There has been discussion over the past thirty years about the vision of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, as well as the compatibility of observant Jewish life and American democracy. Can the two—Jewish and democratic—be reconciled? The two presenters, one a Jewish historian, the other a scholar of American law, will explore the consonances and tensions between Jewish and democratic values in Israel and ... Read more

How does the Talmud portray its heroines? Why are they never as they first seem? And what does this tell us about the rabbis’ views of marriage, sex, childbirth, and what it means to be a woman in the world? Gila Fine discusses her new book on the six named heroines of the Talmud.

Join Rebecca Kaplan in finding Torah in unexpected places, from the Liberty Bell to area murals, contemporary community work, and her years of work (and some recent battles) at the Oakland City Council.

Contemporary art can offer us limitless opportunities to connect with the complex world we live in. But how does one start to uncover the many possible meanings behind an artwork? Discover how to understand contemporary art and how it can help us interpret the world by exploring artworks by today’s Jewish artists looking at the many aspects of Jewish culture, identity, and community.

The Bible has been a font of inspiration for composers throughout the ages. This course pairs passages highlighting dramatic Biblical stories with their interpretations in opera and oratoria spanning Baroque to 20th-century music.

Grab a taste of the course in this specially-curated Spotify playlist – featuring operas from the curriculum!... Read more

For millennia, the vine and its products have been an essential part of the Biblical world. In this richly illustrated class, we’ll explore the origins and growth of viticulture in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece and of course, the land of Israel. We’ll also delve into the wisdom that comes from the vine: anc... Read more

The second of a three-semester sequence, this course is designed for those who have completed New Lehrhaus Hebrew 1 or equivalent, have a working Hebrew vocabulary of 75-100 words and are familiar with the grammar of nouns, adjectives, possessive endings and simple participles. It’s also a great choice for students with basic sight-reading skills who ne... Read more

On July 30, 1902, tens of thousands of mourners lined the streets of New York’s Lower East Side to bid farewell to the city’s chief rabbi, the eminent Talmudist Jacob Joseph. All went well until the procession crossed Sheriff Street, where the six-story R. Hoe and Company printing press factory towered over the intersection. Without warning, scraps of steel, iron bolts, and sca... Read more

Although very few Jews remain there today, Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, was the site of a thriving Jewish community. Jewish merchants and traders from present-day Iraq and Syria came to the city during the period of the British Raj, beginning in 1798. Approximately 5,000 Jews called the city home in the mid-twentieth century, but the number quickly dwindled in the aftermath of Indian independe... Read more

This eight-session course covers all the basics found in our Fall Hebrew 1 class in just four weeks. You’ll begin to learn to read, understand and appreciate Prayerbook passages, and lay the foundation for study of the Hebrew Bible. We start at the beginning, teaching the alphabet and sight-reading skills, then move on to build both vocabulary and grammar knowledge using the text Prayerbook Hebrew the Easy Way. And along the way, you’ll learn about related topics, from key Prayerbook melodi... Read more

We are honored to partner with Kehilla Synagogue in presenting a special celebration to launch Burt Jacobson's (z"l) masterwork, Living in the Presence. This event honors Rabbi Burt's 30-year journey immersing in the life and teachings of the Ba'al Shem Tov (the Besht).

The event is free. Living in the Pres... Read more