H O M E  Fall 1998 WINTER 1999 SCHEDULE

SKILLS | BIBLE | PHILOSOPHY| TALMUD | HALAKHA |COMMUNITY SEMINAR | LITURGY| 
 
TALMUD Masekhet Chulin  
This continuing course will focus on the eighth chapter, also known as Kol Habassar.  Attention will be paid to the linguistic style and the development of halakhic psak of the perek.  The class will attempt to understand the difference between our halakhic kitchens and Chazal's halakhic kitchens.  The class will also attempt to ascertain the development of kashrut customs, such as time in between meat and dairy meals, two/three sets of dishes, "one" set of dishes, prohibition of cooking/eating meat and fish together, etc.  Additionally, the instructor will provide a variety of responsa (teshuvot) from modern poskim on these and other post-modern kashrut topics.    

texts:              Masekhet Chulin.  English translation available in the Steinsaltz and Artscroll publications 
instructor Rabbi David Ehrenkranz. 
time Tuesday evenings, 8:00-9:15 p.m. Chevrutah: 7:30-8:30 p.m.  
calendar Eight sessions, January 12-March 16. No class Feb. 16th ro Mar. 2nd. 
place Congregation Shaarei Tefilla, 35 Morseland  Ave., Newton 
tuition $80   level: 3
BIBLE The Seven Prophetesses:  Visionary Women in the Bible 
 This course will strive to analyze each of the seven women neviot and their prophetic abilities.  What traits did they have in common?  Under what circumstances were they chosen to receive the word of Hashem?  How were they able to lead men in their patriarchal world?  This course will attempt to answer these questions and to explore the issues of faith, gender, and power in the Tanakh as presented in primary source material. 

texts Tanakh; Additional sources will be provided. 
instructor Stacey Goldman. 
time Wednesday  evenings, 8:00-9:30 pm 
calendar Seven sessions, January 13- March 10. 
No class Feb. 17th. 
place Young Israel of Brookline, 62 Green St., Brookline. 
tuition $80.00  level:  2
Early Exegesis in the Qumran Scrolls 
Among the 800 scrolls found at Qumran , various types of connections to the biblical stories can be found. During the course we will read a selection of scrolls found at Qumran, comparing their interpretations to Rabbinic exegesis found in the Midrash and Targumim. 

texts Tanakh, Additional sources will be provided. 
instructor Dr. Esther Eshel 
time Mon. afternoon, 1:30 pm-2:45 pm. 
calendar Three sessions: Jan. 11, Jan 25,  Feb. 1..  
place Young Israel of Brookline, 62 Green St., Brookline. 
tuition $30.00    level: 3 
Leadership and Development:  The Life of Moshe Rabbeinu 
Are leaders made or born?  In our studies together, we will explore the life Moshe Rabbeinu, his character, his human and Divine relationships, and his leadership challenges and development.  We will make extensive use of the Biblical text together with medieval and modern commentators, meforshim, as well as Midrash.  We will also apply contemporary leadership theory to our investigations. 
 
texts Sources to be provided. 
instructor Rabbi Benjamin Samuels 
time Wednesday mornings, 9:15-10:30 am 
calendarEight sessions, Jan. 13- Mar. 10. 
      No Class Feb. 17th.  
place Talner Cong. Beth David, 64 Corey Rd., Brookline.. 
tuition $80.00     level:2
The Fundamentals of learning Tanakh (Bible) 
The goal of this course will be to provide the students with the fundamental tools in learning a biblical text.  Utilizing the various laws of Hebrew grammar, we will learn how to identify and recognize the grammatical and syntactical elements of the biblical text.  These skills will be developed through learning selected portions from the Book of Genesis.  In addition, students will learn to analyze texts through close reading and through the introduction of traditional commentators, such as Rashi. 

texts Tanakh  (Bible) with English translation and Hebrew/English dictionary. 
instructor Michal Bessler 
time Tuesday evenings, 8:00-9:15 p.m. 
calendarEight sessions, Jan. 12-Mar. 16. 
No class Feb. 16 or Mar. 2.  
placeMaimonides School, Philbrick Road,  Brookline. 
tuition $80.00    level:1
PHILOSOPHY Kedusha, Time, and Place  Kedusha, and the impact that the sanctification of time and space has on our lives. Each week we will  examine kedusha from one of the following four perspectives and their corresponding texts: Tanakh, Halacha, Tefilla, and Philosophy. 

textSiddur, Tanakh, Shi'ure ha-Rav. 
instructor Rabbi Moshe Simkovich 
time Monday evenings, 8:00-9:15 p.m. 
calendarFour sessions, Feb. 8, Feb. 22, 
Mar. 8, Mar. 15. 

Students may wish to register for this class & Development of the the Laws of Family Purity which is offered at the same time in January.  

place Maimonides School, Philbrick Road, Brookline. 
tuition $40.00    level: 3
SKILLS  The Art of the"D'var Torah" 
This two part workshop will provide advice and instruction to help structure and present a D'var Torah in both a private and public setting.  Using the guidelines, each participant will have to present a short "D'var Torah" to the group.  The theme of the DivreTorah will be "Pesach", and this should provide a wonderful opportunity to share and prepare insights for the seder.  Please come with a Tanakh, Haggadah, and a notebook. 
text Tanakh and Haggadah.. 
instructorErica Brown. 
time Sunday mornings, 10:30-11:45 am. 
calendarTwo sessions, March 7-March 14 
place Cong. Beth-El Atereth Israel, 561 Ward St. 
tuition $20.00   level: 2
Punctuating the Tanakh: What trope, vowels, and Rashi are really telling you? 

This class will explore the profound disagreements among the various commentators about how the Tanakh should be read.  Since the Torah was not written with punctuation, inserting or omitting a comma can create differences in meaning and context of "biblical"  proportions.  The way in which a parshan punctuates the text reflects his understanding of the Tanakh and has led to some of the most enduring conflicts in biblical interpretation.  Sources will include the Masoritic text, Ibn Ezra, Rashi, Rashbam, Radak, and others.  We will learn the philosophy behind each of these important punctuators and their motives for incorporating specific vowels or signs. 
text Full Tanakh with punctuation, and one vol. each of  Torah and Nach with Mikraot Gedolot. 
instructorStacey Goldman 
time Sunday mornings, 9:15-10:30 am. 
calendarEight sessions, Jan. 10-Mar. 14. 
No class Feb 14 or Feb. 21. 
place Young Israel of Sharon, Bradford and Dunbar Streets, Sharon. 
tuition $80.00   level: 2
From Perfect to Imperfect: Sefer Yonah and Biblical Hebrew, Part II   

We continue to study Jonah, Sefer Yonah,  as the basis for learning the fundamentals of Biblical Hebrew grammar. In part I of the class, we covered the rules of torat-ha-hegeh (pronunciation of text), and identification of parts of speech. In Part II, we will delve into verb identification and analysis as a means of deepening our understanding of, and appreciation for, the text. We will see how medieval meforshim ( commentaries) respond to many of the same grammatical and syntactical issues we cover in class. 
text All materials will be provided. 
instructorStephanie Samuels 
time Sunday mornings, 9:15-10:30 am. 
calendarFour sessions, Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31 

Students may wish to register for this class & Halakhah & Kabbalah offered at the same time in February.  

placeCong.  Shaarei Tefillah, 35 Morseland Ave., Newton.  
tuition $50.00   level: 3 
HALAKHA Development of the Laws of Family Purity  

The laws of family purity are central to our experience of halakha, but few of us have any intellectual contact with them. Many classes which teach pratical laws, halakha le-ma'aseh, do not have the time for an in-depth study of the laws' conceptual and textual background. In this course,  we will explore several topics with the goal of making the conceptual content and methodology of halakha clear and accessible. We will also trace the development of this area of halakha from what the Torah describes to what we practice. Sources will be primarily Biblical through medieval. 
text Tanakh. Sources will be provided in both Hebrew/Aramaic and English.. 
instructorDeborah Klapper 
time Monday evenings, 8:00-9:15 pm. 
calendarFour sessions, Jan. 11-Feb. 1 

Students may wish to register for this class & Kedusha, offered at the same time in February.  

place Maimonides, Philbrick Road, Brookline.  
tuition $40.00   level: 3 
Halakhah and Kabbalah: The Interplay of Legal and Mystical Traditions   

Halakhah and Kabbalah represent two distinct realms that offer vastly different perspectives on Jewish tradition. This course will examine the interplay between these two sources of authority and their varying interpretations, by focusing on minhagim and selections from the liturgy. 
text Sources will be provided . 
instructorProf. Jay Berkovitz 
time Sunday mornings, 9:15-10:45 am. 
calendarFour sessions, February 7, 28, March 7, 14. 

Students may wish to register for this class & Biblical Hebrew, offered at the same time in January.  

place Congr. Shaarei Tefillah, 35 Morseland Ave., Newton. 
tuition $40.00   level: 3 
SEMINAR Studies in Jewish Liturgy 
Community Seminar for Men and Women 
A two part seminar: First session will deal discuss the impact of the Kabbalah on the Jewish liturgy: the case of Kabbalat Shabbat. Second session will examine the Ten Martyrs in a  study of Eleh Ezkerah. 
text Siddur. 
instructor Dr. Sid Leiman. 
timeSunday evenings, 8:00-8:45 p.m 
calendar Two sessions, Jan. 24 & Jan. 31; 
place Maimonides School, Philbrick Road, Brookline. 
tuition $20.00   level: 3 
LITURGY Why Will This Passover Be Different From All Others? 
 
An in-depth study of the meaning and spiritual importance of the Haggadah. Knowledge gained from the text and related sources will contribute to a greater understanding of the Exodus as well as the transformation of the Jewish nation into a unique people. This course will enhance the Seder experience. 
text Haggadah. 
instructor Dr. Rivka Teitz Blau 
timeThurs. mornings, 8:45-10:00 a.m. 
calendar Feb.4, 11, 25; Mar. 4; 
place Leventhal-Sidman Jewish Community Center, Nahanton St., Newton. 
tuition $40.00