Adult Education 2024-2025 / 5785
Current and Upcoming Classes and Events
For most classes, there is no charge for CBE members. Non-members are requested to make a donation to the Adult Education Fund (suggested $36) by clicking HERE and selecting Adult Education Fund in the "TYPE" dropdown menu.
Scholar-in-Residence Weekend 2025 with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin
Friday, February 7 at 7:00 PM, Saturday, February 8 at 9:30 AM, Sunday, February 9 at 9:00 AM ♦ In person & Zoom
Theme for the Weekend:
"Rebooting Liberal Judaism"
Speaker Events:
Session 1: Friday, February 7 • 7:00 PM – Shabbat Service: Rabbi Salkin will provide the D'var Torah: Rebooting Liberal Judaism. This will be offered in person in the CBE Sanctuary and via Zoom (Usual Services Zoom)
Session 2: Saturday, February 8 • 9:30 AM– Shabbat Service followed by Torah Study with Rabbi Salkin (about 10:30 AM): Rabbi Salkin will lead the Torah Study: Parsh Beshalach. A Wall on the Left and a Wall on the Right: Beiong Jewish in Today's America. This will be offered in person in the CBE Sanctuary and via Zoom (Usual Services Zoom)
Session 3: Sunday, February 9 • 9:00 AM – Brotherhood Breakfast: Rabbi Salkin will speak about 9:30 AM: A Complete Unknown: How Jewish is Bob Dylan? (There is no cost for Brotherhood members. Non-Brotherhood members are asked to pay $10 for the breakfast, payable at the door.)
SIGN UP HERE for Sessions 2 and/or 3 and join us to learn together. We are not asking for sign-up for the Friday Shabbat Service. You will find the speaker bio at this link also.
Israeli Folk Dancing
Monthly event held at CBE
Watch Star-Lite or check the calendar for dates
Please join us as we bring Israeli Folk Dancing back to Congregation Beth Elohim.
Rina Wagman, experienced dance instructor from Newton, will continue to lead us in learning the mayim, the yeminite left and other fun steps to upbeat Israeli music.
Teens are invited, too!
No need to sign up. Just join us! Drop in fee is $10.
If interested, email adulted@bethelohim.org.
Torah Talk with Rabbi David
The first three Thursdays of each month from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM via Zoom only.
This class will be a general text study class that could bring in Talmud, Mishnah, Torah, Midrash, or other sacred texts. It could also be about Jewish values and current events, or an upcoming holiday.
This class will be held via Zoom only. After you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom login information.
Monthly Meditations with Cantor Sarra
See Star-LIte or Calendar for dates; Usually One Tuesday evening per month, 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
In person and via Zoom
Cantor Sarra continues her popular meditation program. Join Cantor Sarra for an evening of meditation and song to prepare our minds and open our hearts for the new year. Experienced meditators, those who are trying it for the very first time, and everyone in between are all welcome!
Shabbat Torah Study with Rabbi David
Shabbat mornings except days with B'nai Mitzvah. Watch for announcements in Star-Lite or see our online calendar.
This study and discussion of the weekly parsha follows a short Shacharit service. Various translations and commentaries are employed, as well as the rabbi’s own insight.
Mid Week Torah Study
Facilitator: Waky
Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Join a group of adult students that has been studying Jewish texts together for several years All are welcome; we study using the chevruta style of learning where we all share our thoughts on a wide perspective on the texts. No previous knowledge is required nor is Hebrew a necessity. Drop-ins are welcome. Contact Waky at adulted@bethelohim.org.
Educational Resources
Israel Discussion Series Resources
The following resources came out of the first Israel discussion on February 8, 2023, as valuable to the understanding of Israel's history and society:
Books:
Archive of The STAR Column, "People of Chelm Want to Know"
Find the archive of 10 plus years of this column, published in The STAR, and developed by Bob Ferrara with Waky's help as the editor and fact checker.
Making Moral Choices with Rabbi David
Tuesdays December 3, 10 and 17
5 to 6 pm in the CBE library and via Zoom
In a world of political extremes, how do we make moral choices? In the Jewish tradition, we have different processes for making moral choices. When do we consider a particular value to be so important as to trump all others? When and how do we strive to balance a particular value among other values? We will consider these questions within the framework of living in a diverse community and of how moral decision-making influences our relationships. Please join us on Tuesday afternoons for a lively discussion.
Below are recordings for sessions 2 and 3. Session 1 was not recorded.
Making Moral Choices Class - Part 2 - Rabbi David Braham- December 10, 2024
Making Moral Choices Class - Part 3 - Rabbi David Braham- December 17, 2024
Jewish Book Month Speaker - Joan Leegant
Sunday, November 17, 2024
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
CBE Social Hall
Congregation Beth Elohim Adult Education Committee and Sisterhood are pleased to host award-winning author Joan Leegant for our annual Jewish Book Month author event.
Joan Leegant will speak about her timely short story collection, DISPLACED PERSONS, which shines a light on American Jewish life and Israel, especially relevant in these times. DISPLACED PERSONS won the national New American Fiction Prize and has been selected by Hadassah Magazine for their One Book, One Hadassah program and chosen by the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism for their Women’s League Reads program for January 2025.
About the author
Joan is a passionate speaker who loves engaging with audiences. Come for an eye-opening conversation about the creative process, writing about Israel, and what it means to be coming out with a Jewish book today in this climate of anti-Israel sentiment.
Joan's first book, An Hour in Paradise, won the PEN/New England Book Award, the Wallant Award for Jewish Fiction, and was a Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Her second, Wherever You Go, was named a “Significant Jewish Book” by the Union for Reform Judaism.
Formerly a lawyer, Joan taught at Harvard for eight years and was the Visiting Writer at Bar-Ilan University outside Tel Aviv for five years where she also lectured at schools across Israel on American literature and culture under the auspices of the U.S. State Department.
The Journey of Teshuvah & Runway to the High Holy Days - Class with Rabbi David
Thursdays, September 12, 19, 26
5:00 to 6:30 PM at CBE and Zoom
oin Rabbi David for an exploration of the themes of repentance and repair as a spiritual preparation for the High Holidays.
For this class, it is recommended that you purchase a copy of On Repentance and Repair by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/710956/on-repentance-and-repair-by-danya-ruttenberg/
The class will meet in person, but we will also have a Zoom link available to those who register.
Scholar-in-Residence Weekend 2024 with Rabbi Leonard Gordon
Learn with our 2022 Scholar in Residence, Rabbi Leonard Gordon, Chair of the National Council of Synagogues and a frequent teacher in the ME'AH program at Hebrew College.
Theme for the Weekend:
"How we as Jews interact with the world around us in the aftermath of October 7th and the trauma those attacks unleashed"
Speaker Events:
- Friday, February 9th at 6:30 PM - Shabbat Service (in person & via Zoom): Rabbi Gordon will provide the D'var Torah, speaking on: Interfaith Dialogue through the lens of October 7th: Reflections on a recent visit to the Gaza border.
- Saturday, February 10th - Shabbat Service (9:30 AM) & Torah Study with Rabbi Gordon (about 10:30 AM) (in person & via Zoom): Rabbi Gordon will speak on: Parshat Mishpatim; Legislating Emotions: Setting Boundaries for Anger
- Saturday, February 10th at 6:00 PM: Havdalah service at a congregant's home, February 10th (in person only): Rabbi Gordon will speak on: Shared stories, different traditions: Decoding Islam for Jews. You must register to receive the location for this speaker event.
About the Speaker:
Rabbi Leonard Gordon chairs the National Council of Synagogues, the organization that facilitates interfaith dialogue for Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative Jews. A frequent teacher in the ME’AH program* at Hebrew College, he is currently planning a ME’AH trip to Andalusia (Spain) this May.
He has master’s degrees in comparative religion from Brown and Columbia Universities and a Masters of Jewish Studies from the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was ordained. In 2018, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in interfaith studies from the Andover Newton Theological School. He recently served as Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Tikvah in Canton, MA.
(*ME’AH is an intensive Adult Learning experience offered by Hebrew College. Many congregants have participated in ME’AH classes.)
Tikkun L'eil Shavuot ♦ Tuesday, June 11 ♦ 8:00 PM to late! ♦ In person at CBE & Zoom
Please join us for this fun & educational community gathering.
Shavuot is the historical marker of Moses receiving the Torah on Mt. Sinai. According to legend, the Israelites overslept the morning of the giving of the Torah.
To "repair" our behavior on the night of the original Shavuot, the kabbalists created a gathering, called Tikkun L’eil Shavuot ("Repairing the Night of Shavuot"), in which we stay up all night learning. At CBE, we have been gathering for many years to learn from each other, and share food, especially cheesecake.
(When you join us, you’ll learn why we eat dairy on Shavuot!)
For our planning purposes, please sign up here and let us know if you plan to join in person or via Zoom. Feel free to change your mind about how to attend after you sign up! We just need to know how much cheesecake we need!
We start at 8 PM with a short service/minyan in the sanctuary and then move over to the swing space for the Tikkun at about 8:15 PM. We will be partially indoors and partially outdoors (depending on the weather) and hybrid via Zo
We will share teachings from Rabbi David and Cantor Sarra, and from our congregants. Teachings could be Torah study, Jewish topics, games, music, movement, creativity and more. (We try to stay up to midnight, but you can don't have to!)
If you have something you would like to teach, please contact adulted@bethelohim.org
Jewish Book Month Speaker: Author Ilan Evyatar on "Israel at War: Fighting the Iranian Axis"
Sunday, November 5, 2023 • 21 Cheshvan 5784
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
ZOOM ONLY
Join us, via Zoom only, for our Jewish Book Month Author Event. Author, Ilan Evyatar, former columnist for the Jerusalem Post, will speak on the topic, "Israel at War: Fighting the Iranian Axis".
We welcome, speaking to us from Jerusalem, llan Evyatar, former editor-in-chief of the award-winning magazine, The Jerusalem Report, and a former News Director, columnist, and senior contributor at The Jerusalem Post. He has edited and translated several books and has worked as a speechwriter and ghostwriter.
Born in Israel and raised in London, England, he has interviewed a wide variety of top intelligence officials, as well as leading political, business, and cultural personalities. He is the co-author, with Yonah Jeremy Bob, of the recently published Target Tehran, a history of Israel's attempts to thwart Iran's nuclear weapons program, and how it leveraged mutual fear of Iran to forge alliances with Gulf Arab states.
You can order the book through Silver Unicorn here: https://www.silverunicornbooks.com/item/gQpiPqSJBXirdJHDU8ZCCA
There is no charge for this event. A donation, by non-congregants, to the Adult Education Fund would be appreciated. Link to donate is www.bethelohim.org/donate.
SIGN UP HERE to receive the Zoom link. You will receive a confirmation email shortly after signing up.
"American Jewish Identity and Israel"-An Adult Education Class with Rabbi David
Tuesdays, November 14 to December 5
5:00 PM to 6:15 PM
CBE Library & via Zoom
Please join Rabbi David for this timely exploration of Jewish identity and Israel!
What does it mean to identify as an American Jew today? Is being Jewish just something we are born into, or does it involve a shared set of beliefs and values? What role does a sense of peoplehood play in how we feel about being Jewish?
Our class will also focus on these questions, plus the central role the modern state of Israel plays in American Jewish Identity today. We will use parts of the Shalom Hartman Institute ‘Foundations for a Thoughtful Judaism' Curriculum.
SIGN UP HERE You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link.
CBE Yom Hashoah program with Yelena Lembersky, author of Like a Drop of Ink in a Downpour ♦ Monday, April 17 ♦ 7:30 PM in person at CBE and via ZOOM
Join us for this moving speaker. Yelena Lembersky will speak about Shoah in her grandfather's, Felix Lembersky's, art and her family's journey to bring these paintings out off Russia.
The massacre at Babyn Yar, outside of Kiev, Ukraine, is among the thousands of mass graves 
still being uncovered throughout these areas. The Holocaust in the Soviet Union is one of the most barbaric moments in history with the murder of at least 2 million Soviet Jews at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators.
Artist Felix Lembersky searched for his parents in Ukraine after its liberation in 1943. When he did not find them, he began to search for clues and reconstruct their last steps on canvas. Execution: Babyn Yar paintings, ca. 1944-52, are the earliest artistic representation of the massacre. His granddaughter, Yelena Lembersky, will speak about Shoah in Felix Lembersky’s art and her family’s journey to bring these paintings out of Russia.
How Jews & Judaism Confronted Modernity and How We Can Respond to the Challenges We Now Confront ♦ Sunday, April 2 ♦ 3:00 PM in person at CBE and via ZOOM
A conversation with Barry Shrage, with an introduction by Rabbi Emeritus Lewis Mintz
Barry Shrage is the inaugural speaker in the Rabbi Lewis Mintz Fund series and is Professor of the Practice in the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program at Brandeis University.
One of America's foremost Jewish leaders, Shrage served for the past 30 years as president of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) of Greater Boston and as a powerful voice on the American Jewish communal scene. He is known in Boston and throughout the world for his tireless support of Jewish education; his promotion of engagement by religious and nonreligious Jews; his commitment to working for social justice at home and abroad alongside others; his strong support of Israel; his bridge-building, outreach, and engagement with the non-Jewish community in creative partnerships; and for his boundless energy and creativity.
Exploring Judaism with Rabbi David
Via Zoom only.
Four successive Monday evenings 7:00 – 8:30 PM, starting Monday, January 23rd and ending Monday, February 13th.
Have you ever wanted to know more about Judaism but didn’t know where to start?
Congregation Beth Elohim in Acton is offering a free course to help you learn some of the basic tenets of Judaism. Topics include Jewish theology and ideas, the life-cycle, and the Jewish calendar. Bring your questions, concerns, and curiosity. This is an ideal course for interfaith couples and individuals to learn more about Judaism.
There is no charge for this course, but registration is required in order to receive attendance information.
Led by Rabbi Braham David, Congregation Beth Elohim Interim Rabbi, and Director of the Jewish Discovery Institute. The Jewish Discovery Institute is co-sponsoring this class.
Israel Discussion Series-First Session
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
7:00 PM
In person at CBE & ZOOM
The Congregation Beth Elohim Adult Education committee is pleased to host a series of informal group discussions on congregants’ experiences in, or connections to, Israel.
At our first session, Bob Becker will discuss his trip to Israel last summer to visit his brother and study at the Shalom Hartman Institute Community Leadership Program in Jerusalem. Bob reports that he learned a lot at the Hartman Institute, but perhaps more from his brother.
Want to hear what Bob learned? Join us! There will be snacks and drinks.
We request that you sign up and let us know if you plan to join in person or via ZOOM. This is for our planning purposes. You may change your mind.
Jewish Book Month Author event with Rabbi Art Green
Sunday November 20 at 5:00 PM
Rabbi Art Green will be interviewed by his long time friend Rabbi Emeritus Lewis Mintz. Rabbi Green's recent book: Judaism for the World: Reflections on God, Life, and Love won a National Jewish Book award in 2021.
Rabbi Art Green formerly taught at Hebrew College and 
Brandeis University and founded the Shalom Havurah in Somerville. He is an expert on the 18th Century spiritual revival movement of Jews in Eastern Europe, and is the leading figure within Neo-Hasidism, the attempt to apply Hasidic teachings to life in the contemporary world.
We will arrange to purchase this book from Silver Unicorn. Books will be available at the event.
Lunchtime Talmud with Rabbi Mike ♦ Thursdays starting September 23 ♦ 12:00 to 1:00 PM
Due to popular demand, the lunchtime Talmud sessions will continue this year. Join Rabbi Mike for some noontime learning and discussions for Talmud beginners and up.
Talmud is the core of the Jewish people’s rabbinic tradition, and the root of some of our deepest wisdom. Join Rabbi Mike for some noontime learning and discussions for Talmud beginners and up. You can register and attend when you can. You do not need to attend all sessions.
This may be a hybrid class (in person and via zoom) so please stay tuned.
Talmud is the core of the Jewish people’s rabbinic tradition, and the root of some of our deepest wisdom. We’ll be studying Brachot, which discusses foundational Jewish prayers, such as the Shema and blessings over food, and the idea of intention during prayer.
To make the class as accessible as possible, we’ll use the new edition from Koren Publishers, which includes color pictures. If you do not already have it, you can buy:
• a physical copy of the Talmud from a local bookshop
• a physical copy from the publisher by clicking here
• a PDF file from the publisher for $9.95 by clicking here
Tikkun L'eil Shavuot ♦ Saturday, June 4 ♦ 7:30 PM to Late - In Person & ZOOM
Can you study late into the night?
Please register so we know to expect you and to receive attendance information!
Shavuot is the historical marker of Moses receiving the Torah on Mt. Sinai. But, according to legend the Israelites overslept the morning of the giving of the Torah. To "repair" our behavior on the night of the original Shavuot, the kabbalists created a gathering, called Tikkun L’eil Shavuot ("Repairing the Night of Shavuot"), in which we stay up all night learning.
Please join us for a full night of learning, partially indoors and partially outdoors (depending on the weather) and hybrid via Zoom. We plan to share food, especially cheesecake. We will abide by the CBE Covid-19 policy, which is here: https://www.bethelohim.org/cbe-covid-19
We will share teachings from Rabbi Mike and Cantor Sarra, and from our congregants. Teachings could be Torah study, Jewish topics, music, movement, creativity and more.
If you have something you would like to teach, please contact Waky at adulted@bethelohim.org by May 31, 2022. Each speaker will have up to 20 minutes (including Q and A) to share their teaching.
If you have any questions or want to register "offline", feel free to contact us at Adulted@bethelohim.org or contact Waky.
This program is partially funded by the CBE Adult Education Fund. Additional donations to the Adult Education Fund can be made at: www.bethelohim.org/donate.
Speaking Across Conflict-- Respectful discussions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ♦ March 9 & 23 ♦ 6:30 to 8:30 PM via ZOOM
The goal of this two-session workshop is to learn respectful, open and honest communication and listening skills on a charged issue – Israel and Palestine.
Resetting the Table will facilitate this two-session workshop. Participants will share personal connections to Israel, exchange views and practice communication skills for addressing differences constructively. The workshop builds community capacity to explore disagreements while strengthening relationships, trust, learning, and collaboration.
Resetting the Table will bring an experienced facilitator -- Michele Freed -- to lead us in this skill building exercise. You can see her background here. Resetting the Table has extensive experience organizing and facilitating these workshops. More information about their work can be found here.
This workshop is partially supported by a grant from Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
If you would like to join us, register by February 11th. You may also email Matt Liebman at adulted@bethelohim.org to register.
To participate you must be a member of the congregation and commit to both sessions. You will only see the registration form IF you are logged into your website account. If you are not logged in already, a login form will display for you to complete.
If you don't have an account on the system or don't recall your login information, email adulted@bethelohim.org. Provide your name, email address and phone number and someone will register you on your behalf and you will receive a confirmation email. Then, when you have time, please email websupport@bethelohim.org to get your account set up for any future events with login required and to access portions of the website available to congregants only (logged in).
There will be some optional reading material, and a survey to complete ahead of time. We will seek a diversity of views, perspectives, backgrounds with respect to Israel and Palestine.
This workshop is organized by the Adult Ed Committee, in collaboration with Rabbi Mike and co-president Jaymi Formaggio.
Makor Chochmah: Fountains of Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs led by Rabbi Mike ♦ 5 Tuesdays in March ♦ 7:00 to 8:30 PM
What is the path that a wise person follows? The book of Proverbs, attributed to King Solomon, is a collection of teachings about proper conduct and the nature of divinity, unusual in that it ignores narrative description of events in favor of discussions of moral values and the meaning of life. In our class, we’ll look at these teachings, and their connection to our lives, both as individuals and in larger culture.