April 15 to May 30, 2013:  OUR 8 (OF 10) CLASSES

Mondays at PARDES INSTITUTE OF JEWISH STUDIES, a modern orthodox approach to learning for adults (like us--no tests, no papers, etc.) and also for serious 1 year study.  Men and women study together in a very friendly in-depth manner.
Our teacher for both Monday morning classes is Rabbi Reuven Grodner, a student of Rabbi Soloveitchik, one of the great orthodox rabbi/scholar/teachers of the twentieth century.

9am:  the World of Nachmanides aka Ramban--grandson of Maimonides.  His greatest strength was bringing together all sorts of sources  both the literal and mystical,.  He lived in the 1200s in Spain, Acco, and Jerusalem,.  One of the texts we studied was a letter to his son which is probably the earliest example of an ethical will.  We also study his comments on the weekly Torah portion.

11am.  Talmudic Personalities--there are so many I'm glad I didn't have to choose only 6.  Most of these are from the period of the Mishna from 100 to 250 CE

Thursday at Pardes

9am:  "What's Above and What's Ahead"  views of God, angels, prophets, messiah and  afterlife, and  next week resurrection which we will miss.  Source is mostly Talmud.  Teacher is Rabbi David Levine-Krauss, our first Rabbi from the UK, where it is said,  "it is assumed a UK rabbi is 25% smarter than others just because of his accent! "  He likes to sit and discuss at a desk (table) with his legs in the lotus position.  Fascinating.

11am.  "Great Modern Zionist Thinkers" with historian David Bernstein PhD.  We read and discuss original sources by Herzl, Achad Ha'Am, Chaim Weizmann, Jabotinsky, and Rav Kook.  These men had different world  experience, attitudes, and approaches to the establishment of a Jewish Nation for the first time in almost 2000 years.  

Tuesday and Wednesday at The Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center for Conservative (Meaning save and conserve not right wing) Judaism, Project Oded COntinuing Education.  They also have a year-long study program for serious learners preparing for rabbinate of careers in Jewish education.

Tuesday 9am:
Minor Prophets emphasizing the book of Malachi in the Hebrew Bible.  Taught by Rabbi Gail Diamond (Reconstructionist Movement) very knowledgeable.  Stan took a course with her on psalms in the yeshiva (year-long serious part) in 2008.  we analyze the text very carefully sometimes covering 1 paragraph in 1 1/2 hours.

Tuesday 11am:

Analyzing the Torah portion of the week with Rabbi Edward Rom--we look at various Talmudic sources and discuss relevance to our times.  You may have noticed this is the second course with this title.  It is amazing that there is often no overlap or repetition as there are so many possible interpretations.  Talmudic, medieval, and modern rabbis can find similar as well as unique things to think about.

Wednesday 9am:

9am:  "From God's Mouth?  The evolution of oral law from Talmud through Modern Times."    with Rabbi Sid Slivko. There is a long legal tradition in Jewish thought and action--includes court procedures, case-law, and simply discussions  with decisions based on majority but a report including the minority opinion.

The purpose of the class is to learn about the transition from the law of the Hebrew Bible to the oral law wh/ is accumulated wisdom and stories compiled by Judah HaNasi in 150 CE and written down over the next 300 years in the Galilli (in Israel) and separately in Babylon (present day Iraq).

Many rabbis gave opinions about an issue as if they were all seated at the same table.  Yet they could have lived 300 years apart.

10:45:  Development and Archeology of Synagogues outside of Israel 200-500 CE.  Sardis, Turkey, had the largest ancient synagogue with room for 1000 people. It's 3 times larger than any ancient synagogue known in Israel.
  We also studied Herod the Great (ruled 34-4 BCE)  and went to an exhibit about him and the archeologic finding of his tomb (2008).
Instructor is an Dr. Stephen Rosenberg, lawyer turned archeologist--also has a UK accent.   He probably is 25% smarter than anyone else.