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January 2021
Cinema Chats I Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
Discuss historic films and their place in modern-day culture in this monthly series! Expert leader Lucy Shahar guides the conversation. Listed by Art Forum as one of the top 10 films of 2017, “Bombshell ” is the biographical documentary film about the life of actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr. Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler to an Austrian Jewish family, she emigrated to the U.S. and became regarded as the most beautiful Hollywood actress of the 30’s and 40’s. Many people…
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
Adult Education Mysticism has been a part of Judaism since antiquity. Why did Jews write about ascending to heaven to see God and the angels? How did the Jews at Qumran understand the role of the Temple and the sacrifices? How are mystical ideas reflected in both classical rabbinic literature as well as contemporary Jewish prayer books? We will explore these questions by analyzing excerpts from a variety of diverse texts of Jewish mysticism as we study their impact over…
From Freedom to Slavery and Back Again: The Biblical Book of Exodus
Adult Education The exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt is the most important event in the Bible, and it became a powerful model for other liberation narratives. With expert instructor Dr. Regina Stein, you will read the story carefully, analyzing the way it unfolds, its characters and their motives, as you try to answer the simple question: what is the Torah trying to tell us and why? This course is a continuation from last year. We welcome new…
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
Adult Education Mysticism has been a part of Judaism since antiquity. Why did Jews write about ascending to heaven to see God and the angels? How did the Jews at Qumran understand the role of the Temple and the sacrifices? How are mystical ideas reflected in both classical rabbinic literature as well as contemporary Jewish prayer books? We will explore these questions by analyzing excerpts from a variety of diverse texts of Jewish mysticism as we study their impact over…
From Freedom to Slavery and Back Again: The Biblical Book of Exodus
Adult Education The exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt is the most important event in the Bible, and it became a powerful model for other liberation narratives. With expert instructor Dr. Regina Stein, you will read the story carefully, analyzing the way it unfolds, its characters and their motives, as you try to answer the simple question: what is the Torah trying to tell us and why? This course is a continuation from last year. We welcome new…
February 2021
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Reading
Adult Education Over the last 2,500 years, Jews have lived all over the world and spoken a great variety of languages. But everywhere they’ve gone, they’ve brought the Hebrew language with them. It has served as a cultural connector, a shared home that unites the Jewish people despite their diversity. Studying the texts and the language itself is a gateway into this shared home. Give yourself the keys to entry with this 3-session course, led by instructor Rabbi Helen Plotkin.…
Love and Courtship Virtual Walking Tour
Join us for a special virtual walking tour exploring historic sites around the Lower East Side where love once blossomed! How did people meet and mingle 100 years ago? Did they confess their love in letters? Go to a matchmaker? Meet at work on a factory floor? As immigrants wrestled with new American ways and their old traditions, the Lower East Side was home to family-arranged marriages as well as young people mixing freely at dance halls and making their…
Restoring Stories: Decorative Paint
Join our new series dedicated to exploring the preservation, conservation, and restoration efforts at the Eldridge Street Synagogue. When Jeff Greene first walked into the Eldridge Street Synagogue in the 1980s, the hairs on his arm stood on end. The landmark had fallen far from its days as a majestic house of worship – stained glass had warped and cracked, an inch of dust covered carved oak benches, and paint and plaster peeled from high walls and repeating domes. But…
March 2021
Introduction to Jewish Mysticism
Adult Education Mysticism has been a part of Judaism since antiquity. Why did Jews write about ascending to heaven to see God and the angels? How did the Jews at Qumran understand the role of the Temple and the sacrifices? How are mystical ideas reflected in both classical rabbinic literature as well as contemporary Jewish prayer books? We will explore these questions by analyzing excerpts from a variety of diverse texts of Jewish mysticism as we study their impact over…
From Freedom to Slavery and Back Again: The Biblical Book of Exodus
Adult Education The exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt is the most important event in the Bible, and it became a powerful model for other liberation narratives. With expert instructor Dr. Regina Stein, you will read the story carefully, analyzing the way it unfolds, its characters and their motives, as you try to answer the simple question: what is the Torah trying to tell us and why? This course is a continuation from last year. We welcome new…
