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Founded in 1999, by Dr. Eugene Zweiback in memory of his wife Hermene, the Center provides an array of learning opportunities at many different levels of Jewish literacy. Each year, the Adult Education Committee selects a focus theme and determines class offerings and scholars to bring in for weekend programs. Beyond the theme, we offer Torah study, parenting workshops, Holocaust education, occasional book groups, beginning Hebrew or adult B’nai Mitzvah and much more.
Adult Education Committee: Paul Rabinovitz, Chair, Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Elyce Azriel, Lori Bennett, Ron Brodkey, Wendy Goldberg, Scott Goodman, Michael Halsted, Todd Hutton, Rabbi Eric Linder, Jennifer Miller, Leslie Norman, Silvia Roffman, Susan Rothholz, Cantor Wendy Shermet, Kathy Simon, Jeremy Wright, Debbi Zweiback, and Speedy Zweiback
To register for classes, contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg, 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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Rabbi Josh Zweiback, Director of the Year-In-Israel Program at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem. Rabbi Zweiback served Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills for ten and a half years. He is a musician and composer who has served as a song leader at various movement camps and in youth group settings for over twenty years.
Daily Life in Israel
Friday, March 5, 6 p.m.
Contemporary Census of Israelites
Saturday, March 6, 9:15 a.m.
Jennifer Michael Hecht is the author of books of philosophy, history, and poetry. Hecht’s Doubt: A History demonstrates a long, strong history of religious doubt from the origins of written history to the present day all over the world. Hecht earned her Ph.D. in the History of Science and European Cultural History from Columbia University in 1995 and now teaches at The New School University. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband John, and their two children.
The Myth of Happiness
Friday, March 19, 6 p.m.
Confront modern assumptions about what it means to be happy, investigating factors frequently involved in happiness, the relationship of money and happiness, the physicality of the body, and the ritual of celebration.
Jewish Text and Doubt
March 20, 9:15 a.m.
Hecht and Rabbi Azriel will lead study about doubt within Judaism and our obligation as Jews to “wrestle with God.”
History of Doubt
Sunday, March 21, 10:30 a.m.
Hecht will discuss how non-belief, skepticism, and doubt have paralleled and at times shaped the world’s great religious and secular belief systems.
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To register contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg
Attend the Sunday morning prayer assembly with your children or grandchildren prior to each workshop. Stay for conversation, fresh bagels, juice and coffee.
Breast Cancer Awareness
Sunday, October 4, 10:30 a.m., Milder Center
Kenneth H. Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., UNMC Eppley Institute Director, and Beth Reed, M.D., Internal Medicine Section of Hematology and Oncology, will provide current information about breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and research.
Issues and Hot Topics: Chai Impact Action Center
Sunday, November 1, 10:30 a.m., Milder Center
Temple Israel’s Social Justice Committee, along with Rabbi Eric Linder, will lead us on advocacy as a central tenet in Reform Judaism, discussing pertinent issues to help build understanding and involvement.
Spirituality and Parenting
Sunday, December 6, 10:30 a.m., Milder Center
Join Rabbi Sasso as she teaches that spiritual life begins not in abstractions, but in concrete everyday experiences…and children need our questions as much as our answers. Rabbi Sandy Sasso, Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck, Indianapolis since 1977. Rabbi Sasso is active in the arts, civic and interfaith communities and has written and lectured on women and spirituality and the discovery of the religious imagination in children. Rabbi Sasso is the author of nationally acclaimed children’s books. She is also co-editor of Nurturing Child and Adolescent
Spirituality: Perspectives from the World’s Religious Traditions. Her newest book is God’s Echo: Exploring Scripture with Midrash. Rabbi Sasso was the first woman ordained from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the first to serve a Conservative congregation together with her husband, Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Sunday, January 10, 10:30 a.m., Milder Center
Social Justice Committee’s Green Team and Rabbi Aryeh Azriel will join the effort to promote an awareness of environmental considerations and responsibility by integrating Jewish values, learning and actions promoting conservation and green ways.
Red Cross Blood Drive
Sunday, February 7, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m., Friedman Social Hall
Roll up your sleeve and leave a donation for the Red Cross! Free cookies and coffee for all donors, plus the knowledge that you did a mitzvah. Call Temple to set your appointment today.
Music of Jewish Religious Movements with Cantor Wendy Shermet
Sunday, March 7, 10:30 a.m.
Jewish Cooking
Sunday, April 11, 10:30 a.m.
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Join Family School parents studying with their student in both the Judaica and Hebrew classes or map your own course of study from the adult learning opportunities. Newcomers welcome. Fee: $18 for members, $25 for non-members, free for Family School parents.
Adult Beginning Hebrew
Wednesdays, September 23 - December 2, 6:30 p.m., Library
No prior Hebrew necessary. Mor Sheinbein will teach a course with a focus on letters, grammar and sound.
Nurturing the Nurturer: Stress Management, Judaism and the Arts
Wednesdays, September 23 - December 2, 6:30 p.m., Livingston Chapel
Take the first step in self-care with a Jewish approach to stress management through movement, art therapy, poetry and music.
Adult Biblical Hebrew
Wednesdays, February 3- April 28, 6:30 p.m., Library
Mor Sheinbein will help students build great skills for life in a Jewish community: the ability to read Hebrew and understand common Hebrew prayers.
Is Religion Good?
Wednesdays, February 3 - April 28, 6:30 p.m., Livingston Chapel
Rabbi Eric Linder and guests from the community will discuss possible
conflict between the tensions of the secular world and the Jewish world, including belief in God, ethical vs. ritual behavior and doubt vs certainty. We will look at popular writings from Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, asking ourselves, "Is Religion Good?"
Taste of Tri-Faith
Co-Sponsored by the Tri-Faith Initiative of Omaha
Tri-Faith 101: Who Are We?
Wednesday, January 6, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Learn the basics of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from sacred books and ritual practice to traditions and customs. Learn about the role of the Torah, the New Testament and the Qur’an in each of these three ancient religious traditions.
God Talk
Wednesday, January 13, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Each of the Abrahamic faiths emphasizes praising, thanking and worshiping God through prayer. This session will expose students to ancient and modern encounters with God and the prayers that resulted.
After exploring many of the common themes of prayer, there will be an opportunity to study some of the specific prayers from each faith.
Values That Guide Our Lives
Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
The rich traditions of all three faiths place a strong emphasis on helping those less fortunate. In this session, we will look at how religious ethical teachings can guide our life, determine how we interact with others and shape life in our community.
Hospitality
Wednesday, January 27, 6:30 - 8 p.m.
The Abrahamic tradition of hospitality and welcoming people of all nations, all cultures and all faiths weave through our scriptures and today continues to inspire us and serve as a model. This evening will offer a chance for us to discuss our unique rituals and traditions and to sample each others cultural culinary delicacies.
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To register contact Program Director Wendy Goldberg
Sparks Beneath the Surface
Saturdays, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m., Milder Center. Shabbat Worship follows, 10:30 a.m.
Study the Torah portion of the week over fresh bagels, juice and coffee. Sessions led by Rabbi Aryeh Azriel, Rabbi Eric Linder and Cantor Wendy Shermet. Newcomers welcome.
Adult Study with the Clergy
Weekly study session is a chance to get to know our clergy on a more personal basis while enhancing your knowledge of Judaism. Fee: $45 for members, $55 for non-members.
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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.
Derech Torah: Judaism 101
Mondays beginning October 19, 8 - 9:15 p.m.
Designed to introduce adult learners to the wealth and richness of Judaism as a religious culture, Derech Torah provides a brief survey of Jewish history, Jewish theology, life and yearly cycle explanations and world views. To register, checks should be sent to Center for Jewish Education (CJE). It costs $200 for an individual to enroll in the 24-part course; $350 for a couple. There are two texts, each priced at $30, to purchase. Questions, contact Mary Sue Grossman, 334-6445. Confidential scholarships are available, contact Executive Director Dennis DePorte, 556-6536.
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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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