LIFELONG LEARNING
Lifelong Learning
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The Elaine
Perilstein Fund sponsors programs which illuminate the vitality
and deep spirit of living
in the light of Jewish tradition and teachings. These programs,
usually in the form of scholar-in-residence weekends, have ranged
from Barbara Ehrlich, author of Miriam’s Kitchen (the first
event supported by this fund), to weekends with Reb Mimi Feigelson
and with Rabbi Brad Artson. Beth El is already blessed with great
teachers; however, bringing in scholars and programs from beyond
our synagogue community provides us with great opportunities
for infusions of energy and fresh perspectives.
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Future session dates TBD _______________________________ Care for the Land: In
honor
of Tu B'Shevat, Beth El has invited Ellen Davis, the foremost
expert on the biblical understanding of care for
the land. Her groundbreaking book, “Scripture, Culture
and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible,” is
considered a classic, and she has lectured all over the world
on the topic of environmental ethics. Yonat Shimron will ask Ms. Davis questions about the Bible's message and how it can inform Jewish and Christian understanding of humanity's role in our ecosystem.
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EMMANUEL LEVINAS - MINI-COURSE Emmanuel Levinas has become one of the most discussed, studied and admired Jewish thinkers of our times. His series of essays entitled Talmudic Readings has helped to introduce to a world-wide audience the depth and richness of thought in ancient rabbinic texts. We will read one of these essays (“As Old as the World’) together with the background material that he uses, as he grapples with the question of how Jewish thinking on Justice and the rule of law can have anything to add to the classic statements on the subjects from writers and thinkers in Ancient Greece. Time permitting we will compare his conclusions with the ideas of Rabbi David Hartman who also struggles with the question of ‘Jewish Uniqueness and Jewish Significance.’ The course will take place on five Saturday afternoons in the Beth El Library after Kiddush starting on February 14th. All materials will be in English and will be provided for course participants. All are welcome. There is no charge for this course, however donations to our Lifelong Learning Fund in honor of your studies are always welcome & appreciated. We will follow Levinas footstep and (re-)read The Eumenides. We will then take a close look at the sections from Sanhedrin that he comments on before plunging into his commentary. Time permitting we will set some of Levinas’ thinking against the ideas of the late Rabbi David Hartman. All of the materials for the course will be in English, hard copy will be provided for those attending and the materials will also be available electronically on the Beth El website. The course will take place on five Saturday afternoons, after Kiddush lunch in the Beth El Library February 14-March 21. Saturday, February 14 (~1PM, Beth El Library) – Introduction to Levinas’ life and work and outline of the course. Course Materials:
Saturday, February 21 (~1PM, Beth El Library) – Reading and discussion of Aeschylus’ The Eumenides. Course Materials:
Saturday, February 28 (~1PM Beth El Library) – Reading and discussion of BT Sanhedrin 36b-37a. Begin discussion of Levinas’ commentary. Course Material:
Saturday, March 14 (~1PM Beth El Library) – Continue discussion of Levinas’ Commentary. Course Material:
Saturday, March 21 (~1PM Beth El Library) – Conclude discussion of Levinas’ Commentary, compare with David Hartman’s Israelis and the Jewish Tradition. Course Materials:
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The Saturday morning Mishnah study group meets Saturday Morning Mishnah Study (8:45 AM - 9:30 AM weekly) Feel free to attend at anytime!
Join Rabbis Sager and Greyber for coffee and discussions on text
from the Mishnah. |
Torah
Study with Rabbi Greyber Designed
for parents bringing their kids to B’nai Mitzvah tutoring After dropping off your kids, Rabbi Greyber invites you to grab a cup of coffee from the lobby and come over to the lounge in the Freedman Center for an informal discussion about the weekly Torah portion. No registration or prior Torah knowledge required. Rabbi Greyber has some discussion ideas in mind but welcomes your your questions or thoughts what to discuss. This is the first of many such classes he's offering throughout the year. Our November
class will be part of Synaplex
Shabbat: 11/22,
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Wednesday morning weekday service starts at 8 AM (Rosh Chodesh Wednesday services start at
7:45 AM
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Do you sometimes wish there was more time to
discuss September 6 (led
by Matt Diamond) 10:30-11:20am
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MOSES MENDELSSOHN
This ‘mini-course’ will include a series of five sessions exploring the context and content of Moses Mendelssohn’s (1729 - 1786) work as a philosopher of the German Enlightenment and as a translator of and commentator on Jewish texts. These two roles come together in one of his most famous books, Jerusalem: Or On Religious Power and Judaism, and we will devote two of the sessions to working through the second half of this text in some detail. In the last session we will watch and discuss a recently recovered 1922 silent movie version of the play Nathan the Wise, written by Mendelssohn’s great friend and colleague, G.E. Lessing. The play depicts the Jerusalem of the Crusades. Its central character, Nathan, a Jew living in a city involved in a military contest between Christianity and Islam, is likely modeled on Mendelssohn. Jonathan Hess, the Moses M. and Hannah L. Malkin Distinguished Professor in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures at UNC Chapel Hill and the founding director of the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, will introduce the film and provide background on the relationship between Lessing and Mendelssohn and their respective visions of Jerusalem. The mini-course will be led by David Reed. All texts will be in English and all materials necessary for the mini-course and the discussions will be supplied. A suggested outside reading list for those with interest in the topic will also be provided. There is no charge for this course, however donations in honor of your studies are always welcome and apprecitated. These should be directed to our Lifelong Learning Fund to help support such programs. Dates, Times, Locations & Reading materials:
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_______________________________ Walking with God: A seven-month introduction for adults This course asks the question: If you’ve forgotten, never knew how, Beth El is launching a seven-month Lifelong Learning class open to all adults in the community. It is aimed at those who did not have a Bar or Bat mitzvah and for those who did but are interested in building a more mature understanding of Jewish tradition and spirituality in a warm and supportive environment.
This 24-week class costs $180 for Beth El members Sunday morning classes
will include Move beyond your childhood faith. Take a walk with God. For more information, contact Libby Vaughn (libbyv@gmail.com)
or Ricki Goldstein (ricki.goldstein@duke.edu).
Saturday, November 22 Avraham Infeld will give the Shabbat morning D’var
Torah Beginning at 4:00pm, we will gather for mincha/a brief afternoon
service, a light meal (Seudah Shlishit/Shabbat third meal) &
the concluding study session with our scholar will begin at approx.
5:00pm: “Israel:
A Jewish State, State for Jews, Or?” Avraham Infeld is a native of South Africa, Infeld served as a community shaliach in Baltimore and as director of the Jewish Agency’s Youth Department in England. In the 1970s, he founded Melitz, a non-profit educational service institution that fosters Jewish identity rooted in a pluralistic understanding of Jewish life and the centrality of Israel. In 2003, Infeld was appointed president and director of the Hillel Foundation for Jewish Campus Life, and served in that capacity until 2006. In May 2012, Infeld was elected Chairman of the Board of the Hillels of Israel. Please join us! Shabbat 25 Synaplex Shabbat general information: ________________________________________________ Weekly Midrash
Study Group _______________________________ |
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____________________ As part of our January,
2012 Friday, January 20, 2012: "Almighty,
No Way: Process Theology and Embracing the God You Already
Know." 1 hour, 10 min. / MP3 file,
96MB ____________________
__________________________________ At Shabbat services and a special lunch on October 16, 2010, we celebrated Rabbi Fischer's 80th birthday. Below are links to a D'var Torah given by Kathy Bartelmay on that Shabbat as well as an interview that Aaron Balleisen (age 11) conducted with Rabbi Fischer in April of 2010. D'var Torah Lech Lecha, Kathy Bartelmay (text, pdf) Interview with Aaron Balleisen (audio file hosted by Jewish Sparks) Interview
with Aaron Balleisen (text, pdf) Lerner
School Tribute March 27, 2011 (video hosted by Jewish Sparks)
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Shalom Goldman is Professor of Religion and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University. _____________________________________________________
Dr. Donald Goldstein is a political scientist who has completed all the course work for an MA in Rabbinics from Baltimore Hebrew College. He now teaches Religion and Philosophy at Duke's OLLl program. ___________________________________________________ |
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