Isidor I. Rabi, the Nobel laureate in physics, was once asked, ”Why did you become a scientist, rather than a doctor or lawyer or businessman, like the other immigrant kids in your neighborhood?”
And he answered “My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: ‘So? Did you learn anything today?’ But not my mother. She always asked me a different question. ‘Izzy,’ she would say, ‘did you ask a good question today?'”
Jewish studies, from ancient times to today, is about the art of asking good questions. This winter, our courses will seek to answer vital and relevant questions.
The Art of Ethical Speech One Day Retreat
Speech is powerful. Is yours aligned with truth? Is it beneficial?
Join us on Sunday, January 13th to discover the answer as Dr. Marcy Goldstein helps us all cultivate the art of ethical speech to help repair our world! Drawing from world religions, and social sciences, this class focuses on how to achieve clarity and maintain dignity and mutual respect during in-person and social media communications on sensitive, charged topics. Includes lecture, discussion, personal reflection, and small group exercises. The program begins at 10am and runs through 6pm. The cost of the program is $125.
The Key to Kabbalah: Discovering Jewish Mysticism
Are you fascinated by the vast mystery of our universe? Are you curious about Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism?
If you are, then come explore the secrets of the cosmos and the inner dimension of creation during our January Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Yossi Groner. Beginning on January 9th and continuing each Wednesday through January 30th, the class will discover the fascinating arrangement hidden in depths of our universe and learn how each of us holds the key to unlocking its mystical secrets. Classes meet from 12:30pm – 2:00pm (bring your own lunch). The cost is $125.
Secret Identities: Jews in Pop Culture
Did you know that Superman didn’t really come from Krypton?
Do you want to know his real origins? If so, join Dr. Mike Kobre Wednesday evenings in February from 7:00 – 8:30pm for his “Secret Identities: Jews in Pop Culture” class. In this course, we’ll examine how American culture reflects—sometimes in disguised ways—the diversity of American society and particularly the contribution of American Jews. We’ll also consider the role of diversity in shaping the most enduring forms of American popular culture, from Hollywood films to comic books to rock ‘n’ roll music. Our cast will include Superman, Captain America, Al Jolson, and Chuck Berry’s “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man.” Classes meet February 6, 13, 20, and 27. The cost is $125.