Daytime Book Club
Have you always wanted to read and discuss Jewish themed books? Our Daytime Book Club provides you with the opportunity to read one of the selected books (list is available in the library) each month and enjoy an exchange of ideas.
Date: 3rd Tuesday of each month
Time: 11:30am -1pm
Contacts:
Sharon Wolfson - shwolfson@sbcglobal.net
Claire Stein - originalclarita1@cox.net
Course Tuition: $18 member, $36 non-member
Yiddish Conversational Group
Celebrate the Yiddish humor and culture of our parents and grandparents, with a Yiddish Class!
Dates: 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month,
starting October 24, 2011
Time: 10am-11:30am
Instructor: Bea Wohl (949/472-6050 or beewohl@aol.com)
Course Tuition: $18 member; $36 non-member
Hebrew and Prayer Refresher
For graduates of past years’ Adult B’nai Mitzvah classes whose Hebrew and prayer fluency needs a battery recharge! Join us!
Date: Wednesdays, October 26 - November 30, 2011
Time: 12pm
Contact: Cantor Shula Kalir-Merton
Torah At Home
Learning is an essential aspect of the Jewish people. While there are many ways to learn at Temple Beth El, you can also do wonderful learning on your own.
Learn daily with “10 minutes of Torah” [http://urj.org/torah/ten/]: a daily email with a brief 10 minutes of learning on the weekly Torah portion.
Read a Jewish book [contact your rabbis for recommendations] or check one out at the synagogue’s library
Lunch & Learn: Jewish Mysticism Study
Join us for an enlightening discussion of the texts and ideas of the Jewish mystical tradition which has intensified our people’s connection to God and enhanced daily life throughout our history. All who are interested in gaining knowledge from these stimulating texts while learning, exploring, and deepening your relationship with Judaism are welcome. No prior Torah knowledge is necessary.
Dates: 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month
Time: 12-1pm
Instructor: Rabbi Peter Levi
Course Tuition: $18 member; $36 non-member
Saba & Savta
All of these sessions for grandparents begin at 9:30am with our Early Childhood Center Shabbat Experience. Grandparents and children will share this special time together. After the completion of Shabbat, the group will move to a comfortable spot where discussion pertinent to grandparenting today will take place, followed by group social time and discussions with Rabbis and Terry Fierle.
Dates: Fridays, December 2nd, February 10th, April 27th
Time: 9:30-11am
Facilitators include: Rabbis Levi and Kort, ECC Director Terry Fierle
Coffee, Chat, and More!
Join ECC Director, Terry Fierle and clergy for inspiring, fun discussions on relevant topics related to Jewish living, parenting, and children’s development.
Time: 10:30am
Dates & Topics:
Friday, December 16th – Holiday Time in the O.C.:
Navigating in a non-Jewish world
Wednesday, February 22nd – Shabbat Chai discussion:
Next Steps in Your Family’s Jewish Life
Wednesday, March 14th – Passover Celebration Preparations:
The Rockin’ Family Seder
Torah Trek Shabbat Hiking
Dates: November 5 and January 21
Come and enjoy a spiritually lifting Shabbat hike in our beautiful environment. Shabbat and the wilderness share spiritual significance. One is a period of time and the other is a defined place; both are untouched by human hands where we can visit and then return renewed and refreshed.
Locations and times to be announced in weekly emails.
It is not just a spiritually value. Science verifies that it is good to get out in nature. Some scientists argue that heavy technology use [cell phones, emails, texting] can inhibit deep thought and cause anxiety, and that getting out into nature can help. A University of Michigan study showed that people can better learn after walking in the woods than after walking a busy street because learning centers in the brain become taxed when asked to process information, even during the relatively passive experience of taking in an urban setting.
Nature can refresh the brain. In nature, our senses recalibrate — you notice sounds, smells, sights… you become more connected to the physical environment, the earth.
We’re hiking with special guest,
and Rabbi Allen Krause Scholar-in-Residence,
Rabbi Jamie Korngold,
on January 21st! Don’t miss it!
People of the Book
Join a fabulous group as we explore Jewish-themed books. This book club will give you the opportunity to read one of the selected books each month and enjoy a discussion of the book’s themes.
Date: 2nd Wednesday of the month beginning October 12
Time: 7:30pm in the Adult Library
Coordinator: Wendy Levin
wenlevin@comline.com
Course Tuition: $18 members: $36 non-members
Introduction to Judaism Course
Interested in learning more about Judaism?
This is a course for anyone interested in exploring Judaism—interfaith couples, those considering conversion, and Jews looking for adult-level basics. Get an introduction to the fundamentals of Jewish thought and practice in 18 weeks. Topics include Jewish holidays and life cycle events, theology and prayer, Israel, history and Hebrew.
Dates: Wednesdays, starting October 19, 2011,
Time: 7- 9pm
Teacher: Rabbi Rachel Kort
This course is sponsored by Temple Beth El and the Union for Reform Judaism. Register for the course online
at: http://urj.org/learning/classes/intro/socal-az/registration/
To learn more contact Rabbi Kort: rabbikort@tbesoc.org;
949-362-3999 ext. 102
Course Tuition: For individuals or couples: $180 members; $250 non-members. Texts must also be purchased (price varies, approximately $110.)
Adult B’nai Mitzvah Class
This class meets for 18 months (on Tuesday evenings) and culminates with the class becoming B’nai Mitzvah in Spring 2013. Class members study Hebrew, Torah, Jewish History, Spirituality, Jewish living and tradition. It is designed for people who have never had the opportunity to participate in a Shabbat service as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, as well as those who may have become Bar/Bat Mitzvah long ago, and wish to experience this important milestone once again with added meaning and deeper understanding.
Dates: Tuesdays, beginning November 1, 2011
Time: 7:30pm
Contact: Cantor Shula shulbird@aol.com
Modernity & Mysticism
We are invited to make Judaism relevant for ourselves and our time—just like our ancestors have been doing so for generations. We will explore the radical and religious transformative thought of both the Jewish Rationalist (Maimonides/Rambam, Mendelsohn, Spinoza, Baeck) and the non-rationalists: Mystics/Kabalists and existentialists (Zohar by Moses de Leon/Shimon bar Yochai, Kabbala and Isaac Luria, the Baal Shem Tov and the Hassidic Masters, Martin Buber) Learn and discuss what they have said and discover (create?) what works for you.
Dates: Wednesdays, November 2, 9, 16
Time: 7:30-9pm
Teacher: Rabbi Peter Levi
Course Tuition: $18 members: $36 non-members
Understanding Conservative and Reform Judaism: Conversations and Ruminations
Temple Beth El has recently moved to actively embrace both Reform and Conservative Jewish observance. Yet, many of us are confused about what the movements stand for with respect to revelation, Jewish law, Israel, understandings of God, etc. We all can learn much from these great and historic movements in Judaism and gain greater clarity about our own choices.
Come and learn from your Reform and Conservative Clergy:
• Saturday, November 5, 12pm – lunch-and-learn after Conservative worship
• Friday, December 9, 7:30pm -- the sermon during Friday night Shabbat services
• Saturday, January14, 12pm – lunch-and-learn after Conservative worship
Rosh Chodesh Groups
Inspired by the ancient tradition that designates the New Moon as a special festival for women, this group meets monthly for learning and connection. If you would like to participate in a monthly group, contact Director of Education Linda R. Kirsch at lkirsch@templebethelsoc.org. or 949/ 362-3999 ext 213.
Inner Radiance - Mystical Teachings of Hanukkah
with K’vod Wieder on Monday, December 12th at 7pm
More than gifts and latkes, more than the victory of a historical battle, the mystical tradition of this winter holiday is full of insight on how to experience the radiance of our soul. Join us for an evening of meditation, singing, and inner learning of how we can enter this holiday in a meaningful way.
Course Tuition: $18 members: $36 non-members
School For Prophets
Come join us to discover the Nevi’im: The Prophets. No prior knowledge of Hebrew or the Bible is necessary. The class goal is to learn a vocabulary of stories of the prophets and to learn how to read this ancient literature in the context of its evolving historical background and its connections to Torah.
This year we will be meeting such interesting characters as Amos, Hosea, Michah and Jeremiah. Reading Jeremiah is like having a front row seat at a most crucial period of Ancient Israel’s Monarchic history. Please read the book of Amos for the opening class.
Facilitator: Jeff Greer
Dates: Wednesdays Jan 4, 18; Feb 1, 15; Mar 21, 28
Time: 7pm
Course Tuition: $18 members, $36 non-members
Jewish Papercuts with Ruth Levi
Enjoy creating your own traditional Jewish papercuts. No artistic talent or prior skills required….just an openness to have fun and be creative.
Ruth Levi is an accomplished artist and teacher in the mediums of paper cutting and calligraphy [Hebrew and English]. She has worked as an artist exclusively since 1997 mainly creating Jewish art: custom ketubbot, mezuzot, mizrachim, and various other sacred text and paper cut pieces. She has shown her work in the major Jewish artisan shows in New York City and Los Angeles. During the 1990’s Ruth studied the art of paper cutting with a master Jewish paper cutter, calligraphy in Jerusalem, and learned the art of writing and restoring Torah Scrolls with a Sofer/Torah Scribe in New York City.
A Brief History of Jewish Papercutting: Papercutting is a Jewish art form that dates back to the Middle Ages. It was a popular craft because the materials (paper, pencil, and penknife) were accessible and inexpensive. Jewish papercuts were often rich with symbolism ranging from Torah to mystical texts. Papercuts were used to decorate ketubbot, mizrachim, megillot Esther, and other Jewish texts. Papercutting has been revived as a Jewish art form in the later half of the twentieth century.
Tuesdays: February 28, March 6 and March 13
Time: 7:30pm - 9pm
Instructor: Ruth Levi
Course Tuition: $36 members, $72 non-members
Tuition includes instruction and all materials
How the Bible Informs How We Should View the World and How the World Views Us
A close reading of the books of Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and Song of Songs.
No prior knowledge or experience with these books necessary. Traditionally these three books were attributed to King Solomon and legend has it that he wrote each one at different times of his life. Ecclesiastes near the end of his life, Proverbs when he was middle aged and Song of Songs when he was a young man. By looking at these books through the lens of the human life cycle we can gain invaluable insight into the way we view our world and the way the world views us. By studying selections from these texts we will engage in serious conversation about how these texts can help shape and improve our own lives and the lives of those around us. The only requirement is an open mind, a willingness to discuss, and an eagerness to learn.
Dates: Mondays March 12, 19, and 26
Time: 6:30-8:30pm
Facilitator: Micah Ellenson, Rabbinic Student Intern
Course Tuition: $18 members: $36 non-members
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