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Temple Emanu-El offers learning opportunities nearly every day of the week thanks in part to the generosity of the Koffler and Bornstein families.

Click on any of the offerings listed below for more information, or scroll down to see information on all of our offerings

[logo] Delve Deeper Fall 2023 - Yiddish Folklore & Culture [logo] Let's Talk Hebrew! [logo] Let's Talk Hebrew!
[logo] 929 Tanakh B'yahad (Hebrew Bible Together) Wednesday Morning Minyan followed by breakfast and learning with Rabbi Fel [logo] Hug Ivri with Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer
[logo] Parashat HaShavua Miller Intro to Judaism  

 

Delve Deeper

Delve Deeper is an adult education initiative that brings dynamic teachers to present in-depth, university level Judaic courses to a diverse group of adult learners. Delve Deeper programs are presented in cooperation with the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and area synagogues including: Congregation Beth Sholom, Temple Beth-El, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Habonim, Temple Sinai, and Temple Torat Yisrael. Financial support is provided by the Joseph and Jacqueline Teverow Memorial Fund at the Jewish Federation Foundation of Greater Rhode Island. All are welcome to join!

 

[logo] Two Nations In Your Womb: Jews and Christians in Late AntiquityWinter 2024 - Two Nations In Your Womb: Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity 
Day: Mondays - February 5, 12, 19, 26; March 4, 11, 18 
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Instructors:  Benny Bar-Lavi is the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence in Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian Relations at Providence College. Arthur Urbano is Professor of Theology and Chair of the Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange Committee at Providence College.
Location: Zoom only
Cost: $175 (Scholarships available)

Registration: Register Now!

Join us this winter as we explore how early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism developed, in parallel and in conversation, from ca. 200 to 600 C.E. We will examine Jewish and Christian perspectives on key ideas and practices, methods of interpreting sacred texts, and views of the "Other" and the "Self."

This course is a collaboration between Delve Deeper and the Providence College Jewish-Catholic Theological Exchange.

For more information about the course and the instructors, visit www.delvedeeper.org

iEngage: Jewish Values and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
A Shalom Hartman Institute Lecture and Study Series
 

Day: Tuesdays - January 16 through March 5, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM, Evening Minyan followed by snacks and learning
Instructors: Rabbi Fel and Cantor Mayer

Cost: Members: $54 and includes a course book; Non-members: $72 and includes a course book
Registration: Register Now!

Through video lectures, text study, and lively group discussion, we are pleased to bring the world-renowned faculty of the Shalom Hartman Institute to Temple Emanu-El. iEngage: Jewish Values and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict explores one of the most divisive issues affecting the Jewish people today: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Through the study of Jewish narratives about Israel and the unpacking of the complex meanings of peace in Jewish tradition, participants are invited to explore the ideas and values that animate different attitudes toward the conflict and how these values shape their own political understandings. Although a shared political platform may not be attainable, this course strives to achieve a shared respect for our differences. Together we will engage in a new values-based discourse about Israel, including topics such as: Living with Difference, the Israel We Imagine, Jewish Narratives of Peace, Attitudes Toward the Land, Justice, Self-Preservation, Compromise, and the Idea of Jewish Exceptionalism. Each session includes text study and discussion led by Rabbi Fel and Cantor Mayer, and video lecture and interviews with leading Hartman scholars. 

Let's Talk Hebrew! 
Days:
Mondays (February 19, 26; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1, 8)
Tuesdays (February 20, 27; March 5, 12, 19, 26; April 2, 9)
Time: Alef 5:30 - 6:30 PM

All other classes 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Location: In-person and Zoom options
Cost: $125 per person (scholarship available) 
Plus possible book fee for levels Alef, Bet, and Daled
RegistrationRegister HERE
For more information regarding which level is right for you, contact Toby Liebowitz: tobyaane@gmail.com

Join us for Hebrew Conversation and improve your speaking skills. This Spring we will be offering 5 levels of Hebrew Conversation Classes. 

  • Alef: (Beginners)  Monday evenings in person. Continue to progress in learning to read and write the aleph bet and beginning Hebrew phrases. (working with a book).
  • Bet: (Advanced Beginners) Monday evenings in person. Basic Hebrew reading skills, learning with emphasis on beginning Hebrew conversation (working with a book).
  • Gimmel: (Intermediate) Tuesday evenings hybrid (both in-person and virtual). Can read and write Hebrew and can converse using basic vocabulary in the present and some past tense.
  • Daled: (Advanced Intermediate)  Monday evenings virtual only.  Able to converse in present and some past tense. We read and comment on easy Hebrew stories and newspaper articles. 
  • Hey: (Advanced) Tuesday evenings in person. Can speak Hebrew easily in all tenses, and can read articles and poetry and discuss a variety of current topics.

* In person classes will take place at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. 401 Elmgrove Ave., Providence.

929 Tanakh B'yahad (Hebrew Bible Together) 
Day: Tuesdays/Thursdays
Time: 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Instructor: Clergy and fellow 929ers
Location: Zoom only

Cost: $36 suggested donation to support educational scholarships. (Those not in a position to donate are more than welcome to attend.)
Registration: Register HERE

Have you ever wanted to read the Hebrew Bible in its entirety?  Now in its third cycle, join people all over the world reading just one chapter a day during the week (you get weekends off!).  Using classic and modern biblical commentaries, we will look at the book of Genesis with a fresh set of eyes.  This class will look at sources in Hebrew with English translation.  All are invited, whether you are participating in 929 or not.  Learn more about 929 at https://www.929.org.il

Wednesday Morning Minyan, Breakfast, and Learning
Day: Wednesdays beginning September 7, 2022
Time: 7:30 AM
Instructor: Rabbi Michael Fel
Location: In-person and Zoom options

Following the 7:30 AM minyan on Wednesday mornings, Rabbi Fel will teach for 30 minutes, line by line, from the 16th century book of Jewish practice known as the Shulhan Arukh. Each breakfast will give us a chance to learn more about how our ancestors infused meaning into their everyday lives, share our own Jewish experiences, and work together to develop a spiritual practice that is meaningful and relevant for us today.

Hug Ivri
Day: Thursdays (ongoing)
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Instructor: Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer
Location: Zoom only
For more information, please email Rabbi Kaunfer: akaunfer@cox.net

Rabbi Kaunfer leads this group, conducted entirely in Hebrew. It will continue its study and discussion of midrashim on biblical stories from Bialik’s Sefer Aggadah often moving into a variety of fascinating topics. If you are an advanced Hebrew speaker, join us!

Parashat HaShavua
Day: Fridays (ongoing)
Times: 
In-person: 7:30 AM - 9:15 AM, (class begins after minyan/zman kodesh)
Zoom: 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Instructor: Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer
Location: Zoom only
For more information, please email Rabbi Kaunfer: akaunfer@cox.net


Join Rabbi Alan Kaunfer for a weekly study session to discuss highlights from the Torah portion of the week. This weekly discussion takes place on Friday mornings after Z’man Kodesh.

All are welcome!

CLICK HERE to join on Zoom

Re/Intro To Judaism 
Day/Time: Starts Oct 17 and meets weekly on Tuesdays through May. Be in touch with Rabbi Fel for a more detailed syllabus.
Registration: Register HERE!

Cost: Highly subsidized tuition is $350 for an individual, $550 for a couple. If you don’t have enough for tuition right now, don’t panic. Through the generosity of our supporters, we make sure that no one is ever turned away.

Do you want to know more about Jewish ideas, practices, and traditions?
Are you interested in learning more about Judaism?
Are you exploring conversion to Judaism?

Join Rabbi Fel, Cantor Mayer, as well as other teachers in the community, to learn more about the Jewish culture! This course is designed to be an introduction to Judaism so that converts or Jewish people who are unfamiliar will be able to learn more.

View the trailer!

Tue, March 19 2024 9 Adar II 5784