Adult Education
The B'nai Tikvah community thrives on learning. We have so many ways to learn something new about Judaism. Rabbi Gordon offers weekly classes, and our volunteers schedule regular movie nights. We also have a book club called the Novel Group, that reads and discusses a new book every month. See below for all the latest learning opportunities. Check back frequently as new events are added on a regular basis.
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A Novel Group: book TBA
Monday, Jun 20th 8:00p to 9:00p
Spring 2022
Talking to God
Taught by Rabbinic Intern Lisa Feld
Wednesdays, May 4, 11, 16, 25, June 1
Via Zoom Meeting ID: 881 2670 7636 Passcode: fKPb7y
Summer 2022
From Oral Tradition to Sacred Text:
How the Mishnah Transformed Jewish Life and Thought
Taught by Rabbi Gordon
in conjunction with Hebrew College, Me'ah Select
Wednesdays, 7-9PM
June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 13 (make-up class July 20, if needed)
Registration/cost information to come-- scholarships available through Me'ah and additional scholarship assistance available to B'nai Tikvah members (contact Rabbi Gordon after applying for Me'ah assistance).
For more information or questions, contact meah@hebrewcollege.edu
Course Description
The Mishnah, the first book of Rabbinic Judaism, pursues an agenda distinct from the Bible. Responding to the destruction of the Temple in 70 c.e. and the expulsion of the Jews from Jerusalem after the Bar Kochba war (ca. 135 c.e.) the Mishnah offers guidance on resilience in the face of catastrophic loss.
How did the Mishnah, with its radically new form and content, become the foundation for later rabbinic Judaism’s theology and practice? What hints do we find in the Mishnah about its audience and goals? In our own world, living in America 80 years after the destruction of the European Jewish center, what would a new Mishnah look like?
Our class will begin with a review of the Mishnah in its historical and literary contexts. Then we will explore three tractates that each serve as an introduction to the Mishnah: Berachot (“On Blessings”), Avot (“On Foundations”) and Eduyyot (“On Testimony”). Our final class will explore excerpts from throughout the Mishnah as we imagine together how this text can guide us today.
This class honors the upcoming publication of The Oxford Annotated Mishnah; edited by Shaye J.D. Cohen, Robert Goldenberg z”l, and Hayim Lapin
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