When children of the shtetl began their study of Jewish text, the teacher would put honey on the page to show them the sweetness of Jewish learning. Likewise, this class series will explore the fun and vibrancy of Yiddish language and culture. It will introduce students to the fundamentals of Yiddish conversation, reading, and grammar through highly-interactive games, songs, activities, and short texts. 

This class examines the political history of the Gaza Strip from the aftermath of World War I through the present day. It explores the formation of Gaza as a distinct political entity, focusing on the impacts of Egyptian and Israeli occupations and the resulting social and political changes. Participants will explore how these developments continue to shape the ongoing conflict and the region's future.

Calling all creative writers! In this class, we’ll be using Nicole Krauss’ 2014 novel The History of Love to inspire our own writing practice. This class will be a combination of reading, discussion, writing, and sharing what we write.

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).

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.

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!

All of our foremothers and female ancestors are wonderful inspirations of strength and character. But how is Rebekah different? How does she challenge the gender norms of the Ancient Near East? Together, we'll take a look at the text to decode her story.

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.

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.

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.

When children of the shtetl began their study of Jewish text, the teacher would put honey on the page to show them the sweetness of Jewish learning. Likewise, this class series will explore the fun and vibrancy of Yiddish language and culture. It will introduce students to the fundamentals of Yiddish conversation, reading, and grammar through highly-interactive games, songs, activities, and short texts. 

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

When vengeance and justice collide, how do we determine the limits of moral action? Through the biblical story of Dinah—and its resonances with both contemporary conflicts and tender, overlooked themes of nurture—we’ll wrestle with the complexities of responsibility, righteousness, and the divine.

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 children of the shtetl began their study of Jewish text, the teacher would put honey on the page to show them the sweetness of Jewish learning. Likewise, this class series will explore the fun and vibrancy of Yiddish language and culture. It will introduce students to the fundamentals of Yiddish conversation, reading, and grammar through highly-interactive games, songs, activities, and short texts. 

Step into the world of Abraham Hochman, the clairvoyant of the Lower East Side, and discover his eccentric method of divination using peas, gems, and ancient heroes. In this class, we’ll dive into the quirky practice of “Professor Hochman” and unlock the secrets of his 1909 guide, Der shlisl tsu der nevue (The Key to Prophecy).

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!

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 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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.