Adult Education

Dates: Tuesdays — October 6, October 20, November 17, December 15, January 26, February 16, March 9, April 13, May 18 Time: 7:00 – 8:15 pm Mode: In-Person (with Zoom possible when necessary) Faculty: Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members • $108 for the General Public Nuts & Bolts is both for students new to Judaism and for students looking to re-examine and reinvest in their relationship to the foundational elements of Judaism and Jewish living. This includes an exploration of different Jewish conceptions of God

Dates: Thursdays (weekly), 6:30 – 7:30 pm Mode: Zoom Only Faculty: Marc Schwartz Fee: Included with Society Hill Synagogue Membership • $54 for General Public Beginning: We are offering this class again to help our congregants learn (or re-learn) how to read Hebrew. We use the National Jewish Outreach Hebrew Reading Crash Course, which has provided more than 215,000 North American Jews with the skills to read Hebrew. The course focuses on the Hebrew alphabet and basic reading skills, including learning some basic vocabulary and grammar. No prior knowledge of

Dates: Tuesdays — November 10, December 1, January 19, February 9, March 2, April 6, May 4 Time: 7:00 – 8:15 pm Mode: In-Person (with Zoom possible, if needed) Faculty: Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members • $108 for the General Public What would it mean not only to practice Judaism, but to be deeply moved by it? In this seven-session course, we will explore some of the central ideas of Hasidic thought: the presence of God in everyday life, the search for spiritual attachment, the

Dates: Tuesdays — October 13, October 27, November 24, January 12, February 2, February 23, March 30, April 20 Time: 7:00 – 8:15 pm Mode: In-Person (with Zoom possible, if needed) Faculty: Rabbi Nathan Kamesar Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members • $108 for General Public Is Judaism a religion, a culture, a civilization, a nationality — or something that cannot be contained by any one of these categories? Although the question may feel timeless, modern Jews have answered it in dramatically different ways. Using Leora Batnitzky’s acclaimed book

Dates: Wednesdays — November 11, November 18, December 2, December 9, December 16, January 20, February 3 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Mode: In-Person Faculty: Hazzan Jessi Roemer Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members • $108 for General Public We live in an anxious time! And fear can be isolating. Using the book Unlearning Jewish Anxiety by Rabbi Dr. Caryn Aviv as a base, we’ll engage in reflection and discussion over seven sessions about how our experiences as Jews in the world show up in our bodies and emotional

Dates: Mondays — October 19, November 16, December 14, January 25, February 22, March 8, April 12, May 10 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Mode: In-Person Faculty: Hazzan Jessi Roemer Fee: Included with Society Hill Synagogue Membership |  $72 for General Public A monthly Monday evening gathering to delve deeply into communal song! In a space outside of Shabbat services, we’ll have the opportunity to tap into weekday musical joy and healing, harmonizing, and increasing our spiritual resilience. Make singing together your monthly practice in an increasingly full and chaotic

Dates: Wednesdays — October 14, October 21, October 28, November 4 Time: 6:00 – 7:30 pm Mode: Hybrid (In-person attendance is strongly encouraged) Faculty: Barbara Spector  Fee: Included with Society Hill Synagogue Membership |  $54 for General Public This class will explore the different forms of the Kaddish, with an emphasis on the Mourner’s Kaddish. We will examine their purpose within the prayer service, the meaning and history of the text, halahic (Jewish law) considerations, and how saying Kaddish can help mourners process their grief. Through discussion and study, participants

Dates: Thursdays — March 4, March 11, March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8 Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm Mode: In-Person Only Faculty: Tim Cravens Fee: Included with Society Hill Synagogue Membership |  $72 for General Public Mesillat Yesharim (The Path of the Upright) is a classic Jewish ethical and spiritual work written by the Italian Jewish scholar and kabbalist Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (1707–1746). It is considered one of the most influential texts in the Mussar tradition, a Jewish movement focused on personal growth, character development, and ethical refinement.

Dates: Wednesdays — November 11, November 18, December 2, December 9 Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm Mode: In-Person Faculty: Rabbi Avi Winokur Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members | $108 for General Public To view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict primarily in political terms is to lose sight of the human beings whose lives are shattered by terrible violence. Drawing on The Future is Peace: A Shared Journey Across the Holy Land, Aziz Abu Sarah and Maoz Inon, together we will take this inspiring and often painful journey, opening our heart

Dates: Thursdays — January 7, January 14, January 21, January 28 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 pm Mode: In-Person Faculty: Joseph Freedman Fee: $18 for Society Hill Synagogue Members | $72 for General Public Our rabbis called Joseph “Yosef HaTzaddik,” or “Joseph the Righteous.” We will explore his character, his fate, and the complex journey that ultimately leads to the passing of the torch from Joseph to Judah. Studying selected highlights in English from Etz Chaim, we will examine the Torah portions of Vayeshev, Miketz, and Vayigash. Since we will not