Some of us learned about Judaism as children, but feel like we would like more of an adult understanding.  Others may have experienced Jewish practice, but never studied Judaism formally and never had a B’nei Mitzvah experience.  There are also those who are new to Judaism and want to find out if it is right for them.  If you fit in any of these categories, then come and join us on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm starting on November 5th.  We will explore Jewish practices, including the holidays and lifecycle ceremonies, Jewish history, Jewish theology and much more.  This is your opportunity to learn about Judaism on a deeper, adult level. 

If there is interest, at the end of the class we will have an adult B’nei Mitzvah or confirmation experience where the class members will read from the Torah and/or lead the service.  Please contact Rabbi Master at rabbi@templeofisrael.org or the Temple office at office@templeofisrael.org  if you are interested. 

Nov. 8- 9:30-10:30am-Bad Guys of the Bible

Every good story has an interesting bad guy.  The Bible is filled with people who do evil things.  Come and discover why the Bible has bad guys and what their purpose is in our sacred stories.  We will also discuss what qualities make someone a bad guy in the Bible.

Dec. 6- 9:30-10:30am-The True Story of Chanukah
Chanukah is one of our most popular holidays.  We have all grown up hearing of how the Maccabees fought for freedom and the miracle of the oil lamp, but where did these stories come from.  In this class, we will read some of the actual texts that talk about the holiday and we will discuss the holiday on a deeper level.  We will also discover how our celebration of Chanukah developed over time.

Feb. 7- 9:30-10:30am-The Book of Esther: The world’s first political satire

We all know the exciting story of how Mordechai and Esther saved the Jews from destruction at the hands of wicked Haman.  In addition to the well known plotline, the text has some very satirical elements to it.  We will read the text more carefully to discover the deeper message of the author.

April 25- 9:30-10:30am- Celebrating Israel: The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai

Yehuda Amichai(1924-2000) is considered to be Israel’s greatest modern poet.  Many of his poems speak powerfully about the joys and sorrows of Israel during this time period.  Come and celebrate Israel by reading some of Amichai’s selected poems and discover the beautiful words of this amazing poet.

On behalf of the Jewish people fighting for religious pluralism in Israel, I am outraged that one of our leaders, Anat Hoffman, was interrogated and fingerprinted by Jerusalem police on January 5th, 2010. Police told Hoffman, Executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and leader of Women of the Wall, that she may be charged with a felony for violating the rules of conduct at what many consider to be Judaism's most sacred site. Hoffman's interrogation came less than two months after the November 18th, 2009 arrest of the Women of the Wall member Nofrat Frankel for wearing a talit and holding a sefer Torah.

We will not tolerate this discrimination and abuse to continue among our own people. Women are treated as second-class citizens at a holy and historic place that has great symbolic importance for all Jews. If this were to happen in any other country in the world, the Jewish community would be up in arms. Israel is the rare democracy today that tolerates and even endorses religious discrimination against Jews.

Make no mistake:  What appears to be a growing religious crisis in Israel is as much a threat to Israel's survival as are the external threats, and perhaps more so.   Israel has shown that she can protect herself from armies and terrorists.  Protecting herself from religious extremism may be Israel's biggest challenge--a challenge that cannot and must not be ignored by those who care about Israel's soul.

Pass on our message to the Israeli government: the Kotel is the beating heart center for the whole of the Jewish people, and not an Ultra-Orthodox synagogue. The arrest and intimidation of women praying at the Wall must stop.  The Wall must become a place where all Jews can pray and connect spiritually to Israel.

Address for the Israeli Ambassador to the United States:

Michael Oren

Embassy of Israel

3514 International Dr. N.W.

Washington DC 20008