saul Bellow

April 3: Riddles of Home

Tillie Olsen & Grace Paley

April 17: Contemporary Israeli Voices

Savyon Leibrecht & Etgar Keret

May 1: Contemporary American Voices

Steve Stern & Nathan Englander

Liati Mayk-Hai is a PhD candidate and adjunct instructor in Modern Jewish Literature at JTS.  She is currently writing a dissertation on Jewish American creative expression during the Great Depression.  In her spare time she also works as a visual artist and ketubah calligrapher.

CANON/CURRICULUM CONTROVERSIES CONCERNING THE TALMUD

TAUGHT BY RICHARD CLAMAN

Shabbat afternoons after Kiddush
January 21, February 11 and 25

Beginning around 1000 C.E., in various places, during various periods – and continuing to our own day – the Talmud became virtually the exclusive subject of study, and was regarded as the sole source of halakha.  These three sessions are intended to provide background to the current scholarly debate as to how and why this occurred, by trying to imagine ourselves in the position of various different commentators in Sepharad and Ashkenaz, at different times.

Background readings will be posted on the website in advance; the particular study texts for each session will be distributed at each session.

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HOW IS SOCIAL JUSTICE JEWISH?

TAUGHT BY RABBI ARI WEISS

4 Tuesday evenings, 7 -8:30 PM
January 24 and 31, February 7 and 14
Fee: $125 for T & V members, $150 for non-members

When one thinks of social justice, one thinks of Jews.  But what exactly is Jewish about social justice other than the fact that many Jewish people are advocates for it? This four-week course will explore the affinities between Judaism and social justice from four different viewpoints.  The first session will focus on how the Bible promotes not only justice but “empathic justice.”  The second session will explore Talmudic narratives that look at justice from the lived experiences of the Rabbis. The next session will look at justice from a more philosophic perspective and focus on the thought of Maimonides and Emmanuel Levinas.  The final session will move from theory to practice and detail current Jewish social justice initiatives and the ways in which they are grounded in Jewish wisdom.

Readings will be from the Tanach, the Talmud, Guide of the Perplexed by Maimonides and Emmanuel Levinas’ Nine Talmudic Readings and Difficult Freedoms.

Rabbi Ari Weiss is the Director of Uri L’Tzedek.   A frequent scholar-in-residence, Rabbi Weiss has taught at foundations. synagogues, and on campuses nationwide.  Rabbi Weiss received his rabbinical ordination from YCT Rabbinical School in June 2007.  He has studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Beit Morasha of Jerusalem. In April 2010, Rabbi Ari Weiss was selected as a Joshua Venture Group fellow, a prestigious honor bestowed upon Jewish leaders that show particular promise for social change.

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HOW TO LEAD A SHIVAH MINYAN

TAUGHT BY CANTOR SHAYNA POSTMAN

Thursday, January 26
7 -9PM

This class is designed for people who are already somewhat familiar with weekday afternoon and evening services, and are interested in learning more about how to lead those services. There will also be an emphasis on the customs of mourning and how to lead the aforementioned services in the context of a mourner’s service.

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INTRODUCTION TO ASL & DEAF CULTURE

TAUGHT BY CHRISTOPHER TESTER, CDI
10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Sunday, February 26
Cost: $20 for T & V members, $25 for non-members

Introduce yourself, your family, your friends, and even your colleagues to a
form of visual communication, and the culture that values it so highly!

TO REGISTER:

* Enroll via PayPal to townandvillage@aol.com (Please specify “ASL Workshop”)
* T&V Members may use Chaverware
* Send check payable to “Town & Village Synagogue”, money order or bring cash
to the T&V Office

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION CALL BRAM WEISER AT 212-677-0368

SAVE THE DATE!! — ASL-interpreted Shabbat Morning Service on January 28th

We’re thrilled to announce another sign-language-interpreted Shabbat Service and hope that you can join us!

WHAT: A Service with full readings from the Torah and Haftorah (Prophets)
WHEN: 10:00 AM — 12:30 PM on Saturday, January 28th
WHERE: Town & Village (T&V) Synagogue (www.tandv.org), 334 East 14th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Manhattan
WHO: Jessica Ames & Christopher Tester

A Kiddush (refreshments and social hour) will follow Services, and all are welcome to participate!

(Please note: Out of respect for Shabbat, pen, paper and electronic devices cannot be used at T&V on Saturday morning.)

For additional information, please contact Bram at bramweiser@usa.net or (212) 677-0368v.

Thanks, and we’ll hope to see you there!

(Schedule is subject to change.)

P.S.  Coming soon…a workshop to introduce (you, ) your friends, family and colleagues to American Sign Language; Purim Night @ T&V with its traditional ASL interpretation; and more…so please keep your eyes open for more details as they become available!

P.P.S.  ASL interpreters are available at T&V when requests are made in advance.  Please contact Bram (bramweiser@usa.net) for more information.

Town and Village offers a wonderfully rich intergenerational community that we invite you to experience. We offer Friday evening programming — the second Friday of every month — specially designed for those in their 20′s and 30′s. We also host happy hours & will begin to offer other events. All young adults and graduate students are welcome to join us for these events, and for our weekly Shabbat services and holiday celebrations. Bring friends, colleagues, significant others, partners, spouses, or come alone and meet new people!

TO JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST, or if you have any questions, send an email to youngadults@tandv.org so we can invite you to our upcoming events.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people attend your events?

We tend to have anywhere from 80 – 120. 120 is the max capacity of the dinners.

What ages come to your events?

Our events are specifically for people in their twenties (over 21) and thirties. If you are in another age range, just let us know, and we will be happy to connect you to other programs taking place in the synagogue as part of its inter-generational offerings.

What do I wear?

Something that balances comfort and festivity! You will find people wearing everything from nice jeans and button-down shirts to full suits and dresses. Wear whatever makes you comfortable!

Is this a singles event?

While many people who come to these events are single, and it’s a great place to meet people, we welcome couples — married, dating, and people of all relationship statuses.

Can I bring my boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, spouse if he/she is of another religious background?

Yes! We invite you both to join us for Shabbat and all of our programs!

Do I have to know or be able to read Hebrew to come to services?

Not at all! We welcome you to use our transliterated prayer book, where you can also read everything in English and follow along! We offer them during services and will distribute them in the beginning of the Friday night services. In case you can’t find one, just ask one of the ushers or the rabbi, and we’ll be glad to share one with you!

What if I’m running late?

Come anyway! We welcome you to join us whenever you can, just make sure you introduce yourself to one of the coordinators so we know you made it! Shabbat is a time to relax, not rush!

Can I bring my children?

If you are in your twenties or thirties and want to bring a baby or young child please just let us know when RSVP-ing.

Other Questions? Email Emily at youngadults@tandv.org, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have!

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Please bring canned, dry and nonperishable food to the synagogue for all of October.

The talmud states “Providing charity for poor and hungry people weighs as heavily
as all the other commandments of the Torah combined.” (Baba Batra 99).
Please bring canned, dry and nonperishable food to the synagogue for all of October.

Bins will be either in the lobby or outside the door on the holidays. Food will be picked up by City Harvest and donated to the needy in our city. Please call or email Harriet Lutzker for
further information. Hcrlutz@aol.com, or call the synagogue office to leave her a
message.