THE ALAN & LINDA COHEN CENTER FOR JEWISH LEARNING AND LIVING
The Alan & Linda Cohen Center for Jewish Learning & Living offers a comprehensive adult and family education program at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck. Led by our experienced Rabbi, Cantor, and occasional guest instructors, we are proud to offer lessons in the Hebrew language, a course covering the basics of Judaism, a jumping-off point for adults interested in conversion, adult B’nei Mitzvah classes, as well as many other opportunities to share our Judaism together.
Are you looking for a fun and informative event to attend on the first Monday of most months? Look no further than Cocktail Judaism! Hosted by Rabbi Hal Schevitz, this event features engaging conversation, plenty of humor, and guest speakers covering a wide range of fascinating topics. Whether you’re interested in religion, culture, or just having a good time, Cocktail Judaism is the perfect event for you. So mark your calendar and join us for an evening filled with great drinks, great company, and great conversation
Are you a millennial or gen-z professional looking for a group of like-minded individuals to connect with? You belong here! Torah on Tap is made up of a group of young professionals who explore the city together, engaging in a variety of activities from bowling to visiting distilleries and everything in-between. These events are the perfect opportunity to meet new people, have some fun, and expand your horizons. So come join us for our next adventure – you never know what exciting experience we’ll have next!
Did you miss your Bar/Bat Mitzvah as a child? Do you want to reclaim this moment for yourself as an adult? Have you converted to Judaism and want to enhance your understanding of your new faith? It is never too late to own your Judaism! Join our Adult B’nei Mitzvah Cohort. Our class schedule follows the BEZ Sunday Religious School schedule unless otherwise noted. Must be a Beth-El Zedeck member to participate.
First Steps is a program of study and conversations with our Rabbi and Cantor for interfaith couples, for non-Jews, for anyone interested in a better understanding of Jewish culture and faith, and for those considering conversion to Judaism.
Do you need a refresher on the fundamentals of our tradition? In this 10-session Zoom series, we will explore the history of the Jewish experience, Jewish life cycle events, the Jewish calendar, the many Jewish views of God and much more!
General Materials
Session 1: RECORDING OF SESSION 1
What is a Jew? – Defining basic terms;
The People of the Book – Torah and the ever-expanding Jewish Library
- Qualifications for Being a Jew
- Books of the Hebrew Bible
- Chronology of Jewish Religious History
- Jewish People, Jewish Thought
- Evolution of Jewish Law
- The Talmud
- Moses in Rabbi Akiva’s Study House
- The Oven of Akhnai
- Maimonides
- The Vocabulary of Kabbalah
Session 2: RECORDING OF SESSION 2
Great Ages and Ideas of Judaism I – The Formative Period: Ancient Israel through the Talmudic Period
- Evolution of Jewish Law
- The Talmud
- About the Greatest Commandment
- The Negation of the Jews in the Church Fathers and Afterwards
- Medieval Poetry
- Chronology of Jewish Religious History
Session 3: RECORDING OF SESSION 3
Great Ages and Ideas of Judaism II –Creativity and Persecution: The Medieval and Early Modern Periods, Antisemitism
- Anti-Judaic Tradition
- Negation of the Jewish in the Church Fathers and Afterwards
- Maimonides
- The Vocabulary of Kabbalah
- Capital Punishment and The Christian Anti-Judaic Tradition
Session 4: RECORDING OF SESSION 4
Great Ages and Ideas of Judaism III – Flourishing and Diversity: America, Zionism/Israel, Modern Jewish Religious Movements
- The Modern Jewish Experience
- Parisian Sanhedrin: 1806
- The Jew in the Modern World
- True or False: The Jewish Religious Movements
- Jewish Religious Responses to Modernity
- The Modern Jewish Experience
- Parisian Sanhedrin 1806
- Jewish Religious Responses to Modernity
Session 5: RECORDING OF SESSION 5
The Path We Walk – Halakhah, Mitzvot, Shabbat, Kashrut
- Permitted Foods in the Bible
- Torah Dietary Laws
- What/How Jews Eat
- Tzedakah
- Communal Responsibility
- Jewish Values and Human Sexuality
- Notes on Kashrut
- About the Greatest Commandment
Session 6: RECORDING OF SESSION 6
How We Talk to God
- Prayer Choreography
- The Way We Pray
- Prayer Wear
- Structure of the Service
- Tefillah Vocab
- The Last Jedi
- Structure of the Service
- Tefillah Vocabulary
- The Way We Pray
- Prayer Choreography
- Prayer Wear
Session 7: RECORDING OF SESSION 7
Jewish Time Tables – Seasons and Festivals of the Jewish Calendar
Session 8: RECORDING OF SESSION 8
Rhythms of our Lives – From Birth to Death and Beyond
Session 9: RECORDING OF SESSION 9
“Jewish Values” Concepts from Tradition applied to contemporary times
Session 10: RECORDING OF SESSION 10
The Many Jewish Views of God
Sources for Class Reading:
- Jewish Literacy, Joseph Telushkin
- A Short History of the Jewish People, Raymond Scheindlin
- Judaism’s 10 Best Ideas: A Brief Guide for Seekers, Arthur Green
- Entering Jewish Prayer: A Guide to Personal Devotion and the Worship Service, Reuven Hammer
- The Sabbath: Its Meaning For Modern Man, Abraham Joshua Heschel
- Living a Jewish Life, Anita Diamant
- Finding God, Rifat Soncino and Daniel Syme
- Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends, Anita Diamant
- To Life! A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking, Harold Kushner