Adult Study
Adult Education Series 2011-12
The traditional Bet Midrash, House of Study, rings with the voices of study partners grappling with Jewish texts. Community is not just a vehicle for study but also a result of learning together. Please join us!
Memoir Writing from a Jewish Perspective
Participants will explore their life stories using prompts to jump start their memories, to zero in on those moments that are both rich and significant. Writers will be asked to write quickly, without pre-planning, about moments in time, both lovely and traumatic. This workshop is not just for those who have previous writing experience, but for anyone who may have a glimmer of an idea or a sense that they might just like to share their story.
There will be a special Shabbat evening service and memoir reading on December 16 for any students who would like to share their writing with the community. Taught by Rob Freedman, a long-time teacher, writer, and author of Forty Years in the Desert: A Bar Mitzvah Tale, and Fancypants. Limited to 13 participants. Non-members: $150.00. Register by September 26.
Mondays, 7:00-8:30 pm October 3, 17, 24, 31 November 7, 14, 21, 28
MA’AGAL – Circling Around, Forming a Spiritual Circle
This is an opportunity for people who have become aware of deep spiritual questions, and seek a circle in which we can all zero in on what really counts. Often, these questions arise when we least expect them to, in the middle of the night or when the kids have grown up and we find ourselves most alone. Our societal preference for producing answers flies in the face of what’s most basically Jewish: wilderness, wonderment, and humility.
While building trust and familiarity, we will pay attention to rhythms that don’t often get reflected in services or within the holiday cycle. What will count most is candor, good humor, and quiet listening. Taught by Rabbi Joey Wolf. Ongoing attendance mandatory. Non-members: $200.00. Register by October 3.
Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm
October 11, November 1, 22, December 6
January 3, 24, February 14, March 6, 27, April 10, May 8
“What Are You Searching For?” Explorations in Torah
We will do an in-depth, word-by-word study of Parshat VaYeshev, Genesis 37-40. This little section of Torah is packed with stories of journeying and searching and losing the way and finding some way out. While building a vocabulary of Hebrew words commonly used in Torah, we will explore the themes of this parsha. Through personal discussion and consultation of traditional biblical commentaries, we will try to make sense of these passages for ourselves as modern Jewish men and women. Being able to sound out Hebrew words (slowly is fine) is a pre-requisite. Taught by Deborah Eisenbach-Budner. Non-members: $100.00. Register by November 7.
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm
November 16, 30, December 7, 14
January 4, 11, 25, February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Getting Started in Jewish Genealogy
Have you ever wondered from what shtetl your family came to the U.S.? Or when? Just what country was that? Did my great-grandmother have other siblings or children? What did my immigrant relatives do for a living? Why does my family put applesauce on latkes and your family uses sour cream? Perhaps you thought that all of that information is lost forever. This Jewish Genealogy introduction will show you that there is much evidence remaining to discover about your own family history. You will leave with tools to start gathering your own family history and with a mind opened to the possibilities ahead.
Presented by Barbara Hershey, President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Oregon. $5.00 materials fee. Register by October 19.
Sunday, October 30, 3:00-5:00 pm
Cracking the Code: Learning to Chant Torah
Join master trope teacher Erica Goldman to learn how to sing the story of the Torah. It is easier than you imagine, and fun! Participants need to be able to pronounce Hebrew words fairly comfortably (not quickly). Non-members: $60.00. Register by November 1.
Thursdays, 7:00-8:30 pm
November 17, December 1, 8, 15
Jewish Humor and Resiliency
Join David Fuks, Jewish communal leader and part-time comedian, for an enlightening talk peppered with his own original stories, essays, and astute observations on the role of Jewish Humor in American culture. Register by November 22.
Wednesday, November 30, 7:00-8:30 pm
Havurah Book Group: Personal Stories
Enjoy your community, share a book. We will discuss autobiographical novels and memoirs that mirror and challenge our experiences as contemporary Jews. Presented by the Lifelong Learning Committee. Register 2 weeks before each meeting date.
Mondays, 7:00-8:30 pm
January 23, Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
February 27, Fancypants by our own Rob Freedman
March 19, Surprisingly Happy: An Atypical Religious Memoir by our
Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Sheila Peltz Weinberg
Entering the Haggadah: A Text Woven for Rigorous Inquiry and Forward-Looking Practice
Using the primary texts of the Pesach Seder, this course will bring into focus not just the celebration of freedom, but the impetus for imagining a radical community. It will bring into relief, through close text study, an interpretation of our own post-modern possibilities for Jewish rebirth, spiritual mastery, and collective Jewish accountability. Taught by Rabbi Joey Wolf. $5.00 materials fee. Register by March 5.
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm
March 14, 21, April 4
Considering Aging and End of Life Issues
Revolutionary medical advances were supposed to lengthen our lives and they did for many of us and our parents. But they only postponed the inevitable and made some of our end-of-life experiences far more complicated than in our grandparents’ day. We will take some time together to look at some models for understanding the potentials and pitfalls of the medical interventions available to us and our parents today, and how we can traverse the sometimes confusing land of hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care. Presented by Arlene Slive, LCSW. Register by March 9.
Sunday, March 18, 10:00-11:30 am
Considering Death and Mourning in Jewish Community (Postponed)
Please join us to explore various Jewish approaches to death and mourning and how we can support each other at the time of loss. We will provide information on what resources are available in our Havurah community and in the wider Portland Jewish community. Presented by the Havurah Cemetery Committee. Register by May 11.
Please note that this discussion has been postponed until Fall 2012. Date TBD
Talmud Lite
We meet twice a month with Rabbi Joey Wolf for a user-friendly, informal, provocative glimpse into the world of Talmud, Jewish codes. The group is studying Tractate Bava Metzia, legal discussions pertaining to agreements and contracts entered into between employers and employees and the parameters of good-faith sales or borrowing transactions. What are the moral and ethical constraints involved in commerce? No Hebrew knowledge is necessary and all are welcome. Contact Havurah office for location and dates.
Tuesdays at 12:00 Noon (twice monthly)
Call Havurah office for downtown Portland location
