Dates: Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 31, 2009
Please see individual classes for tuition information.
Registrations, including payment, after July 10, 2009 are subject to a $35 late fee.
Drisha’s Summer Catalog
Daytime
Biblical Themes in Our Daily Prayers: How the Bible Explains the Siddur, and How the Siddur Explains the Bible
Just as the study of structure and theme enhances our ability to understand the deeper meaning of many books of the Bible, a similar approach can also help us arrive at a deeper understanding of our prayer book. In our shiur, we will discuss the overall structure of our daily prayers, showing how each primary section of the Siddur relates to a primary theme in Chumash. We will demonstrate how our study of the Siddur and its 'strategies', can help us appreciate how Hazal understood key themes in the Bible.
Menachem Leibtag
Thursday, June 25, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Tuition: $40 (includes lunch)
Paid pre-registration for lunch required by Monday, June 22.
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.
Instructor TBA
Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tuition: $300
For women.
Journey Into Self-Exploration: Holidays in Chasidic Texts
In Chasidic texts each holiday has a specific theme around which it revolves and through which we are meant to think of the chag. We will study the motifs of guilt and holiness in relation to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, anger in relation to Purim, and home in relation to Channuka. We will rely on the writings of the Mei HaShiloach (the Isbitzer), the Beit Yaacov, and the Sod Yesharim (the Isbitzer’s son and grandson).
Rute Yair nussbaum
Monday, Wednesday, 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
4-session course: July 6, 8, 13, 15
Tuition: $100
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.
David Silber
Tuesday, 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Tuition: $125
For women.
The Book of Jonah
The story of Jonah profoundly affects the way we view the role of God in the human experience. Through a careful study of the biblical text, we will consider its approach to faith, prophecy, reward and punishment, and a universal God. Finally, we will analyze the liturgical role of this biblical narrative in the Yom Kippur prayer service.
Rachel Friedman
Tuesday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tuition: $125
For women.
Intermediate Talmud: Masekhet Pesahim, Chapter 10
While the Passover seder is the primary topic of this chapter, our learning will focus on its opening pages which cover material relevant for every Shabbat and holiday: Should kiddush be made in the synagogue? Does kiddush always need to accompany a meal? What are the different interpretations and parameters of “kiddush b’makomneed a new brakha if I move to a new location? We will conduct careful readings of the Talmudic texts and rishonim.
Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld
Tuesday, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuition: $175
For women.
Major Prayers of the Jewish Festivals
The class will focus on the festival amidah and hallel and the prayers for rain and dew.
David Silber
Thursday, 9:15 – 10:45 a.m.
Tuition: $100
For women.
Jeremiah: A Prophet in Exile
Jeremiah is known as the prophet of doom. He predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple and was rejected by his own people. In preparation for Tisha B’Av, we will delve into the turbulent historical events of that era. We will examine symbolisms and their significance in Jeremiah’s prophecies and attempt to gain insight into the soul of the man who guided the Jews through such a traumatic period in history. We will also take a glimpse at his inspiring prophecies of redemption.
Adina Luber
Thursday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
3-week course: July 9, 16, and 23.
Tuition: $75
For women.
Evening
The Contemporary “Brain death” Controversy
In 1968, a committee at Harvard University sparked an intense bioethical debate when it redefined medical standards of death to allow for vital organs to be taken from “brain dead” patients. Major poskim (halakhic decisors) weighed in on both sides of the issue, and it remains one of the most emotionally charged topics in contemporary halakhic discourse. Through a close reading of the central halakhic texts, we will clarify the issues and positions involved in this debate, and discuss the role that science and ethics play in the halakhic process.
Daniel Reifman
Monday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Twice-Told Tales: Comparison and Interpretation
Colorful stories abound throughout the Bible, and sometimes, they are repeated. How are we to understand narrative that is apparently the same, but told differently? Or with different players? We will compare the biblical stories and explore the rabbinic interpretations to see how they too retell these tales.
Anne Gordon
Monday, 7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Ten Teshuvot That Changed the World: Seminar in Responsa Literature
She’eilot u’Teshuvot, or rabbinic responsa, are a genre of rabbinic literature that lie at the intersection of a pure and ideal halakha and a constantly changing, always complex reality. We will examine teshuvot from the past 200 years that either marked a turning point in the history of halakha or represent a “road not taken” in Jewish history. We will trace the halakhic world that we inhabit back to the Torah scholarship, religious values, insight, and creativity of the great poskim.
David Wolkenfeld
Monday, 7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Whose Chupa Is It?: Sheva Brakhot and Jewish understandings of Gender, sexuality and Community
The seven blessings are central to the celebration of a Jewish marriage. What purpose do they serve? What do they mean? Who should recite them? We will explore the way traditional and contemporary understandings of gender and sexuality have informed the language and practice of sheva brakhot through the study of the Bible, halakhic literature, and contemporary writings.
Chasiah Haberman
Tuesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Meet the Rabbis
Ever wonder who all the rabbis mentioned in the Talmud actually were? This class will introduce some of the major rabbinic figures of the Mishnah and Gemara. We will uncover their worldviews and personalities through the careful study of talmudic passages attributed to them.
Sara Tillinger Wolkenfeld
Tuesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Childbirth in Bible and Midrash
Pregnancy and childbirth are frequent events in the Bible, but what are their significance? In other words, how do actual births — as well as birth language — feature in the Bible? In this class, we will analyze a variety of biblical and rabbinic texts that deal with pregnancy, childbirth, and delivery and make some surprising discoveries about attitudes to bodies, women, and God.
Tammy Jacobowitz
Tuesday, 7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Tuition: $125
Tales of Destruction and Hope
Why was the Temple destroyed? How will the Jewish people survive in exile? These questions form the basis of several extended narratives in the Babylonian Talmud. We will study a selection of these stories, comparing them to similar passages in Eichah Rabbah and the Jerusalem Talmud as well as to historical accounts. This course will be taught in Hebrew.
David Goshen
Tuesday, 7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Tuition: $125
On the Sidelines of Suffering: Responding to the Holocaust During Its Time
Imagine living in America or non-occupied Europe between 1939 and 1945. What was being written during the war by rabbis and thinkers not inside of it? How did they reckon with the harrowing experience of their brethren?
Erin Leib Smokler
Wednesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Tuition: $100
From the Depths: Fast Days and Their Meaning in Mishna Ta’anit
Fast days have always been a traditional method of commemorating tragic events and expressing the emotions they invoke. In addition to the fasts which are set on specific dates, Rabbinic tradition teaches us that fasts may be ordained spontaneously as a response to particular tragic events or situations, such as drought or war. We will analyze the text of Mishna Taanit in an attempt to understand the practices of the communal fasts and their contemporary significance.
Adina Luber
Wednesday, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
3-session course: July 13, 20, and 27.
Tuition: $75
Approaches to Prayer
We will examine a variety of approaches to the nature of prayer and its significance through a study of classical and modern sources.
David Silber
Wednesday, 7:45 – 9:15 p.m.
Tuition: $100
