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Richard Freund , PhD,
Director of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford, is world renowned for his work on the archaeology of the land of Israel, biblical studies, Jewish ethics and philosophy. He was recently filmed in the new National Geographic Channel lm entitled, Finding Atlantis. Find out how Freund connected the Lost City of Atlantis to Spain and the Straits of Gibraltar and how did he con from his findings.
Atlantis and Tarshish
Friday, November 11, 6 p.m.
Richard Freund, PhD, director of the Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Hartford, is world renowned for his work on the archaeology of the land of Israel, biblical studies, Jewish ethics and philosophy. He was recently filmed in the new National Geographic Channel lm entitled, Finding Atlantis. Find out how Freund connected the Lost City of Atlantis to Spain and the Straits of Gibraltar and how did he con from his findings.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Joseph Telushkin, is a rabbi, lecturer and author. Telushkin’s book, Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History, is one of the best-selling books on Judaism of the past 20 years. Rabbi Telushkin was ordained at Yeshiva University in New York and pursued graduate studies in Jewish history at Columbia University. He lectures throughout the United States, serves as a Senior Associate of CLAL (National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership), on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Book Council and as spiritual leader of the Synagogue for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.
Human Rights Shabbat
with Words That Hurt, Words That Heal by Rabbi Telushkin
Friday, December 9, 5:30 p.m. for a reception with light hors d'oeuvres.
We will join more than 100 synagogues throughout North America who commemorate Human Rights Shabbat, to educate Jewish communities about the intersection of Jewish values and universal human rights. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin will focus on the words we use in public and in private, revealing their tremendous power to shape relationships. By sensitizing us to subtleties of speech we may never have considered before, he shows us how to turn every exchange into an opportunity. Stay after services to enjoy a Shabbat dinner and wonderful company. The menu will be chicken marbella, couscous, a green vegetable, challah and salad bar. Please make a reservation by contacting the Temple Israel office, 402- 556-6536, by December 6. Cost of the dinner is $10 for adults, $8 for children and no charge for children five and younger. See who else is coming, view our Facebook event.
Being a Good Person in a Complicated World
Saturday, December 10, 9 a.m.
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin will give us a manual on how to lead a decent, kind, and honest life in a morally complicated world. Telushkin will speak to the major ethical issues of our time, issues that have, of course, been around since the beginning. He offers pithy, wise, and easily accessible teachings designed to be put into immediate practice.
Brunch & Learn
The 50 Best Jewish Jokes and What They Tell Us About the Human Condition
Sunday, December 11, 10 a.m.
Hear the best Jewish jokes you’ll ever hear, interspersed with perceptive and persuasive insight into what they can tell us about how Jews see themselves, their families, and their friends, and what they think about money, sex, and success.
Rabbi Steve Greenberg 
Rabbi Steven Greenberg received his BA in philosophy from Yeshiva University and his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is a Senior Teaching Fellow at The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership a think tank, leadership training institute and resource center in New York City. Rabbi Greenberg is an openly gay Orthodox rabbi and a founder of the Jerusalem Open House, the Holy City’s LGBT community center and home to World Pride 2006.
Renewing the American Synagogue
Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m.
Following a brief history of the institution of the synagogue we will do a futuring exercise. Every synagogue is in fact three institutions: a House of Prayer, Study and Community. We will explore together what you do already or could in the future nd most moving, engaging, illuminating, enlivening, comforting, inspiring and grounding in your synagogue community.
The Wisdom of Welcome
Friday, March 30, 6 p.m.
We are all addicted to familiarity and all sorts of differences make us uneasy. To build a community, a synagogue that models itself after Abraham and Sarah's tent is no simple matter. It means learning how to tolerate being uncomfortable for the sake of building a community that is truly welcoming. Rabbi Steve Greenberg will speak about the challenge of welcoming the stranger.
Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition
Saturday, March 31, 9 a.m.
Rabbi Greenberg will offer readings of traditional Jewish texts suggesting wrestling is a more assured verb than trembling, mindful that Judaism is both loving and accepting, where the act of engaging tough questions is essential.
The Invention of an Orthodox Gay Rabbi: A Personal Story
Saturday, March 31, 7 p.m.
Greenberg, who appears prominently in the award-winning lm, Trembling Before God, will share the story of his own journey arguing for gay and lesbian inclusion in the community. The movie V’Ahavta: And Thou Shalt Love, an Israeli award winning short film depicting, Ohad, a young orthodox Jew, tries to extinguish his homosexual tendencies. But when his boyfriend returns from the army, he finds he can no longer evade his feelings and questions within himself, and between himself and God. A panel discussion will follow.
LGBT Inclusion Training for (Religious) Educators
Sunday, April 1, 1 p.m.
Using the curriculum of the Keshet Hineini Education Project, Rabbi Greenberg will train and support religious educators, clergy, program staff, youth, and lay leaders to ensure that GLBT youth, families, and staff are safe and affirmed in all religious educational and community settings. This project is a partnership with Inclusive Communities and the First United Methodist Church.
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"The Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning was founded shortly after my mother’s death on September 12, 1999. Her deep commitment to Temple Israel and to the pursuit of Jewish knowledge made this a fitting tribute to her life. Perhaps Hermene’s experience of growing up Jewish in the tiny town of El Dorado, Kansas, enhanced her appreciation of Jewish life at Temple Israel. Whether it was cooking for a congregational dinner, addressing envelopes for a Sisterhood mailing, chairing Temple Israel’s first Outreach Committeeor studying Torah with Rabbi Azriel, my mother delighted in the task. For her, Judaism was a gift – a religious community that engaged the mind and the heart.
 In May of 1989, I had the pleasure of watching my mother stand on the bima at Temple Israel and read from the Torah as part of her Bat Mitzvah. At age 49, she taught me that the learning never ends. May the Hermene Zweiback Center for Lifelong Jewish Learning be a door for each of you – an opportunity to grow Jewishly and to experience the intellectual richness of our tradition."
--Rosie Zweiback
Adult Education Committee 2011-2012:
Jeremy Wright, Chair
Paul Rabinovitz, Education Council Chair
Ron Brodkey
Jessica Cohen
Phyllis Glazer
Scott Goodman
Michael Halsted
Angie Krieger
Silvia Roffman
Susan Rothholz
Debbi Zweiback
Speedy Zweiback
To register for classes, contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg, 402-556-6536. You are welcome to preview the first session of a class before registering. Reduced class fees are available by contacting Executive Director Dennis DePorte.
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To register contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg
Torah Study
Saturdays, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m., Milder Center
Shabbat Worship follows,10:30 a.m.
Discuss the Torah portion of the week over fresh bagels, juice and coffee. Sessionsled by our clergy. Newcomers welcome.
Adult Study with the Clergy
10 - 11:30 a.m., Milder Center
Fee: $45 for members, $55 for non-members.
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Edith Stein and the World She Lived In
Thursdays, October 27 – December 22
Edith Stein, philosopher and writer, had an unrelenting hunger for the truth. From her Jewish childhood until her death in the Auschwitz concentration camp, Edith had a great influence on the women of her time, and is having a growing influence in the intellectual and philosophical circles around the world. Cantor Shermet will use the memoirs of Edith and Sholem Aleichem’s short stories to explore everyday Jewish life in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Jewish Responsa
Thursdays, January 12 - March 15
Rabbi Azriel will use ancient Jewish text to provide answers to questions about modern Jewish living. Responsa reveal a broad consensus as to Jewish thinking on important issues facing contemporary Judaism including life cycle rituals, medical and business ethics.
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“God Was in This Place and I Did Not Know”
Thursdays, March 22 - May 24
We often think that holiness consists of peak moments in our lives, standing on Sinai receiving the Torah, having a baby, falling in love ...But what about the spaces in between? Can we have a relationship with God at the grocery store? Can we deepen our spirituality while watching TV? Rabbi Linder will lead this 10-week session looking at what our tradition says about the normal moments ... Maybe they’re not so normal?
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To register contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg
Attend the Sunday morning prayer assembly with your children prior to each workshop. Stay for conversation, fresh bagels, juice and coffee
Maimonides: Laws and Ethics
Sundays, January 15 - 22, 10:30 a.m.
Guy Matalon, Scholar in Residence of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, will guide our study of the classic code of Jewish Law compiled by Moses Maimonides. The class will survey various topics in Jewish Law, and focus on their ethical underpinnings. We will examine how Maimonides, in presenting the particular laws of Judaism, fosters an appreciation of universal ethical components of the Torah tradition.
Guided Tour of Omaha’s Hindu Temple
Sunday, March 4, 10 a.m.
Come for a guided tour of the beautiful structure with carved elephants leading up to the entry, an explanation of the Hindu faith and rituals.
Grade 2 Parent Coffee:
A Checklist for Success in Third Grade
Sunday, April 22, 11:30 a.m.
Grade 6 Parent Meeting:
Navigating the B’nai Mitzvah Year
Sunday, April 29, 10:15 a.m.
A Conversation on Jewish Secularism
Panel from the New School, NY
Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m.
A majority of Jews worldwide consider themselves secular. How can literature and history open doors, erase boundaries and address the needs of secular Jews to discover or recover their Jewish heritage? Robert Siegel, host of NPR’s All Things Considered, interviews Rebecca Goldstein and David Biale.
Challah Baking 101
Sunday, May 6, 10 a.m.
Challah literally means "bread loaf" and is traditionally made on Friday to welcome in the Sabbath. Come learn from our Temple Israel mavens!
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Increase your Jewish literacy. Strengthen your Jewish identity.
Newcomers welcome. Fee: $18 for members, $25 for non-members, no charge for Family School parents.
Survey of World Religions
Wednesdays, January 11- February 8, 6:30 p.m. (AA January 11)
UNO professor Gary Groff will teach a course designed to survey a wide variety of the religions of the world. The sessions will compare Judaism to the history, ritual and modern practice of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hindu.
Jewish Law Concerning Building a Synagogue
Wednesday, February 15, 6:30 p.m.
Explore the mitzvah of building the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple and the Zohar teachings regarding the obligation to build synagogues with Guy Matalon, Scholar in Residence of the Jewish Federation of Omaha.
The Same or Different? The Ethics of Edith Stein and Emmanuel Levinas
Wednesdays, February 22 & 29, 6:30 p.m.
Curtis Hutt, a professor of Religious Studies at UNO, will help us delve into the work of three prominent Jewish students - Edith Stein, Emmanuel Levinas, and Hannah Arendt, comparing the ethical thought and respect for the Other.
Trembling Before God
Wednesday, March 28, 6:30 p.m.
Trembling Before God is a cinematic portrait of various gay Orthodox Jews who struggle to reconcile their faith and their sexual orientation. The lm won several awards, including the Teddy Award for Best Documentary Film at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival, as well as Best Documentary at the 2001 Chicago International Film Festival and the 2003 GLAAD Media Awards.
Yom HaShoah
Wednesday, April 18, 7 p.m., Beth El
MahJongg: The Tiles that Bind
Wednesday, April 25, 6:30 p.m.
MahJongg: The Tiles that Bind is a light-hearted yet deeply moving portrait of the Asian- and Jewish-American women who play this centuries-old Chinese game, shedding light on the common and uncommon experiences of the players that simultaneously de ne and transcend cultural boundaries.
Contemporary Jewish Artists
Wednesday, May 2, 6:30 p.m.
Jack Becker, Executive Director of the Joslyn Art Museum will discuss 20th century artists and designers and works of contemporary Jewish ceremonial art. Contextualizing contemporary ceremonial objects within their historical framework, the talk will explore how 20th century artist worked within the constraints and requirements of various rituals to design beautiful objects with a modern design aesthetic.
Jewish-American Artists of the 20th Century: Joslyn Art Museum’s Collection
Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 p.m.
An overview of 20th century Jewish-American artists, with an emphasis on those artists with works in the Joslyn Art Museum’s collection.
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The process of choosing Judaism is unique to each person who takes the journey. Some may choose to become Jewish through the experience of falling in love with a Jewish person and deciding to join their lives in marriage. Some may choose Judaism as they raise Jewish children. Some who have no other connection to the Jewish community seem to know they were meant to be Jewish all along.
Temple Israel clergy are available to meet with those who wish to convert to Judaism and guide their Jewish studies. Priority will be given to Temple members but others are welcome to inquire. If you have questions about converting to Judaism, please contact the clergy.
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Click On Judaism.org
If you have a question on Jewish practices, they will have an answer. Once at the site select the "Ask Us" icon. The site also provides information on contemporary issues.
EiluV'eilu
A weekly, interactive debate between two leading lights in the Reform movement invites participants to join in the discussion by sending in questions and comments.
Jewish Web Directory
An all-inclusive Jewish Search Engine
Jspot.org
The spot for Jewish perspectives on contemporary issues of social and economic justice, is a project of the Jewish Funds for Justice, a public foundation committed to mobilizing the resources of American Jews to combat the root causes of domestic, social, and economic injustice.
My Jewish Learning.com
A comprehensive site for learning about Judaism designed to appeal to a diverse group ranging from novices to more experienced learners. It offers "How-to" guides on religious practices and observances that range from pre-holiday preparations through ritual practices with explanations for each practice.
Nextbook.org
An eclectic online magazine of Jewish culture. Columns, interviews, book reviews, podcasts, and essays cover the Dead Sea Scrolls to HBO’s Deadwood. You can sign up for daily updates here.
Radical Torah
A weblog featuring multiple takes on parshat hashavua (the weekly Torah portion) as well as commentaries on holidays, rituals, and various concepts in Judaism as seen through the lens of progressive religious and political viewpoints.
Ritualwell
The source for innovative, contemporary Jewish ritual. On ritualwell, you can browse thousands of rituals, listen to music, download a ritual, or cut and paste your own.
Synagogue 3000
A catalyst for excellence, empowering congregations and communities to create synagogues that are sacred and vital centers of Jewish life.
Torat Chayim-Torah Study
A liberal commentary on the Torah portion of the week written by rabbis, cantors, and educators.
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