What is Project Zug?

For centuries, Jews have engaged in study “hevruta-style”: working in pairs and reaping the benefits of different viewpoints and from the excitement and engagement of a study partner.

The Rosen Library is partnering with Project Zug, a national initiative from Hadar Institute that supports paired hevruta learning, as our first step in making the Rosen Library a learning hub for Temple Emanu-El.  

How It Works

We’ve selected an initial group of courses from Project Zug’s extensive catalogue, and we will help pair you with a fellow learner interested in your chosen topic. Join us during Tuesdays on Taft when the Rosen Library will offer:

• Coffee, tea, and snacks
• Jewish learning at your own pace, on a topic of your choice
• A welcoming, learning-focused space plus an array of topical resources to enhance Project Zug’s course materials and worksheets

Project Zug Shabbat - October 4, 2025

Our program will kick off with a special Project Zug Shabbat on October 4, 2025. 

After an early (9:15 AM) start to the Shabbat morning service in the Main Sanctuary, we’ll take a break during an extended sermon slot to explore the featured courses.

Members of the Rosen Library Committee will lead congregants through an introductory lesson from a course of their choice.

You’ll see how to use Project Zug’s materials to learn with a hevruta. We’ll also offer a second run-through for parents of Religious School students in a session in the Rosen Library on Sunday, October 5, during religious school hours.

Featured Courses:

• Unlocking the Prayerbook: Finding Meaning in Prayer - Rabbi Elie Kaunfer: This course invites participants to look anew at the prayerbook, to investigate the Shabbat and weekday prayers, with an eye toward personal meaning.
• A Food Tour of the Talmud - Rabbi Aviva Richman: Food is a powerful force at the center of ritual, community, and ethics. This class will explore all of these aspects of food by studying passages on food found across the six Orders of the Talmud.
• The Triumph of Life - Rabbi Yitz Greenberg: Through passages from traditional Jewish texts and excerpts from Rabbi Greenberg’s book, The Triumph of Life, we will explore the purpose of creation, the purpose of Torah, and the purpose of our own selves—as individuals and as a people—in bringing God’s vision to life.  
• God of Our Mothers: What Our Matriarchs Teach Us About Connecting to God - Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish: In this course, we will explore what these matriarchs teach us about connecting to God. Each mother—Hannah, Rachel, Sarah and Hagar—offers a different perspective on how we might understand God and our relationship with God.
• The Balancing Act: Being a Jewish Parent - Rabbi Avi Killip: Parenting young children, while often a blessing, can sometimes be an isolating experience. Now and then, we all need to talk to another adult. This course was created in partnership between Project Zug and Kveller to offer parents a way to meet and connect (digitally, or in person) through exploring what it means to be a Jewish parent.
• Want more options? Temple Emanu-El members will be able to learn from any of project zug’s 50 courses! To see what is on offer, go to www.projectzug.org.