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The Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus School
 From Moses to Joshua: A Story of Succession: The Haftarah of Simchat TorahRachel Friedman Tuesday, September 23, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, September 19 at noon.  Who Killed Mizrachi? Religious Zionism and Modern Orthodoxy in Israel and AmericaWe will review the genesis and activities of classical Religious Zionism, first in Europe, then in the Yishuv; and track the parallel history of Orthodoxy in Israel and America. We will study the teachings and activities of Mizrachi founder Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Reines and Mizrachi leaders Rabbi Meir Bar-Ilan, and Rav Kook (and his followers).We will analyze how these texts are studied, and how these leaders shaped the contours of Religious Zionism within the state of Israel, from early settlements to present day. We will explore the radicalization of Orthodoxy as it informed the “Settler Movement,” and the demise of a Religious Zionist “center.” Jerome Chanes Tuesday, November 4, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Thursday, October 30 at noon. The Netziv's approach to Sedom - Pshat or PolemicFor over 40 years Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (the "Netziv") served as the head of the Volozion Yeshiva, arguably the most prominent yeshiva in modern Jewish history. One unique aspect of the Yeshiva was the Netziv's incorporation of the study of the Bible into the standard curriculum of Talmud and Jewish law. Ha'emek Davar, the Netziv's commentary on the Bible, was an outgrowth of this approach, and through analysis of this commentary one can glean insight into the complex world view of this influential modern Jewish personality. In this lecture we will examine the Netziv's approach to the Sedom episode and attempt to analyze the factors which may have impacted the Netziv's approach to this particular episode. Yehuda Halpert Wednesday, November 5, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Monday, November 3 at noon. Covenants in The Book of Genesis: Are they “One-sided” or “Two-sided”, and why it matters. Our study will begin by tracing the concept of 'covenant' in Sefer Breishit from Noah to Abraham, noting their textual and thematic parallels. Afterward, with a little help from The Book of Psalms, we will search for the 'other-side' of the 'Covenant of the Parts' ("brit bein ha'btarim" / Breishit chapter 15). Our study will not only demonstrate how certain Psalms can serve as a commentary to Chumash, but it will also help us appreciate our daily prayers (especially Psukei d'Zimra). Menachem Leibtag Monday, November 10, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Thursday, November 6 at noon. Choosing Jacob: A Story of Isaac and RebeccaRachel Friedman Tuesday, November 18, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, November 14 at noon. Spiritual Life and Community in the thought of the Aish KodeshRabbi Kalonymous Kalman Shapira z"l, the Warsaw Ghetto Rabbi, was in many ways the most modern and innovative of the great Chassidic Rebbes in the prewar period. We will explore his ideas on Chassidic practice and learning, as well as some of his groundbreaking thoughts on spiritual education and rethinking spiritual community, many of which have strong resonances more than half a century later. David Almog Tuesday, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. 2-week course: November 25, December 2 Tuition: $90 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, November 21 at noon. “And he did not know…”: A Story of Jacob and RachelRachel Friedman Tuesday, December 9, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, December 5 at noon. Nerot Shabbat, Nerot Chanukah: Lighting our Homes, and Lighting the WorldOn Shabbat we are commanded to bring light into our homes, on Chanukah we are bidden to cast light into the world outside our homes. In this class we will examine sources that explore the meanings of these two "lightings," and seek out ways to deepen our experience of bringing light within and without. Joanna Samuels Tuesday, December 16, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Tuition: $45 (includes lunch) Pre-registration for lunch required by Friday, December 12 at noon. |
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