Afropessimism reveals the deep connections between racism and antisemitism, showing how both are rooted in shared systems of exclusion. It helps us understand why antisemitism persists and highlights the need for a multiracial democracy to dismantle all forms of oppression. This class will explore how these ideas can help us build a future of justice for everyone.

Like it or not, half a million people watch Bravo every year. You may know the Housewives for their table flips and screaming fights, but have you seen the adult bat mitzvahs or heartfelt moments addressing adoption and addiction? Let's dive into this pop culture phenomenon--whether have an encyclopedic knowledge of everything Bravo or know nothing, you'll have a blast.

Traditional Judaism forbids tattooing our bodies, but the mystical traditions give a handful of examples in which we “tattoo” God. Come explore how the tradition imagines us inscribing things into the Divine "body." What do these ideas tell us about our relationship with the Divine?

Fanfic (fan fiction) re-imagines literary characters and settings through a new lens.  Often humorous, occasionally serious (the Jewish history of wizards at Hogwarts is one of my personal favorites), these works challenge us to (re)imagine how well-known franchises can expand to include a Jewish perspective.  Together, we'll read original tales that add layers of Jewish content to some beloved stories.

Milk Fed by Melissa Broder is a darkly hilarious, tender, and strikingly erotic story about food, sex, and G-d. Rachel, a lapsed Jew with mommy-issues and a self-made religion of calorie counting, finds herself suddenly and powerfully enraptured with the Orthodox Jewish woman that works at her favorite frozen yogurt shop who is intent on feeding her. Appetites, both physical and spiritual, the sacred and profane, and what it means to be fed are explored in this delicious read.

Come to class with favorite passages, shock, awe, horror, and delight. Expect a lively discussion to feed your hunger, wherever it may lie.

Let’s talk about flowers and deepen our relationships to these beautiful plants that can uplift and comfort us during difficult times. In part three of this series, we will explore Jewish teachings and uses of orange blossom, jasmine, and rose.

Sixty years ago, at Temple Israel in Los Angeles, Martin Luther King Jr. said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Using the Jewish Studio Process we will explore Dr. King’s words and the tensions of our time. Through creativity and reflection, we’ll imagine new pathways toward justice and renewal.

This series of classes will be an in-depth text-study of Likkutei by Nahman of Bratslav, one of the most audacious and innovative Hasidic masters. We will study a variety of his homilies paying attention to structure, interpretive method, and theory of the self. We will spend these two sessions unpacking Likkutei Moharan homily 1:64.

Though we know that change is a constant in our lives, it is sometimes hard to notice the moment of transition itself. Together we will look closely at short pieces by both Israeli and American Jewish poets like Grace Paley and Yehuda Amichai.

The canon of traditional Jewish texts is vast and can be hard to navigate. How might new digital technologies help learners at every level find Jewish texts that speak to our questions and curiosity? We'll talk about the challenges, the opportunities, and the ways that Sefaria, a non-profit dedicated to bringing Torah into the digital age, is working to leverage new technologies to allow ancient texts to speak to modern learners.

This class is designed for rabbinical students and Jewish educators who would like a behind-the-scenes tour of Sefaria, a non-profit whose mission is to bring ancient Jewish texts into the digital age. We will discuss the scope of Sefaria's library, the new tools we're using to make texts more accessible, and tips and tricks to use Sefaria in education and rabbinics.

Are we alone in the universe? And what would it mean for religion, spirituality, and our sense of self if we discover we're not? How might Judaism wrestle with the idea of a nonhuman intelligence? Join Avi Loeb, former chair of the Harvard astronomy department and current head of the Galileo Project in conversation with science journalist and Lehrhaus co-founder Joshua Foer.

The Ruach JOC Torah Learning Cohort from Ammud: The JOC Torah Academy is an 8 week, in-person intentional Torah learning community with other Jews of Color. Taught by JOC rabbis, this is NOT an intro to Judaism class. Dive deep into Jewish text study and create more Jewish wisdom, while building JOC community in your city.

Esther must keep her Jewishness a secret, which raises the question - was she able to keep kosher and how did she do it? And what does this devious diet have to do with hamantaschen, the traditional triangular Purim treat we still eat? Explore ancient Biblical texts and commentaries that reveal the origins of Purim holiday food traditions.

Join us for a captivating shi'ur (class) where the enjoyment of alcoholic beverages is warmly encouraged. Together, we'll explore the intriguing presence of fermented drinks in the Tanakh, a fascinating passage from the Talmud Bavli (Megillah 7b), and the evolution of rabbinic interpretations surrounding a pivotal phrase from these passages.

This class will introduce students to the world of Yiddish folksong through historic and vibrant ethnographic field recordings from Eastern Europe. This class will be immersive in select musical jewels via their texts (Yiddish with English translation), music content, as well as their social context within Ashkenazic life.

Learn how to beautify your Shabbat table with flowers in this hands on floral design workshop. Using sustainable floral techniques, Naomi will guide you in creating a garden-style centerpiece full of color, texture & fun to welcome in the Sabbath Queen!

There are many resources available to those who seek higher pay, professional advancement, or career guidance. How can Jewish teachings also enhance work life? This class will present rich and diverse Jewish perspectives on income, work, and careers that provide a spiritual lens through which to view our professional lives.

As more adults reach toward psychedelic medicine for healing and self-discovery, many often describe their deeply-felt experiences in mystical or "transpersonal" terms--concepts, imagery, and archetypes which lie beyond waking consciousness. We will learn from the first Jewish psychonaut, Ezekiel, and the later magical and mystical traditions inspired by his visions as helpful guides for our own journeys within the psyche.

Purim is more than just a holiday—it’s a wild, joyful, and defiant celebration of Jewish identity, resilience, and creativity. In this class, we’ll explore the themes in the megillah (scroll) of Esther: how irreverence can be sacred, how joy can be an act of resistance, and how creativity fuels Jewish continuity.

Between 1600 and 1800, German Christians regularly sought out Jewish magical expertise to combat devastating urban wildfires. Yet this fascinating history has been completely forgotten—and with it, a powerful precedent for Jewish responses to contemporary climate catastrophe. Drawing on one German Christian and one Hebrew Jewish source (both in translation), we'll examine how a ritual involving challah bread and kabbalistic symbols became a sought-after firefighting intervention in early modern Germany.

On Purim there is a custom of dressing up in misgendered clothing. How does this practice align with the biblical prohibition of men and women wearing each other's clothing? This text based class will explore the intentions and applications of wearing gender affirming clothing, during which we will discuss the role of clothing in communicating our identities. 

Join Death Over Dinner: Jewish Edition for a meaningful exploration of accessible Jewish texts about quality of life, decision-making, and communicating wishes with loved ones. This will be a brave, healing space to talk about how we choose to live our lives, recognizing that they are finite.

Lehrhaus Founder Franz Rosenzweig's 1921 work The Star of Redemption, constitutes a major contribution to both the traditions of western philosophy and Jewish thought. It is a multifaceted and difficult book, and the purpose of this series of meetings is to work through the content of Rosenzweig's Star through group reading and discussion. As a diverse intellectual community, we can hope to better understand the powerful themes of the book, and its consequences in our own lives.

Join Rabbi Dr. Moshe Waldoks, co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor, to explore Jewish humor - what it is, where it comes from, and how Purim plays a large part in its continuity. Come prepared to laugh!

This class will explore the concept of tzimtzum, focusing on whether the infinite Ein Sof can be understood within a finite framework as presented by Isaac Luria and his followers. We’ll examine how the withdrawal of Ein Sof's light creates a "vacuum" that seems empty but still holds infinity in a single point. Various interpretations of this paradox will be discussed to understand how the infinite can be both boundless and concentrated.

When attacked, how far is too far in the name of justice? In the biblical tale of Dinah, Shimon and Levi’s violent retribution against Shkhem raises searing questions. Alongside these weighty questions and their parallels to current conflicts, we’ll discover a quieter, more intimate layer of the story: the language of nurturing relationships and the divine as mother. In this session, we may not find all the answers, but by wrestling with the text, we’ll uncover better, sharper questions about justice, responsibility, and humanity.

This series of classes will be an in-depth text-study of Likkutei by Nahman of Bratslav, one of the most audacious and innovative Hasidic masters. We will study a variety of his homilies paying attention to structure, interpretive method, and theory of the self. We will spend these two sessions unpacking Likkutei Moharan homily 1:64.

If you've ever found yourself in certain kinds of synagogues, you may have noticed a particular way in which people daven (pray): by mumbling! Come and celebrate the silliness of the Purim season by taking a super serious class about mumbling and grumbling your way through all of the Jewish liturgy.

This class will draw upon Dr. Glass's experience of writing her personal memoir about leaving Hasidic Judaism to set herself and her children free. As a trauma-focused psychotherapist, Glass learned to use writing as a tool for healing and reconstructing her relationship with herself, her queer identity, and her Judaism.

Join us as we explore and discuss the startling Talmudic story of the sage Rava (3rd-4th century C.E. Babylonia) creating a “humanoid” who he sends to visit his colleague, Rabbi Zeira. We’ll utilize this haunting, brilliant, and very relevant story as a canvas for discussing artificial intelligence in relation to communication.

Join us to explore and discuss Divine encounters in coffee shops as presented by two of Israel's most acclaimed 20th century poets, Lea Goldberg and Yehuda Amichai.

Explore the intersection of law and Jewish tradition in this engaging class, where we’ll examine court cases and rabbinic texts to understand how Jewish customs (minhag) are viewed in the context of the First Amendment. Delve into the complexities of whether a religious practice must be commanded to hold legal or religious weight, and uncover how minhag shapes our understanding of binding tradition.

A new way of learning Torah!! Join us on a introductory journey into Deep Torah as together we study and explore Torah in a radically different quasi-mystical way, a way that often reveals new, compelling and inspiring ideas that you've most likely never considered. This class is for people of all levels and it will be an introductory session of the opening text of B'reishit (Genesis).

Jews have been involved in Argentine soccer since its inception, participating as players, administrators, fans, and spectators. This involvement is particularly notable in relation to the Atlanta soccer club. The soccer club has also created one of the few environments where Jews and non-Jews—affiliated and non-affiliated Jews, as well as Zionists and non-Zionists—can interact. This class will explore how Jewish Argentines have actively shaped local culture to serve their needs and aspirations.

Jo Sinclair’s Wasteland (1945) was a prize-winning first novel by a talented young writer exploring questions of Jewish family and identity, psychiatry, and sexuality in the U.S. during World War 2. It’s remarkable for many reasons, not least because it’s the first major U.S. novel with a well-adjusted, happy lesbian character (who happens to be an autobiographical stand-in for the book’s author). Read the novel, if you can, and we’ll discuss it; or if you don’t have time to read it, you can join the class, read some excerpts, and learn more about Sinclair’s work.

Not all myths are sweet, and not all legends are safe...  In this session, we'll delve into some Jewish tales from the pre-modern age and contrast them with a very contemporary take on a very old story.  Join in the conversation on this magical Jewish journey through space and time!

Join journalist Abigail Pogrebin and Rabbi Dov Linzer for a lively conversation about It Takes Two to Torah, a book that brings humor, insight, and candor to the study of the Five Books of Moses. Born from their popular Tablet Magazine podcast, this unique dialogue between a Reform journalist and an Orthodox rabbi models how Torah can spark meaningful and relevant conversations across perspectives.

Bestselling author Beth Kander will read from her novel I Made It Out Of Clay, then discuss its strange origin and the real-life story of how a year after writing about grief (with a golem), she found herself in a hauntingly similar situation. Join Lehrhaus Learning Guide Lindsay Flammey Furman and author Beth Kander for a conversation about the book, the topics it tackles, and what it all has to do with Jewish pop culture site Hey Alma!

Join us as we delve into Sarah Mathews’ poem Golem, using it as a gateway to explore bawdy and thought-provoking Medieval, Modern, and Post-Modern golem tales that grapple with themes of consent, agency, and the complexities of mediated sexual experiences.

While back home working in his family's Jewish funeral home, clairvoyant birth doula Ezra falls for widowed death doula Ben… The novel's themes span transitioning, body dysmorphia, being Jewishly observant, navigating complicated family dynamics, consistent and respectful use of pronouns, and navigating conversations about pleasure and consent.

Join us as we explore Becky Chambers’ utopian novel Psalm for the Wild-Built, using its portrayal of earth-based golems and Tellurian powers to examine themes of feminism, environmental consciousness, and restitution. How can these narratives inspire us to imagine a better future?