Renew Your Life at the Jewish New Year
Sept. 12 & Sept. 13 ** two-part class!,
7:00 - 8:15 PM
Members: $20, non-members: $25
Advertising campaigns, self-improvement programs and therapies of various kinds urge us to change our lives. The High Holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur are a call to change as well. But how do people change? This two-session course will compare the processes of teshuvah (repentance) and psychotherapy to see what each can learn from the other and how they apply to our lives.
Renee Garfinkel is a clinical psychologist and is an author.
Melodies and Prayers for the High Holidays
8:30 - 9:45 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
Make Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur more meaningful by preparing beforehand. Join us for a night of learning the melodies and prayers of the High Holiday services and gain a personal connection to the message of the prayers.
Rabbi Gilah Langner is a local teacher, chaplain, and co-editor of the journal Kerem: Creative Explorations in Judaism.
The Poetry of Unetanah Tokef
8:30 - 9:45 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
At the pinnacle of the Rosh Hashana liturgy, the congregation intones the mournful medieval prayer Unetanah Tokef: "On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed... who shall live and who shall die..." This prayer introduces us to central themes of the holidays, judgments on life and death, hope and repentance. We will read this poem and discuss what it says about responsibility and possibility for change.
Max Ticktin teaches Judaic Studies at George Washington University and is a member of Fabrangen.
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High Holiday Basics
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
The High Holidays are a special time of rejoicing and reflection, when we celebrate the passing of another year and look seriously at our lives. In this class, we will explore the meaning of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by examining customs and a few important prayers. We will also discuss how you can make the High Holidays personally meaningful in both the synagogue and home. This class is meant for beginners as well as those who want to refresh their understanding of the holidays.
Sybil Wolin teaches Basic Judaism and Haggadah Basics for the Jewish Study Center. She is a member of Adas Israel and a founder of the Family and Children's High Holiday Service.
Shofar-Blowing
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
In this practical course, we will learn the historical use of the shofar and general customs of shofar-blowing for the High Holiday season. We will study the musical notes, how to produce them on the shofar, and how to call them out for the shofar-blower. This course will teach the basics so that you can continue to develop shofar skills on your own and better appreciate shofar-blowing in the synagogue.
You may bring your own shofar or purchase one from us. This course is open to children and adults.
Michael Bloom is an author, an experienced High Holiday prayer leader, shofar blower, and a former trumpet player.
Al Het- For the Sins That We Have Committed
8:30 - 9:45 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
Over and over on Yom Kippur, we confess our sins and ask for God's forgiveness. Recognition of our failings is a central element of repentance and atoning for the past, changing who we are and influencing the future. This class will study the Al Het prayer, the chief confessional of the day. It is a double acrostic of the Hebrew alphabet listing 42 types of sins. They are largely sins of speech and attitude, e.g. gossip, deception, arrogance, disrespect and stubbornness. We will particularly explore themes of intention, e.g. sins committed through negligence, ignorance, indifference or compulsion, when we have or feel we have no choice.
Norman Shore is a veteran teacher for the Jewish Study Center and elsewhere in the Washington Jewish community.
Chassidic Teachings and Tales for the New Year
8:30 - 9:45 PM
Members: $15, non-members: $20
Explore the inner meaning of the High Holidays with the teachings of the Chassidic masters. We will study works by the Baal Shem Tov, Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and Nachman of Breslov, among others. Along with the learning, we will do some singing of Chassidic melodies, old and new.
Rabbi David Shneyer is the founder and director of Am Kolel.
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Cooking for the High Holidays
6:45 - 9:00 PM
Members: $35, non-members: $40
Learn how to prepare a meal that would make your bubbie (grandma) proud. Come roll up your sleeves and join us as we learn tasty recipes that can be used for the High Holidays, Shabbat, and other special occasions. We will make challah, apple kugel, honeycake, and a few varieties of chicken. This class is suitable for meat-eaters and vegetarians.
Larry Liss, a chef for over 20 years, is both self-taught and restaurant-trained. He has worked as a caterer and personal chef.
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A Sukkot Surprise: the Film Ushpizin
7:00 - 9:00 PM
Members: $15, Non-members: $20
In the 2005 Israeli film Ushpizin, an Orthodox Jewish couple prepares for and lives through a Sukkot season in which their hospitality and faith are tested bizarre visitors and other trials. The themes of the film include the blessings and burdens that arise when wishes are granted, the uncertainty of how small decisions can affect everything else, and the experiences and pressures of belonging to a community. Join us for a screening and discussion of this heartwarming film.
Ed Askinazi is a filmmaker and producer whose films have been shown worldwide and include The Last Greeks on Broome Street. He is currently a producer for Public Television.
Do you have an idea for a class? Contact the Study Center to make class suggestions.
Hebrew Classes:
For other levels of biblical and prayerbook
Hebrew, contact Adas
Israel Congregation for community classes.