Syllabus—Fall 2008
• Wednesdays July 9, 16, 23, 30, 8:00-9:00 PM
Torah Reading Class—Learning to Leyn

• Saturday, August 9, exact time TBA (Possible Alternate time, Sunday 8/10, late morning)
Tisha b’Av services, including reading of Eicha (Lamentations) and study session

• Wednesday, August 20, 8:00 PM
Shabbat—making it your own

• Sunday, September 7, 9:45 AM
Adult Ed. opening lecture—on topic of Jewish meditation and prayer w/ Seth Castleman. He will also be teaching on the same topic on 4 subsequent Sundays: 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, and 10/5.

• Wednesday, September 17, 8:00 PM
High Holidays—history and practice

• Sunday, October 19, 9:00 AM
Minyan w/ special inclusions for Sukkot, followed by session on Sukkot—w/ snacks in the sukkah!

• Sundays, November 2, 9, 16, and 23, 9:45-11:00 AM
Adult Ed. Lecture Series taught by Rabbi Lerner, on topic of Job and God—finding faith in the face of tragedy

• Wednesday, November 12, 8:00 PM
The Jewish Lifecycle

• Monday, November 12, 8:00 PM
Lexington Rabbinic Panel—Jewish Marriage, Intermarriage, and Same-sex Marriage

• Wednesday, December, 8:00 PM
Prayer—Content and Meaning

Highly Recommended unofficial class meetings/classes/activities:
• Sunday, October 5, starting at 9:45 AM: Family Ed. sponsored Sukkah-building workshop

• Sunday, October 12, 9:45-12:00: Lulav Shake!

• Wednesday mornings, around 7:45, beginning Oct. 29: Rabbis Lerner and Jacobs teach after morning minyan on the halakhah of prayer—why we do what we do

• Sundays 10/26, 11/23, and 12/21, from 11:15-1:15: Bob Russman-Halperin will teach on writing our own ethical wills. Class is limited to 8 people, so if you’re interested, make sure to sign up!

• Monday, December 22, 5:30-8:00 PM: Family Hanukkah Celebration

And looking ahead…

• Sundays 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, and 2/1: Mikra’ot Gedolot—reading the Torah portion with traditional commentaries taught by Rabbi Jacobs

Book List for Fall 2008
• Celebration and Renewal: Rites of Passage in Judaism, edited by Rela M. Geffen, JPS, 1993.

Book List for Spring 2008
• Pray Tell: A Hadassah Guide to Jewish Prayer, Rabbi Jules Harlow, Jewish Lights Publishing, 2003
• How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws, Lisë Stern, HarperCollins Publishers, 2004
• Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat and Holidays

Class MP3s
To download mp3 2/6/08 of class click here

To download mp3 of 2/27/08 class click here

Previous Reading Assignments:
Reading Assignments
• Assignment for April 9 class: Read Chapter 12, pp. 128-145, on Passover in Tapestry.
• Assignment for February 27 class: Read the "Introduction to the Prayerbook" in Pray Tell, pp. xiii-xx
• Assignment for February 6 class: Read from A Short History of the Jewish People by Raymond P. Scheindlin, which is attached here
• Assignment for December 12, "What Is the Talmud," is attached here

Mentioned in Class
From the New York Times: "Million-Dollar Prize Given to Cosmologist Priest"