2015 2016 / 5776 Adult Education Brochure Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation 303 Dodge Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202 www.jrc-evanston.org 847.328.7678
Cover Image: The Hills of Jaffo by Israeli artist Elena Kotliarker http://www.elenakotliarker.com/ Reproduced with permission of the artist
History & Philosophy The Representation of Divine Presence in Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible Part 1: The Face of Divinity in Ancient Art and Biblical Literature Professor Simeon Chavel A survey of varied motifs in different artistic media and literary genres shows the complex ways ancient people thought about coming into divine presence in Israel, Judea, and the entire ancient Near East. Wednesday, October 14, 2015 7:30 9 pm Part 2: How the Priestly Sabbaths Work: Divine Presence and Human Action Professor Jeffrey Stackert The Priestly texts, one of the sources of the Torah, present two different conceptualizations of the purpose and effect of Sabbath observance. This lecture will show how these understandings of Sabbath build on and diverge from Priestly understandings of divine presence in Israel and impact later Jewish conceptualizations of Sabbath. Wednesday, October 21, 2015 7:30 9 pm JRC members $12; non-members $24 (both classes) 3
The Book of Joshua Professor Rachel Havrelock The Book of Joshua, perhaps the most controversial text in the Jewish tradition, chronicles the conquest of the land of Canaan and celebrates the settlement of Israelite tribes in place of vanquished Canaanites. The first half of the book is plot-driven and violent, but the second half contains some surprising evidence that the tribes of Israel lived alongside and intermixed with the very peoples said to be exterminated in the first half. In this course, we will contend with the two halves of the Book of Joshua and survey how Jews have interpreted the book over history. Sundays, November 1, 8, and 15, 2015 11:30 am 1 pm JRC members $18; non-members $36 Jewish-Muslim Coexistence Alex Barna This talk will examine Jewish-Muslim history in the medieval period of Islamicate civilization in order to re-examine the idea of inevitable Jewish- Muslim antagonism, which is in large part shaped by the modern political conflict between Israelis and Arabs. Sunday, February 14 11:30 am 1 pm Philosophical Issues in the Israel-Palestine Conflict Professor Sam Fleischacker This course will examine philosophical issues raised by two key questions. First, should states ever foster or protect one religious or cultural group rather than another? This is the philosophical question behind many of the criticisms of Israel as a Jewish state. Second, do any groups own or have special title to any large stretches of territory? This is the philosophical question behind the competing claims of Jews and Palestinians to own the land on which Israel has been established. The class will explore these questions and examine contemporary philosophical texts contributing to the debates about them. Wednesdays, March 2, 9 and 16, 2016 7:30-9 pm JRC members $18; non-members $36 4 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776
Spirituality, Environmentalism & Jewish Life Today Adult Education Hebrew Classes Ben Melnick Hebrew I: Hebrew for Beginners This is a 9 week introductory course in reading Hebrew. The goals are to familiarize students with the Aleph-Bet and to help students begin reading Hebrew words syllable-by-syllable. Course books may be purchased at the first class for under $10.00. Wednesdays, October 14 December 16, 2015 7:30 8:45 pm Hebrew II: Hebrew Reading Workshop for Beginners This 9 week course follows Hebrew for Beginners. A typical class session will consist of three parts: reviewing instructional material in text/ workbook, reading and translating level-appropriate stories, and reading and chanting prayers and psalms from the Shabbat morning service. Text/Workbook: Shalom Uvrachah, ISBN 978-0-87441-654-1, Behman House, available through Amazon for about $12.50. Wednesdays March 2 May 4, 2016 7:30 pm JRC members only. Tuition is free, but registration is required and limited to ten students. Minimum enrollment is five new students for each course. SHALVA Workshop: How to Bully-Proof your Child Bobbie Gordon This course for parents addresses specific issues of bullying and teasing, the power of bystanders, and the role of adults as it relates to their children s experiences in these areas. It is geared to an adult audience. Sunday, October 18, 2015 11:30 am 1 pm 5
Warsaw s POLIN Museum and the Return of Narratives of Jewish Belonging in Poland Professor Karen Underhill This slide show and lecture/discussion will focus on the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, opened in 2014, as a key example of developing narratives, in both Polish and Jewish communities, that emphasize Jewish belonging in Poland and Eastern Europe. Poland s Jewish revival will also be discussed. Wednesday, October 28, 2015 7:30 9 pm Reconstructing Prayer: Beyond the Literal to the Spiritual Alan Goldberg What are we doing when we pray? Who do we pray to? And why? What do these Hebrew words really mean? In this series of classes, we will open the siddur and reconstruct the Hebrew/ English prayers and explore the kavanah (intentions) of the prayers, so that they become meaningful to our 21st century mindset. (Suggested reading: Path of Blessing by Rabbi Marcia Prager and Gate to the Heart: An Evolving Process by Rabbi Zalman Schachter) Tuesdays, November 10 and November 17, 2015 7:30 9 pm 6 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776
Caring for our World This series is co-sponsored by the JRC Green Team and the Adult Education Committee There is no charge for these classes. Session I: It s Not Just About Polar Bears: Climate Change and Your Health Professor Samuel Dorevitch Our climate is changing now, and it impacts people s health. Learn the basics of climate science and how climate change is impacting public health, water, and food supply in Illinois. Find out about Center for Disease Control initiatives and explore what Reconstructionist Jewish response to climate change might look like. Tuesday, February 9, 2016 7:30 9pm Session II: Backyard Conservation: Create a Waystation for Birds and Butterflies Marian Thill and Judy Pollock As climate change and land development shrink the habitat available for wildlife, our yards take on more importance for small, mobile species. Landscaping that provides food and shelter for rare migratory birds, butterflies and other pollinators helps these creatures survive. Learn how your yard can make a difference with trees and shrubs, native plants, and sustainable gardening. This workshop will feature practical suggestions and resources for gardens of all types and will coordinate with City of Chicago and Evanston s efforts to become Certified Wildlife Habitats. Tuesday, February 23, 2016 7:30 9pm Session III: How to Buy and Build Green and Make Informed Sustainability Decisions Michael Bloom Learn how to plan and share green building and purchasing strategies for use at work, at home, and even at JRC. Explore the US GSA (Government Services Administration) website https://sftool.gov that guides federal sustainable architecture and green purchasing. This workshop will include a JRC building tour to demonstrate concepts in action. Tuesday, March 29, 2016 7 9pm (Note earlier starting time.) 7
Rabbi-in-Residence Weekend This scholar-in-residence weekend is co-sponsored by Beth Emet and JRC. There is no charge for this program. April 8, 9 and 10, 2016 JRC, in collaboration with Beth Emet, is thrilled to host Reconstructionist Rabbi Goldie Milgram as our scholar-in-residence this year. An accomplished spiritual leader and author, Rabbi Goldie will guide us, teach us, and lift our communal spirit. Friday Night 7:30 pm at JRC Rabbi Goldie will introduce our Shabbaton theme, Creating a Mitzvah-Centered Life, by sharing her Mitzvah cards to inspire reflection, discussion, stories, and desire for action during Kabbalat Shabbat. Shabbat Morning 10 am at JRC Rabbi Goldie will lead us in a Fabrengen-style service. This is a joyful weaving of a niggun and a focal story with the eight original prayers for Shabbat morning, including Torah study and a Torah service. Professional musicians, dance, movement and drama persons are invited to be in touch to take parts. Contact her at rebgoldie@gmail.com. Saturday Night 7 pm at Beth Emet Interactive Mystical Shabbat and Havdallah. Embedded within the symbols and traditions of Shabbat are the culture and achievable mysticism of the Kabbalists. Through story, text study, and music, discover these powerful portals to meaning and connection Sunday Morning TBD at JRC Why be Jewish? Discover your personal answer. Goals for bar/ bat mitzvah become clear in this playful and deep workshop for 5th and 6th graders and their families. Prepare to cross the threshold to empowered young adulthood. As a b nai mitzvah, you, along with your family, will find what is important and meaningful to you for your Jewish life going forward. Rabbi Goldie will guide this session using creative methods of experiential and spiritual education. Sunday program for JRC & Beth Emet families only 8 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776
Arts & Culture Israeli Film Night Watch recent films from Israel and share snacks and soft drinks provided by JRC. First Wednesday of the month 7 pm Sacred Music at the Sephardic Synagogue Cantor Howard Friedland As a part of the multi-year trek to explore other religious and musical traditions with Cantor Friedland, this year we will visit our neighbors the Sephardic Congregation, 1819 Howard Street for a Shabbat Service. Modest dress required. We will meet at JRC and walk together. Saturday, November 14, 2015 TBD JRC members only; no charge The Merchant of Venice Professor Michael Shapiro Is Shylock a villain or a victim? Rightly or wrongly Shakespeare s romantic comedy, The Merchant of Venice, has been a source of anguish to many Jews. This class will focus on the character Shylock and consider the various ways he has been represented. Wednesdays, December 9 and 16, 2015 7:30 9 pm 9
Music as Midrash Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Don Rossoff In this class, we will listen to and discuss Leonard Bernstein s Jeremiah Symphony and Chichester Psalms and Ernest Bloch s Schelomo: Rhapsodie Hebraique for Violoncello and Orchestra, an interpretation of the book of Ecclesiastes. No music or textual background is needed. Saturdays, January 9. 16, and 23, 2016 12:30 2 pm Jewish American Poetry Elizabeth Klein Shapiro American-Jewish poets address all of the problems that we as American Jews struggle with in our daily lives. These include problems of faith, identity, Israel, gender, politics, and anti-semitism. Explore and clarify these issues through the medium of poetry. Wednesdays, April 6 and 13, 2016 7:30 9 pm 10 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776
Programs by Date October 2015 Hebrew I Begins Wednesday, October 14 7:30 pm The Representation of Divine Presence in Ancient Israel and the Hebrew Bible Wednesdays, October 14 and 21 7:30 pm How to Bully-Proof your Child Sunday, October 18 11:30 am Warsaw s POLIN Museum and the Return of Narratives of Jewish Belonging in Poland Wednesday, October 28 7:30 pm November 2015 The Book of Joshua Sundays, November 1, 8, and 15 11:30 am Reconstructing Prayer: Beyond the Literal to the Spiritual Tuesdays, November 10 and 17 7:30 pm Sacred Music at the Sephardic Synagogue Saturday, November 14 TBD December 2015 The Merchant of Venice Wednesdays, December 9 and 16 7:30 pm January 2016 Music as Midrash Saturdays, January 9, 16, and 23 12:30 pm February 2016 Caring for our World, Sessions I and II Tuesdays, February 9 and 23 7:30 pm Jewish-Muslim Coexistence February 14 11:30 am 11
March 2016 Hebrew II Begins Wednesdays, March 2 7:30 pm Philosophical Issues in the Israel-Palestine Conflict Wednesdays, March 2, 9, 16 7:30 pm Caring for our World, Session III Tuesday, March 29 7 pm April 2016 Jewish American Poetry Wednesdays, April 6 and 13 7:30 pm Rabbi-in-Residence Weekend April 8, 9, and 10 Times vary Continuing Programs, Activities & Groups Torah Study Saturday mornings 9 am Israeli Film Night First Wednesday of each month 7 pm Refuat HaNefesh * Support group for individuals, families and friends who deal with depression and bipolar disorder. 2nd Thursday of the month 7:30 pm Book Group * Read and discuss Jewish books of all kinds, from modern and traditional literature to biography, history and political commentary. 2nd Sunday of the month 10 am Play Bridge * Keep your mind in gear and have fun with other bridge players from novices to afficionados. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month 7 pm * JRC members only; no charge 12 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776
Presenters Alex Barna is the Outreach Coordinator and Director of the Middle East Education Initiative at the University of Chicago s Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES). He holds a BS in biology with a second major in religion from Duke University and an MA in middle eastern studies from Harvard University. Michael Bloom is a JRC member and Sustainability and Green Building Program Advisor for the Government Services Administration. He develops and maintains a federal green building and sustainability website for the US government. Simeon Chavel is Assistant Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He has taught at the Hebrew University, Haifa University, and Princeton University. He studies the literature of the Hebrew Bible, the religion of ancient Israel and Judea, and their relationship. Samuel Dorevitch is a JRC member and Associate Professor, Environmental and Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago. Samuel Fleischacker is a Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He received his PhD from Yale (1989). He works in moral and political philosophy, the history of philosophy, aesthetics and the philosophy of religion. He has been a Fellow of the University Center for Human Values at Princeton, the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities at Edinburgh University, and the Institute for the Humanities at UIC. Howard Friedland is JRC s cantor. Before completing his cantorial studies he was an actor working in theatre, film, and television. He is the Immediate Past President of the Chicago-Milwaukee association of Cantors. Al Goldberg is a JRC member and Director of Beit Yichud in Chicago. He has completed the Jewish Meditation Advanced Training and Maggidic Journey Programs at Elat Chayyim and is enrolled in the Davvenen Leadership Training at Hazon. In 2010 Al received smicha as a Maggid. Bobbie Gordon, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), is the Prevention and Outreach Coordinator for SHALVA and has presented workshops for professional educators and parents on the topics of peer abuse, teasing, bullying, and internet bullying. 13
Rachel Havrelock is Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and English at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She trained in Hebrew Bible, rabbinics, folklore, and Middle East Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Ben Melnick is a long time member of JRC who loves to teach Hebrew and Torah chanting. Rabbi Goldie Milgram is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed educator, professional storyteller, author and innovator in the field of Jewish spiritual education and guidance. Author of many works, she has been honored at the National Jewish Book Awards. Judy Pollock is a JRC member, former Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Chicago Region, Founding President of the Chicago Bird Conservancy Network, and a migratory bird habitat specialist. Rabbi Don Rossoff serves as JRC s interim rabbi. Elizabeth Klein Shapiro is an award winning novelist, essayist, and poet. She is the winner of several Illinois Arts Council fellowships and a recipient of two IAC Literary Awards. Michael Shapiro is a retired Professor of English at the University of Illinois, Urbana. He has taught at Reading (England), Cornell, Tamkang (Taiwan) and Loyola (Chicago), where he is currently a visiting professor. Jeffrey Stackert is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is a biblical scholar who situates the Hebrew Bible in the context of the larger ancient Near Eastern world in which it was composed. Marian Thill is a master gardener and certified naturalist-specialist in native plants. Karen Underhill is Assistant Professor of Polish Literature and English- Jewish Studies in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She received her PhD at the University of Chicago in 2011. 14 Adult Education & Programming 2015 2016 / 5776