Adult Study and Learning

Dear Learners,

It is taught that “the study of Torah equals in value all the other commandments” (Peah 1:1). Maimonides teaches that one is “required to study Torah, whether poor or rich…young or old…” and that one “must set aside definite times to study by day and by night…”

Here at Town and Village we are dedicated to providing a variety of learning opportunities, at all levels of knowledge and at  many times of day. We hope that you will find something here that you wish to study with us. If there is something you would like to see us offer in the future, please let us know.

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.

The coming year promises to be very exciting as we continue some programs and begin some new ones.

Sincerely,

Milton Adesnik and Nina Lehman
Co-chairs, Adult Education Committee

TOWN & VILLAGE SYNAGOGUE
ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES
5773
2012-2013

TOWN & VILLAGE SYNAGOGUE ADULT CHOIR AND JUNIOR SINGERS

LED BY CANTOR SHAYNA POSTMAN

Rehearsals

Rehearsals for our adult choir take place on Tuesday evenings (unless otherwise indicated below), at 7 PM in the Kleiman classroom on the second floor of the Synagogue building.

See below for the 2012-13 rehearsal and performance dates.

If you love to sing beautiful Jewish music, please join the Town and Village Synagogue Choir!

If you are have a child in 2nd grade or older, please invite them to our Junior Singers!
In expressing Jewish identity through beautiful music, participants in our choirs help strengthen our community’s connections to each other.

Made up of volunteers, each year our choirs look forward to welcoming new members.

Singing together a great way to stay connected to the community in a way that is both fun for participants and functional to our Synagogue.  Choir members form strong bonds to one another and their participation enhances the quality of our services on the High Holidays, at our annual Cantor Louis Moss Memorial Concert, on Shabbat Shirah, and throughout the year at such events as T&V’s Musical Purim Spiel, and the Downtown Kehillah’s Holocaust commemoration.

While singing in the choir is a lot of fun, since our repertoire includes a range of music from more simple to more elaborate pieces, members of the choir take rehearsal attendance seriously. They are expected to really learn the music (with the help of the cantor and other choir members), to come prepared to work hard at rehearsals (with a little bit of time to shmooze), to arrive on time and with a smile.

Veteran choir members are invited to sing with us on Shabbat Shirah, and are asked to attend the two rehearsals prior to Shabbat Shirah. They are also welcome to sing with us during services when choir members sing informally with the cantor.

Since are always looking for new choir members with whom to share this experience, please invite any talented Sopranos, Altos, Tenors or Basses to join us. August is the best time of year to join the choir. Please note that only synagogue members (or paying guests) can sing in the High Holiday services.

For more information about the Town and Village Synagogue Adult choir or Junior Singers, please contact Cantor Shayna Postman at cantor@tandv.org or call her at 212-677-8090 ext 25.

Town and Village Synagogue Adult Choir
Season 2012-13

Dates for Rehearsals, Performances, High Holiday Service Participation & Shabbat Shirah

August 7,14, 21, 28

September 4, 11, 13

September 8 Selichot Services – Saturday night

September 16-18 Rosh Hashanah – Sunday night, Monday & Tuesday

September 25 and 26 Yom Kippur – Tuesday night & Wednesday

October 16, 23, 30

November 6, 13, 20, 27

December 4, 11, 13

December 15 – 24th Annual Cantor Moss Memorial Concert – Saturday Night

January 8, 15, 22

TBA Annual Choir Dinner –

January 26 & 27  Shabbat Shirah – Friday evening and Saturday morning

Purim Spiel rehearsal dates (Afternoon rehearsal time TBA)

January 13, 27
February 3,10 17

February 23 Purim Spiel – Satruday evening

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Rehearsal Schedule for Yom HaShoah Program -TBA

Downtown Kehillah Yom HaShoah Program – Time and Location TBA

April 21^st – Zimryah

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INTRODUCTION/CONVERSION TO JUDAISM

TAUGHT BY RABBI STEPHEN C. LERNER, Director of The Center for Conversion to Judaism

Monday evenings

Through individualized and small group programs, in 35 sessions over a one-year period,  students are introduced to the basic beliefs and values of Judaism, Jewish practices in home and synagogue, the rites of the life and year cycles, Jewish history and enough Hebrew to be able to read a prayer book with other congregants. In this personalized setting, students are encouraged to raise questions. and discuss doubts and concerns as they explore, in a warm and open atmosphere, Judaism’s possible meaning for their lives.

TO ENROLL PLEASE CONTACT RABBI LERNER DIRECTLY -212-877-8640 OR 201-837-7552 OR ravsteve@earthlink.net

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LEARNERS MINYAN

LED BY MIKIE GOLDSTEIN, T & V’S RABBINIC INTERN

All Welcome!! No background, Hebrew, or prior knowledge necessary.

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the Siddur (prayer book)?
Do you want to feel more comfortable at services?

Join us, on Shabbat, at 9:30 (meet in the front vestibule) on:
October 6, 13 and 20

December 1, 8 and 15

March 2, 9 and 16

April 20 and 27 and May 4

Topics will include: Introduction to Prayer, the Shema and the Amidah

At Learners Minyan, the concepts of prayer and ritual will be explored, the structure and flow of the Shabbat services will be broken down, you will learn the meaning and importance of some of the Hebrew words, and become familiar with the music and tunes. Learners Minyan will emphasize the spiritual impact of prayer for the individual and the community.

Mikie Goldstein is a fourth-year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he is also studying toward an MA in Talmud.  Since making aliya from the UK in 1989, he has worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector, including at the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Isreal and the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.  During his studies, Mikie has interned as a hospital chaplain and at the New Israel Fund; was responsible for implementing a new synagogue innovation and skills program at JTS; and participated in the University of Cambridge’s Inter-faith Summer School.

To sign up, or for questions about enrollment, please email Nina at nina.lehman@gmail.com. For information about content please email Mikie at  migoldstein@jtsa.edu.

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CONTINUING OUR JEWISH JOURNEY(Toward Bar/Bat Mitzvah): A TWO-YEAR ADVENTURE

TAUGHT BY RABBI LARRY SEBERT, CANTOR SHAYNA POSTMAN, DR. SHARON KELLER, CAROL GREEN AND OTHERS

Fee: T & V members, a contribution to the Rabbi’s Tzedakah Fund
Non-members, $500 per year
Some book purchases will be required

Informational and Introductory Session will be held on Sunday September 23rd, 10:00-11:30AM

2012-2013: Tuesday evenings, 6:45PM- 9PM

Mitzvah: the practice of and theory behind Mitzvah – religious obligation
Oct.  23, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20, 27, Dec. 4, 11, 19

TaNaKh: (an acronym for Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings) a sophisticated introduction to the Hebrew Bible taught by Dr. Sharon Keller
Jan  15, 22, 29, Feb. 5, 12, 26, March 5, 12, 19

Tefilla: The whys and hows of Jewish prayer, with Cantor Shayna Postman
April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 21, 28, June 4

If you would like to deepen your personal Jewish commitments join our Jewish Journey class, which will culminate in a communal (adult Bat/Bar Mitzvah) celebration. Together, through study, we will strive to deepen our connection to Judaism. Our learning will begin with the concept of mitzvah. Over two years, we will become better acquainted with our sacred texts and important prayers. We will orient ourselves to the Jewish calendar, find guidance in the cycle of life rituals and begin to fathom the scope of Jewish history. We will also connect to the broader Jewish world by making a commitment to learn more Hebrew.

This is a two-year program beginning in the Fall of 2012 and continuing through the Spring of 2014. The first year is outlined above.  The second year will address Shabbat, the annual cycle of holy days and holidays, the important theological concepts that are the underpinnings of our rituals and holidays, and Jewish history.Hebrew will be studied throughout both years at an appropriate level for each student. In the second year, everyone will be introduced to Torah and Haftarah trope (cantillation). The decision about whether to culminate one’s learning with participation in a group or individual Bar/Bat Mitzvah is an individual one.

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BRUNCH AND LIT

LED BY SAUL NOAM ZARITT

10 Wednesdays, 10:30AM  – Noon

Fee: $150 for T & V members, $200 for non-members

1. Sept. 12, 2012                           Heatwave and Crazy Birds by Gabriela Avigur-Rotem

2. Oct. 10                                       Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander

3. Nov. 14                                      The Family Mashber by Der Nister

4. Dec. 12                                       The Last Jew by Yoram Kaniuk

5. Jan. 16, 2013                            Motti by Assaf Schurr

6. Feb.  13                                      Garden, Ashes by Danilo Kis

7. March 13                                   The Brothers Ashkenazi by I.J. Singer

8. April 17                                     The Falafel King is Dead by Sara Shilo

9. May 8                                        Kin by Dror Burstein

10. June 5                                     Passage From Home by Isaac Rosenfeld

Saul Noam Zaritt is a PhD student in Jewish Literature at The Jewish Theological Seminary, where he focuses on Hebrew and Yiddish fiction of the early 20th century. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago, Saul received a Fulbright grant to study and translate Hebrew literature in Israel, in particular contemporary Israeli poetry. That same year, on a whim, Saul started studying Yiddish and soon began a Masters degree at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in both Hebrew and Yiddish literatures. While completing this degree Saul also worked at the Nesiya Institute, a non-profit leadership program for Israeli and American young people. Saul is the recipient of several fellowships and awards including a Fulbright grant, scholarships from Beit Sholem Aleichem and the Hebrew University, and a fellowship at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Saul hails from Worcester, MA.

TO ENROLL CALL THE OFFICE AT 212-677-8090
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION CALL NINA LEHMAN AT 212-242-8076

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AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) 2 CANCELLED

TAUGHT BY JOYCE HOM

Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 PM : January 9, 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27 and March 6

Fee: $150 for T & V members, $200 for non-members (individual sessions may be attended, $20 for T & V members, $25 for non-members)

Required Text: “Learning American Sign Language: Levels I & II–Beginning & Intermediate (2nd Edition) [Spiral-Bound]” (book only) by      Tom Humphries & Carol Padden (available at Amazon and elsewhere) This is same book  that was used for ASL 1 at T&V.

PRE-REQUISITE:  Successful completion of “ASL 1″, or Presenter’s approval

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RESCHEDULED

TWO JEWS, THREE OPINIONS: Schisms in  Jewish History and Thought

TAUGHT BY RABBI SHMUEL SANDBERG

Three Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30PM, Free

February 6, 13 and 20 in the Flax Chapel

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LEARN TO READ HEBREW   NEW DATES ADDED !

TAUGHT BY CAROL GREEN

Sundays 10 – 11 AM: December 2, 9, and 16, January 6, 13 and 27, February 3 and 10, March 3, 10 and 17
Fee: $36 for T & V members, $72 for non-members

Start from scratch or follow the Crash Course.  Using the approach and book of the acclaimed National Jewish Outreach Program, attendees will learn to read Hebrew in eight lessons. It’s completely phonetic and lots of fun.

TO ENROLL CALL THE OFFICE AT 212-677-8090
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION CALL CAROL GREEN AT 212-664-7726

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SOME TOPICS IN CURRENT JEWISH THEOLOGY

TAUGHT BY RICHARD CLAMAN

3 Saturday afternoons after Kiddush

January 12, 2013, February 2, and February 23

The three sessions will consider, respectively: (i) the Noachide Commandments as a way of relating to ‘other religions’; (ii) Process Theology, proposed as a new and dynamic understanding of God’s nature; and (iii)  the Free Will Defense to the Problem of Evil.   (I think that each is inadequate.)  Background readings will be posted on-line in advance; and specific texts will be handed-out at each session, all in English. Each session will stand on its own.

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INTRODUCTION TO TANAKH

TAUGHT BY DR. SHARON KELLER

9 Tuesday evenings,  7:15-8:45PM

January 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12, 26, March 5, 12, 19

Fee $275 members, $325 non-members

This class is designed as a general introduction to the TaNaKh (Hebrew Bible) viewed through the lens of modern biblical criticism.  We will analyze the biblical text in its component parts as well as a completed document.  We will use the historic framework as presented in the text as the foundation for our discussions of the methodologies of approach and of the different literary genres that make up this ancient text.

Most assigned readings will be taken from these two books, both of which are easily available.

The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press)

The Etz Hayim Chumash (JPS)

Sharon Keller, a popular teacher at T & V, earned her doctorate at NYU in the Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in the area of Bible and the Ancient Near East.  Prior to that, she earned Masters degrees in Hebrew Education (NYU), Jewish Communal Service (JTS), and Social Work (Columbia).  Dr. Keller held teaching positions at HUC, JTS, NYU among others, and has written numerous articles and edited several academic books, most of which relate to the interplay between biblical Israel and ancient Egypt. Her most popular book, Jews: A Treasury of Art and Literature, was awarded the National Jewish Book Award.

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AT THE ORIGINS OF ISLAM

TAUGHT BY DR. ARNOLD FRANKLIN

3 Monday evenings, 7-8:30 PM

March 4, 11 and 18
Fee: $75 for T & V members, $100 for non-members

Between the years 600 C.E. and 750 C.E. the Near East was dramatically transformed by the emergence and consolidation of Islam. We will explore this formative century and a half by paying close attention to the political and historical context in which the new religious tradition developed. Special attention will be given to the evolution of a distinctive Islamic identity during the period in question. We will be using Muhammad and the Believers: At the Origins of Islam by Fred Donner as a major text, reading about 2 chapters a week, in additional to some supplemental materials.

Arnold Franklin teaches in the History department at Queens College. His research focuses on Jewish society in the medieval Islamic world and he is the author of This Noble House: Jewish Descendants of King David in the Medieval Islamic East (University of Pennsylvania, 2012).

TO ENROLL CALL THE OFFICE AT 212-677-8090, ext. 0

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CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM: WHAT IS  IT ALL ABOUT?

TAUGHT BY MIKIE GOLDSTEIN, T & V’S RABBINIC INTERN

6 Wednesday evenings, 7-8:30 PM

March 6 and 13, April  3, 10, 17 and 24

We will survey the history, philosophy and theology of Conservative Judaism in order to better understand what it means to be a Conservative Jew in the 21st Century.  From its European roots, through the split from the American Reform Movement and its eventual separation from Orthodoxy, we will look out how Conservative Judaism has shaped itself as the center movement in the Jewish world.  We will explore how this stream strives to deal with Jewish life in a modern world, in the US and in Israel.  Through texts, discussions and guest speakers, we will learn what Conservative Judaism was and is today.

Mikie Goldstein is a fourth-year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, where he is also studying toward an MA in Talmud.  Since making aliya from the UK in 1989, he has worked and volunteered in the non-profit sector, including at the Masorti (Conservative) Movement in Isreal and the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance.  During his studies, Mikie has interned as a hospital chaplain and at the New Israel Fund; was responsible for implementing a new synagogue innovation and skills program at JTS; and participated in the University of Cambridge’s Inter-faith Summer School.

To enroll, please call the T & V office, 212-677-8090, ext 0. For information about content please email Mikie at  migoldstein@jtsa.edu.

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INTRODUCTION TO QURAN

TAUGHT BY  DR. HUSSEIN RASHID

8 Tuesday evenings, 7-8:30PM

April 9, 16, 30, May 7 and 28, June 4, 11 and 18

Fee: $250 members, $300 non-members

The Qur’an is the foundational text of the religion of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the revealed the word of God. Muslim tradition holds that it was dictated to Muhammad, by the Angel Gabriel, over a period of 23 years. The Qur’an is non-linear in its structure, so we will examine the text thematically.  In addition, there are many references to the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in the text. After a brief introduction to the origins of the text and Muslim approaches to the Qur’an, we will cover themes of authority, Biblical stories, gender, and jihad. There are numerous translations of the Qur’an. Students should select the translation from among those of Muhammad Asad, Ali Quli Qara’i, Ahmed Ali, Muhammad Abdel-Haleem or Yusuf Ali whose format and style they find the easiest to read.

Hussein Rashid graduated with a BA from Columbia College of Columbia University, and then attended the Harvard Divinity School, where he completed a Masters in Theological Studies. He then received an MA and PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from Harvard University. His dissertation focused on the role of music as a means of integration amongst South Asian immigrants to the US and the UK. His larger research interest is the representation and self-representation of Muslims in America. Dr. Rashid’s theology background has led him to work with various faith communities to build on commonalities by taking differences seriously. He has taught at Virginia Theological Seminary,the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Quest: A Center for Spiritual Inquiry, currently based at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He has lectured at Central Synagogue, Park Avenue Synagogue, All Souls and St. Bart’s. He is a 2010 Ariane de Rothschild Fellow in Cross Cultural Networking and Social Entrepreneurship, a training program involving Columbia Business School, Cambridge University, and ESSEC(École Supérieure des Sciences Économiques et Commerciales).

Syllabus and links to suggested translations available upon request.

TO ENROLL CALL THE OFFICE AT 212-677-8090, ext. 0

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3. How a Law becomes Halacha– unlike our constitutional method of developing legislation Jewish  lawmaking is more complicated, more contextual  and very argumentative, at times, there are no absolutely correct judgments

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PAST CLASSES 2011- 2012

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE (ASL) 1 “Mini-Course”

TAUGHT BY JOYCE HOM

6 Wednesday evenings, 7:00 PM — 8:30 PM

October 10, 17, 24 and 31, November 7 and 14

Fee: $100 for members, $125 for non-members, for the Course; OR $20 for members, $25 for non-members per session( fee does not include book)

REQUIRED MATERIALS: “Learning American Sign Language: Levels I & II–Beginning & Intermediate (2nd Edition) [Spiral-Bound]” (book only) by  Tom Humphries & Carol Padden

To register, please contact the T & V office, 212-6778090, ext 0

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INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

TAUGHT BY DR. MICHAEL PEPPARD

9 Monday evenings, 7:00 – 8:30PM

October 15, 22 and 29, November 5, 12 and 26, December 3, 10 and 17

Fee: $275 for T & V members, $325 for non-members

In this course we will study the origins of Christianity by analyzing its most important literature, now known as the New Testament, in historical context Theological themes–such as the doctrine of God, beliefs about the person of Jesus, sin and salvation–will often occupy our attention, but they are not our only concerns. We will also explore issues of social history, contemporary interpretive struggles. religious identity formation, Jewish-Christian relations, gender and sexuality and political power. Some familiarity with assigned readings will be presumed; each class meeting will supplement and expand on those readings. Syllabus available upon request. Required text is The Jewish Annotated New Testament edited by Levine and Brettler (OUP 2011).

Michael Peppard is Assistant Professor of Theology at Fordham University. His Ph.D. in Religious Studies is from Yale University, with prior degrees from Yale Divinity School (including the Institute of Sacred Music) and the University of Notre Dame. His areas of research and teaching include New Testament studies, Judaism and Christianity in late antiquity, Greco-Roman religions, ancient liturgy and ritual, the reception history of the Bible, religion and politics, and interreligious relations. His first book, The Son of God in the Roman World: Divine Sonship in its Social and Political Context, is published by Oxford University Press. Articles and essays have appeared in journals such as New Testament Studies, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Studies in Christian-Jewish Relations, Judaism, and Commonweal.  He is currently writing a book about the artistic remains from the earliest Christian house-church and baptistery.

TO ENROLL CALL THE OFFICE AT 212-677-8090
IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION CALL NINA LEHMAN AT 212-242-8076 OR EMAIL nina.lehman@gmail.com