If you wish to take an individual course in the full-time program please contact the office for tuition information. You must have permission from the instructor to attend.

Talmud I: Bava Kamma, Chapter 1
We will study the first chapter of Tractate Bava Kamma, focusing on basic issues of Talmud study: methodology, terminology, struc­ture, vocabulary, and legal concepts. Topics covered will include the categories of damage and the inevitability of harm, as well as the broader implications for civil law. Guided preparation with a havruta (partner) will be a regular component of the course.
Anne Gordon
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Talmud IIa: Bava Metzia, Chapter 1
The first chapter of Bava Metzia is one of the classic texts of Tal­mud study, covering a range of cases of contested ownership. We will analyze the Talmud text and medieval commentaries with an emphasis on methodology, skill-building, and understanding the development of Halakha. Students will prepare sources with a havruta (study partner) during a supervised study period at the start of each class. Students should have prior experience study­ing Talmud with traditional commentaries.
Daniel Reifman
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Talmud IIb: Prayers and Blessings – Topics in Tractate Berakhot
How did our current liturgy evolve? What ideas are our prayers crafted to express? We will study select sugyot in Bavli and Yerushalmi Berakhot with the insights of rishonim and acharonim. This course presents an innovative fusion of the philological, historical-critical, literary, philosophical, and classical-analytical perspectives to Talmud study, and aims to develop the student’s competencies in these methods. We will utilize a range of siddurim from different eras, places, and traditions in an attempt to gain a fuller understanding of our prayers and of Hilkhot Tefilla.
David Goshen
Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Biblical Hebrew
Students will develop the basic vocabulary and grammar skills necessary to understand biblical texts in a supportive class en­vironment. Prerequisite: Knowledge of Hebrew print, script, and vowels.
Yitzhak Berger
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Parashat HaShavua
We will analyze and discuss an issue, theme, or text in the weekly Torah read­ing. We will draw upon classical and modern sources to enhance our Torah study.
Nathaniel Helfgot
Tuesday, 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.

How Bible Becomes Prayer
Why are certain words, verses and complete passages from the Bible included in our liturgy? We will explore how passages from the Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim are arranged and blended to form the Daily Prayer Service. We will consider how an understanding of the biblical meaning and context of these passages can give us insight into the message of our daily tefillot. We will pay special attention to the Pesukei deZimrah (Songs of Praise), Shema and Sh­emoneh Esrei. Please bring the Koren Siddur with translation by Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks.
Rachel Friedman
Tuesday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

She Sits as a Widow: Studying the Book of Eikha (Lamentations)
We will engage in a literary-theological study of the Book of Lamentations, read in the synagogue on Tisha B’Av night. We will attempt to understand the structure and meaning of each chapter and the book as a whole and its rela­tion to other books of the Bible. We will make use of classical commentaries and modern studies of the Bible.
Nathaniel Helfgot
Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Jewish Law I: Laws of Kashrut
Keeping kosher is one of the quintessential aspects of an observant lifestyle, making it an excellent introductory topic for the study of Halakha. Through a study of the traditional sources, we will analyze both the development of the laws of kashrut and their contemporary application, from the makeup of the modern kosher kitchen to controversies in industrial kashrut. Sources will be provided in both Hebrew and English.
Daniel Reifman
Monday, Wednesday, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Friday, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Jewish Law II: Shofar
Through an in-depth study of Gemara, Rishonim and Poskim, we will examine the laws of sounding the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah.
Moshe Kahn
Monday, Wednesday, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Friday, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Bible I: In the Palace of the King
In Genesis, Sarah is twice detained by a king, once by Pharaoh and once by Avimelech; Rebecca is almost taken by Avimelech; and Dinah is abducted by Prince Shechem. Why were the matriarchs exposed to such danger? How do their experiences with these foreign rulers affect the women’s relationships with their families and with the land? We will do a close study of the relevant chapters of Genesis and utilize classical biblical exegetes as well as works of midrash.
Wendy Amsellem
Tuesday, Thursday, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Bible II: The Prophecies of Ezekiel- Visions of Yesterday and Tomorrow
The prophetic words, visions, and symbolic acts of Ezekiel have profoundly affected the way Jews perceive God, the divine realm, the nation of Israel, Jerusalem, and exile. We will study selected themes and sections of the Book of Ezekiel, paying close attention to its content, style, historical context, and unique message.
Rachel Friedman
Tuesday, Thursday, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Divine Revelation and Moral Intuition in the Jewish Tradition
What is the relation between morality and religion? Is there a moral good independent of God’s commands, or does God define the good, hence making divine commandment good by definition? What happens when divine command and moral in­tuition seem to clash? We will address these questions and oth­ers, drawing upon traditional and contemporary Jewish sources as well the writings of classical and modern philosophers.
Dan Baras
Monday, Wednesday, 3:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Elective I: The Evil that Lurks in the Hearts of Men
We will examine the Rabbinic ideas of yetzer tov and yetzer ha-ra (good and evil inclinations). Where does this idea come from? How do the Rabbis use it to explain God, humanity and the nature of reality? How does the conception of these “desires” change with evolving understandings of the world and the way it works? We will examine sources from the classical Rabbinic literature and later thinkers such as Maharal of Prague, the Gaon of Vilna, Shl”a (Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz), and Rabbi Israel of Salant. We will also read contemporaries such as Daniel Boyarin and Eugene Borowitz in an attempt to integrate this essential Rabbinic idea into our current Jewish understanding.
Ben Skydell
Tuesday, Thursday, 3:15 – 5:00 p.m.

Elective II: Emunah U’Kfira (Faith and Apostasy) – The Question of Religious Belief
Can religious faith be justified today in a rational, objective manner, or does it remain a merely subjective, maybe even arbitrary, choice? Throughout the Middle Ages, the existence of God, the immortality of the soul, as well as other religious dogma, were thought to be convincingly demonstrable by phil­osophical arguments. Yet 18th century philosophers, especially David Hume and Immanuel Kant, raised doubts about these claims. We will survey the writings and arguments of a variety of thinkers: classical and contemporary philosophers, Jewish and non-Jewish, Theists and Atheists, and discuss the feasibility of belief in the modern age.
Dan Baras
Tuesday, Thursday, 3:15 – 5:00 p.m.