Intro to Hebrew

Dates and times to be announced soon!

This is a course for beginners who are interested in starting or deepening their understanding of the Bible, of prayer, and of ways to learn and grow their familiarity and comfort with Hebrew. I am not only a native Hebrew speaker, but an enthusiast for the amazing history and culture of the language, Leshon ha-Kodesh our holy tongue. It’s intended to serve as foundational preparation for adult b’nai mitzvah, support for b’nai mitzvah parents and grandparents, and a preface to the study of basic Hebrew grammar and syntax. It is also fun and peppered with opportunities for new insights and discoveries. This is not your typical (boring) language class - I promise! During this initial period, we will learn, by the by:

i. The alphabet in some depth;
ii. The Hebrew root or word-family system;
iii. More than 100 key words and concepts;
iv. The early history and religious significance of its development.

Understanding Judaism -
Origins and Foundations

Dates and times to be announced soon!

In this initial course, I will address these topics:

i. Where we come from and who we are;
ii. What we are about and what we were thinking about and writing about;
iii. (some of) What we do;
iv. (some of) What others thought about us.

This class is designed for interested Jews and non-Jews who are either complete beginners or who wish to deepen their backgrounds and contextual knowledge of Judaism. We will cover essential elements of the Bible, early Jewish history, the Ancient Near Eastern and classical cultures that shaped it, and the emergence of Judaism as we understand it. We will also address the foundations of our Judeo-Christian culture (especially for interested non-Jews) and offer an exploratory platform for people who contemplate joining our faith. We will read some texts (all in English), view images, create timelines, discuss, question, and explore our own ideas about Judaism and its core elements. By the end of this course, so much will start to make more sense - this is the goal!