Part-Time Learning Programs for Women

Biblical Hebrew

Biblical Hebrew

In a supportive environment students will develop the basic vocabulary and grammar skills necessary to understand biblical texts. Prerequisite: Knowledge of Hebrew print, script, and vowels.

Yitzhak Berger
Mondays Wednesdays Fridays, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Course Dates: July 2, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30, August 1, 3.
Tuition: $300

Jewish Law

Jewish Law I: Carrying on Shabbat

Although many of us are familiar with the theoretical prohibition to carry on Shabbat, it bears little relevance for anyone living in a large Jewish community. With the presence of an eiruv, we are free to walk about with our keys, food, books and children without a second thought. How can a practice so central to the observance and experience of Shabbat be entirely foreign to so many? Does the construction of eiruvim not condemn the melakha to oblivion? Should we be concerned by that? Why are Jews, who are diligent about other aspects of Shabbat, not as diligent about this one? In this course, we will follow the development of the prohibition to carry on Shabbat beginning in biblical times and continuing through sectarian Second Temple literature, the Sages, medieval commentators as well as our current practice in order to understand how this central law came to almost disappear in the lives of many observant Jews.

*Note: This class may be taken as part of the five week Summer Institute for Women. Please click here to see the full program or register for it.

Yedidah Koren
Mondays Wednesdays, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Course Dates: July 2, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, August 1.
Tuition: $275

Jewish Law II: Halakhic Structure of the Day

We will identify and analyze the structure of a day and the halakhot that are affected by ha’mincha, sunset, bain ha’shemachot, and tsait ha’kochavim.

*Note: This class may be taken as part of the five week Summer Institute for Women. Please click here to see the full program or register for it.

Moshe Kahn
Mondays Wednesdays, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Course Dates: July 2, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, August 1.
Tuition: $275

Liturgy

Elective: Say it Like you Mean it: Reading Liturgical Texts

The texts of the Siddur, Machzor and Haggadah are among the most familiar Jewish texts; we sing them, mumble them and chant them. But what do they mean? What can they tell us about the world that shaped them and about their (and our) history? In this class we will study the morning Shema and its blessings, as well as the Qedushah, delve into their biblical inspirations and parallel sources, and trace later controversies about these texts.

*Note: This class may be taken as part of the five week Summer Institute for Women. Please click here to see the full program or register for it.

Amit Gvaryahu
Tuesdays Thursdays, 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Course Dates: July 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26.
Tuition: $200

Philosophy

Elective: Lovers, Children, Friends-Understanding the Relationship between God and Israel

In Deuteronomy 14:1, the Bible describes God as a loving father. In other texts, the prophets depict God as a husband, sometimes gently loving, sometimes violently jealous. Rabbinic texts take up these descriptions and use them to construct understandings of God’s relationship with Israel. In this course we will examine these various depictions of God and explore the implications that these paradigms have for our understanding of God’s interactions with human beings. Texts studied will include Midrash, Hassidut, Mussar and modern scholars such as Moshe Idel and Mary Daly.

*Note: This class may be taken as part of the five week Summer Institute for Women. Please click here to see the full program or register for it.

Ben Skydell
Tuesdays Thursdays, 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Course Dates: July 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, 31, August 2.
Tuition: $200

Talmud & Rabbinics

Talmud I: The Case of the Stubborn and Rebellious Son- The Eighth Perek of Sanhedrin

In D'varim, we are told to take the stubborn and rebellious son outside of the gates of the city and stone him. However, the rabbis in the Talmud are highly uncomfortable with this paradigm. In what ways do the rabbis limit the case away? Why might this child be put to death without doing anything seriously wrong? And has the stubborn and rebellious son ever really existed? Through our study of Ben Sorer U'Moreh, the eighth chapter of Sanhedrin, we will explore these questions while building skills for independent Gemara learning. Class time will be split between havruta and shiur. The ability to read unvocalized Hebrew is highly recommended.
Note: This class meets Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

*Note: This class may be taken as part of the five week Summer Institute for Women. Please click here to see the full program or register for it.

Rachel Rosenthal
Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays Thursdays Fridays, 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Course Dates: July 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31, August 1, 2, 3.
Tuition: $600