Are you a cook who feels lost without a recipe? If so, this class is for you. In this one-day course, we will learn how brainstorm about flavors and spices, take stock of meat and vegetables and other available ingredients, and come up with a meal you can be proud of. A wide variety of spices will be presented for tasting, and several styles of chicken and vegetarian dishes will be prepared by the class.

Let our kitchen be your kitchen! On the Sunday before Purim, join us as we prepare hundreds of hamentashen for you to enjoy and take home to your friends and family. We will make nearly a dozen flavors of the three-cornered cookie, and when everything is completed, we will have materials and special packages to make shalach manot baskets to take home and give away.

Curious about Judaism, but not sure where to begin? This course is designed for everyone—Jew or non-Jew, secular or religious—who wants to learn about core Jewish beliefs, customs, and practices. It uses basic Jewish texts to explore what Jews study, how they observe Judaism in their homes, and what prayer and community mean in a Jewish context. Since no two Jews approach Judaism exactly the same way, the instructor will endeavor to offer a range of perspectives and, where feasible, bring in special guests.

Popular culture presents us with a pigeonholed view of Jews as passive and meek. Let us examine the roots of this stereotype and contrast it with the long Biblical and historical record of "Fightin' Jews," who duked it out with the world for faith, fame, family, and freedom. Topics range from the aversion to athletic competition in the Hellenic Era to Victorian boxing champions, resistance fighters, and American war heroes. As a corollary theme, we will look at the ethics of violence, from self-defense to just war.

Traditional commentary about the story of Purim is quick to cast Esther as the heroine and Vashti as the villain. Is there more to their stories? Who's modern and who's medieval? Join us as we explore these roles in a different light.

The farmers of the Mirembe Kawomera Cooperative in Uganda work together for peace, tolerance, and economic justice. They are brought together by their vocation: growing Fair Trade coffee that is sold in the U.S. But they are also connected because they are all people of faith. What makes this Ugandan cooperative unique is that it is comprised of farmers who are Jewish, Muslim, and Christian. Join us for a very special evening with three of these farmers as they tour the country, sharing stories of their daily work and their inspiring example of tolerance and cooperation. At the end of the evening, they will perform melodies together.

In this series, join us as we examine the conflict in the Middle East from three independent points of view. What are the current developments, and what are the prospects for the upcoming year?

Jan. 29: Terrorism Finance: The Middle East Connection

Feb. 5: Limits of Wishful Thinking: Realities of the Palestinian Authority and Peace in Israel

Feb. 12: Anti-Israel Bias in the News Media: Case Studies in the Washington Post

In this three-part hands-on cooking class, explore the Jewish world through your taste buds. In each class, we will prepare vegetarian dishes from a Jewish community abroad, and learn about the culture in each country. Students will be provided with packets of recipes and fact sheets about the different Jewish communities.

Feb. 19: A Suite of Sweets: please your palette with rich French pastries

March 18: Explore diverse, delicious dishes from Jewish communities that thrived along the Silk Road, from Italy to China.

April 15: A Bevy of Baklava: Learn how to make two different kinds of this Middle Eastern treat.

This class is co-sponsored by Sixth & I Historic Synagogue and Taglit-Birthright Israel Alumni Association, a group that encourages participants in the Birthright Israel program to stay involved and connected to Israel and the Jewish Community. Birthright Israel provides free 10-day trips to Israel for adults ages 18-26.

In this special event, award-winning photographer Lloyd Wolf will present a collection of his photographs relating to Israel. The work will include images from the March of the Living in 1990, from his many assignments in Israel for Hillel and United Jewish Communities, and from "Jerusalem: Walls and Bridges," a documentary created in collaboration with the peace-building dialogue program, www.jerusalemstories.org.

Take your tastebuds on a journey, as we explore the varieties of kosher wine from across the globe. We will begin with a brief history of wine, conditions for growing grape vines, and the major growing regions for kosher wine. Next, we'll talk about wine varietals and the differences between types of wine. We will conclude with a tasting of four to six different wines.

How does the round potato pancake square off against the tri-corner pastry? Find out at this hilarious mock debate that will officially determine which is the superior Jewish food. Speakers come from all different areas, academically and professionally, and present "evidence" for their arguments than can be based on absolutely anything… as long as it’s funny. So if you, too, are strongly opinionated about your favorite Jewish food, or if you just want to enjoy quality humor and noshing, then join us for this spectacular event. The 17th Annual Latke-Hamentash Symposium is $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and includes ample latkes and hamentashen for your own in-depth research.

Did you know that some of the very first Jewish settlers in North America arrived in Maryland in the 1600s? Although most American Jewish historians overlooked their presence, colonial Maryland had a significant number of Jews. This course will tell their fascinating story, with an emphasis on the unconventional backgrounds of many of these early Maryland Jews. We will also learn about Baltimore’s historical Jewish aristocrats and their contributions to society. The first Jewish presence in the greater Washington, D.C. area will also be addressed.

Starting in the late 1980s, a group of young Israeli historians began writing a version of Israeli history that contrasted sharply with what Israelis had learned about the origins of the Jewish State. This "new" movement also became entwined with "Post-Zionism," a distinct but overlapping movement. Since then, the debate between "old" and "new" Israeli history has been turned lively and acrimonious. This course will succinctly discuss the origins and contentions of the "old" and "new" movements, putting them in the context of Israeli politics. Basic knowledge of Israeli history is advisable, but not required.

During the past century, a surprisingly large number of Jews made a living as farmers. In southern New Jersey alone, around the middle of the last century, thousands of Jewish families operated chicken farms. This two-session course will discuss the history of Jewish farmers in America as well as the many Jews involved in farming today.

Because of the difficulties he encounters, Job questions the reasons for his fate. In this class, we will discuss the moral issues raised by the Book of Job. Reference will be made to Harold Kushner's When Bad Things Happen to Good People and to the writings of Karl Jung. We will also examine commentary based upon kabbalistic teaching.

Havdalah is the ceremony and set of blessings that distinguish the end of Shabbat or yom tov, and mark the transition from the holy to the ordinary. The class will discuss different customs, songs, halachic (legal) texts, the roles of Elijah and Miriam, and new rituals. We will look at the significance of light, spices, and wine within this ceremony and we will explore folktales, rabbinic and Hassidic stories to help us in our understanding.

According to the Talmud, the silent prayer of Hannah tells us how to pray: pour out your soul and move your lips, so only you can hear the words. G-d answered Hannah's prayer, and she gave birth to a child. We remember her and her prayer by reading the story as our haftorah on Rosh Hashana. In this class, we will look at rabbinic and modern texts to understand more about Hannah and prayer in general, both in terms of their intention (kavanah) and their structure (kevah).

Judaism extends well beyond the synagogue and holidays, with rabbinic literature providing rules and guidelines about all aspects of our lives. So what does this literature say about holistic matters, such topics as yoga, meditation, hypnosis, and related topics? In this class, we will explore fascinating modern writing, particularly Jewish common law rulings, or responsa, on these issues.

We often think of mitzvot (commandments) governing interactions among people, and mitzvot between God and humans as occupying separate spheres. But there is an ethical dimension to God-centered rituals, just as there is a sacred dimension to human-centered rituals. Join us as we explore the values and ethics that underlie rituals such as kashrut and Shabbat.

The legend of the Golem has been a compelling subject for novelists, poets, storytellers, playwrights, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, and composers. How and why? These are the questions we'll consider in three meetings. The first will begin with an overview and then a discussion of Yudl Rosenberg's The Golem and H. Leivick's play The Golem. The second will include the 1922 film Der Golem, directed by Paul Wegner, and discussion of other Golem films. The third will consider the Golem in contemporary literature: Michael Chabon's Kavalier and Clay, Cynthia Ozick's The Puttermesser Papers, Marge Piercy's He, She and It, and children's stories by Elie Wiesel, Isaac Bashevis Singer and others.

Connect with Judaism on a spiritual and musical level during this three-part series. All classes will involve plenty of student participation, with joyful singing that you can incorporate into your praying, your spirituality, and even your dishwashing.
March 12: The Role of Singing in Tefilah (prayers) and Leading Davening

March 19: Songs of Nature and the Environment

March 26: Songs of Nature and the Environment

What are the ethical and ritual duties for Jewish members of the armed forces? How do chaplains guide military personnel in unique as well as everyday situations? For example, what actions should one take when encountering the body of a fallen Jewish soldier? This course will examine Jewish common law and other writing by 20th century authors, particularly legal writings (responsa) written in response to World War II, and commentary from Israel.

From the playing fields to the board rooms to the press boxes, Jews have played a variety of roles in sports over the years. Join us as we discuss the obstacles faced by Jewish athletes and look at the accomplishments of great Jewish athletes and coaches. We'll also focus on the sports media, sports agents, ownership of teams, and community involvement.

What is it like to live in a country always under siege? Or a country where every stone carries its own history? Where Abraham, Rachel, Moses, and other biblical characters are present in everyday life? We will read some poems from After the First Rain: Israeli Poems on War and Peace by renowned Israeli poets. We will discuss how the horror of war and the craving for peace inhabits every poem. These poems offer a glimpse of the Israeli psyche. We will also discuss some principles of poetry and perhaps try our hand at writing our own poems of war and peace from the American point of view.