Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation

Adult Education

Beth Chaverim Adult Education Classes - Fall 2010

  Introduction to Hebrew: Aleph Isn’t Tough
Teacher: Tracy Cirone
Time: Sundays 9:15am-10:45am
Dates: 10/17/10; 10/24/10; 11/7/10; 11/14/10; 12/5/10; 12/12/10; 12/23/10; 1/30/11; 2/6/11; 2/13/11
Location: Ulrich Memorial Library
Book Fee: $17.00
Class Fee: Members - No Charge, Non-Members - $36
Minimum: 5 students for the class to run

- This is a beginners class for those with no/little prior knowledge of Hebrew.

  Lunchin’ With the Language of Truth
Teacher: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Mondays 1pm-2pm
Dates: 10/18/10 through 5/23/11 - No classes on: 1/17/11; 2/21/11; 4/18/11; 4/25/11
Location: Classroom across from the Ulrich Memorial Library - Bring your own bagged lunch!
Class Fee: Members - No Charge, Non-Members - $5 per session or $54 for the full year.

- Sefat emet tikon la'ad, "Truthful speech abides forever" (Proverbs 12:19 The Sefat Emet, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter of Ger was known as a master of Talmud, the Zohar, and Chassidic classics; and he became a gaon (preeminent authority) both in the revealed and mystical aspects of the Torah. His work is surprisingly tolerant and modern – allowing his teachings to abide forever and have a relevancy to us today. Fortunately for us some of his teachings have been translated by Rabbi Arthur Green. We will spend the year, studying with our own BCRC rabbi and this mystical master.

  Controversies in the Jewish Life Cycle
Teacher: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Wednesdays 7:30pm-9:00pm
Dates: 11/3/10; 11/10/10; 11/17/10; 11/24/10
Location: Ulrich Memorial Library
Class Fee: Members - No Charge, Non-Members - $18

- Modern sensibilities have created new questions around and about the Jewish Life Cycle. Is circumcision the best decision for my baby boy? Should a rabbi perform intermarriages? Can gay and lesbian couples be “married“ in a Jewish ceremony? With modern technology would Judaism allow one to choose to die with dignity? Is cremation a Jewish styled option when we die? In this course we will explore sources and opinions surround these questions to make our own informed choices.

  What is Chanukah? The Holiday and its history from Antiquity to the Present
Teacher: Earl Suitor
Date: Tuesday, 12/7/10
Time: 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Location: Ulrich Memorial Library
Class Fee: Members - No Charge, Non-Members - $5

- Using the available textural sources from antiquity, and the Babylonian Talmud we will discover what Chanukah is from a historical standpoint, and why it’s important today.

For more information and to register for any of these classes, contact Adult Education Coordinator Shelley Sheinwald, or, use our handy drop down list to reserve the class you want. Please note: Members and Non-Members registering for the Introduction to Hebrew class must purchase the textbook.

Other Adult Education

In our surrounding community, adult education courses are also offered by these organizations:

Union of Reform Judaism
Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School (FMAMS)

Please check the BCRC Calendar for Adult Education events.