Current Programs
Intermediate Conversational Hebrew
Instructor: Toby Liebowitz
Mondays, June 1, 15, 22, 29 and July 6
7:30-8:30 PM
Do you speak basic Hebrew and want to increase your vocabulary and Hebrew fluency? If so, join our experienced teacher Toby Liebowitz for an intermediate conversational Hebrew class! Students should have previously taken conversational Hebrew classes or should have lived in Israel. If you have any questions about this class and whether the level of Hebrew is appropriate for you, please email Toby.
Beyond Dispute
Instructors: Rabbis Michael Fel & Rachel Zerin
Tuesdays, June 9-August 18
7:30-9:00 PM
Debates - philosophical, spiritual, ethical and cultural - are at the heart of Judaism and Jewish life. Are religion and reason compatible? Can Jewish law be changed 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?
Beyond Dispute is a comprehensive curriculum from JTS that offers a substantive, text-based exploration of how these debates have manifested over the course of Jewish history, and how they continue to resonate for contemporary Jewish life. The course enables teachers and students alike 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.
Torah Trop Training
Instructor: Cantor Brian Mayer
Wednesdays, June 10-August 11
7:30-8:30 PM
If you've always wanted to chant Torah, but were too busy/afraid to learn how, this user-friendly class is for you! What better way to spend time during the Pandemic! In this course, we will learn to chant Torah by learning the cantillation system, including:
- How to identify the trope symbols by name and fuction
- How to chant the melodies for each symbol
- How to connect separate words into musical phrases
- How to use Tikkun (Torah reading preparation book)
- How to decipher the fine points of Hebrew reading
Prerequisite: Intermediate level Hebrew reading (decoding skills)
Delve Deeper
Delve Deeper: A Program of Intensive Jewish Study is an exciting adult education initiative that brings dynamic teachers who are experts in their fields to teach in-depth, university-level courses to adult learners in Rhode Island. We strive to bring together a diverse group of learners for semester-long courses that will be interesting and accessible to beginner and advanced students alike. Through background readings, engaging lectures, and invigorating class discussions, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the course topic, strengthen and deepen their Jewish identity, and cultivate relationships with their community of fellow students.
Delve Deeper is a project of Temple Emanu-El's Koffler Bornstein Families Institute of Jewish Studies, in partnership with other area synagogues.
