Adult Education

Classes at Beth Jacob this winter, 5780, 2019-2020:

Sundays beginning December 15, 2019,  10:00 am – 11:30 am
Getting More Meaning Out of Jewish Prayer
Workshops with Alan Livingston

Join Alan Livingston in going over the text of our prayers in Hebrew and English, and discussing their meaning.
December 15: Birchot HaShachar and P’sukei D’Zimra(the structure of the morning service and a close look at the prayers)

Upcoming workshops:

• The Shema and it’s Brachot
• The Amidah and the Kedushah
• Kabbalat Shabbat

Alan has a Masters of Education and a degree in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto, and has continued courses in Jewish studies and Judaism since. Alan has led workshops on finding more meaning in Jewish prayer for many years in the Havura Movement in Canada and the USA.
$5 admission includes light lunch. To RSVP, please email Shira.

Wednesdays beginning December 18, 2019, 6:30-7:30 pm (immediately following Mincha/Ma’ariv)
Talmud: Avodah Zarah
With Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraeli

Avodah Zarah (Hebrew for ‘foreign worship’, i.e. ‘idolatry’) is a tractate of the Talmud mainly containing discussions on laws for Jews living among, and peacefully interacting with Gentiles, especially idolaters. While Judaism is famously non-proselytising and very live-and-let-live, it is also sometimes viscerally opposed to polytheism and worshipping physical objects.
This tractate deals with a fine balance: how do we remain authentic to our tradition while being respectful of others? How do we accept others rights to worship differently, without actively encouraging practices we believe to be inherently wrong? These discussions were pertinent 1500-2000 years ago when the Talmudic sages lived among Zoroastrians and Greco-Roman pagans, and are equally relevant to us today, albeit in a somewhat different way.

Saturdays, 9:00-9:15 am (ongoing; no registration required)
A Taste of the Parashah
With Rabbi Hillel Lavery-Yisraeli

Short discussion of some of the verses of the day’s Torah portion.
Text (supplied): Chumash with Rashi’s commentary.

All classes are subject to sufficient enrolment and subject to change.

To inquire further or to sign up, please email shira@bethjacobsynagogue.ca or call 905-522-1351.