| Talmudic Ethics: Finding Your Way to Good Decisions |
| When your heart is pulled in two directions, how do you know which tug to follow? The Talmud lays down principles that can help you disentangle warring intuitions so that you can clearly discern right from wrong. In this course, we invite you to experience the fascinating application of law and logic as the rabbis struggle to determine what is just. |
| Beyond Belief: Reflections on Jewish Faith, Reason, and Experience |
| Our beliefs color the way we see the world and help us to make sense of the inevitable challenges that confront us. The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute's upcoming winter course, Beyond Belief: Reflections on Jewish Faith, Reason, and Experience, is designed to help students take a closer look at how Jewish beliefs can help bring meaning to their lives and guide their choices. |
| The Land and the Spirit: Why We All Care About Israel |
| Explore the spirit of a land that has pulsed with energy and mystery since the dawn of time, a land that has captured our imagination throughout history, a land that breathes with the glory of our past and the dreams of our future. Join us as we examine what Israel was meant to be, and what Israel means to us today. |
| MyShiur Explorations in Talmud: Tractate Ketubot |
| Tractate Ketuvot deals with obligations between spouses that are taken on through marriage. It investigates what these obligations require when the family unit is strained in various ways and in doing so, helps the marriage partners to consider their situation soberly and so rise to the challenge of meeting their difficulties. |
| Flashbacks In Jewish History: How our past informs our future |
| In his parting instructions to his people, Moses stresses the importance of historical perspective, for the present is an outgrowth of our past. By studying history, we are able to relate to current issues with greater understanding. The story of the Jewish people is a story of a nation that has contributed to world history far more than might be expected from its small numbers. Indeed, it is remarkable how often the Jews have been found at the epicenter of world events. Many surveys of Jewish history have responded to this fact by considering the impact of Jews upon other nations and their contributions to history at large. This course, however, looks at the Jewish encounter with other cultures in light of what these interactions have meant to us as Jews. The protean ability of the Jewish people to adapt to wildly different contexts has growing relevance to all of us as we enter an era of globalization and increasingly permeable borders. This April, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is proud to launch a new course, “Flashbacks in Jewish History.” Each of the six lessons considers the Jewish people as they grapple with surrounding cultures. Rather than focus on the geopolitical, we have kept an eye towards themes that resonate with contemporary Jewish experience. We expect even those students who do not consider themselves history enthusiasts to find the readings compelling and relevant. |
| The Kabbalah of Character |
| You are unlike any person who has ever lived before. How can you make the most of the gifts you have been given? The Kabbalah of Character, a new and expanded revision of our popular course "Soul Powers," is designed to help you understand the unique mix of qualities that define your individuality. Drawing on the organizational structure of the Kabbalah, this course examines the nature of the human soul created in the image of G-d. The Kabbalah of Character is not a quick-fix. You won’t learn how to become a perfect person in eight easy lessons. But you will learn strategies for making changes that are lasting and real. Authored by Rabbi Moshe Miller, noted scholar of Kabbalah, the course invites you to choose from among a wealth of reflective approaches to chart your own path to personal growth. It includes wisdom to amaze you and stories to inspire you, as well as journal exercises and practical tools to help you apply the lessons to your own life. So spend eight weeks learning the secrets that will help you unlock your inner potential. Because you won’t know what you can be… until you hold a mirror to your soul. |
| You Be the Judge: Behind the Steering Wheel of Jewish Law |
| For over a thousand years, our mostimportant cultural activity has been the study of Talmud. It has sustained us through persecution and exile, shaping the discourse of our people and serving as the crowning achievement of our intellectual tradition. Perhaps you have been curious about the Talmud, but thought it was complex and inaccessible to anyone lacking extensive training. Not anymore. This fall, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is proud to launch “You Be the Judge,” an innovative introduction to this magnificent work. You need no prior knowledge of the Talmud and no formal legal training. There are no prerequisites other than an open mind. “You Be the Judge” presents you with real cases brought before Beit Din, the court system of Jewish law. We provide the primary source texts from Talmud and put you in the driver’s seat. You will have the opportunity to question, discuss, and argue, based on principle and precedent. You will experience firsthand the exhilarating mental exploration that characterizes traditional Talmud study. Join us this fall in the ancient study halls of Jerusalem and Babylonia. Add your voice to other voices that span the millennia. You take the lead. You Be the Judge. |
| From Sinai to Cyberspace: How Ancient Wisdom Guides a Modern World |
| A lot can change in 3,000 years. We’ve gone from camel backs to Cadillacs, and have entered a world of fast-paced technological advance. We’ve gone from a Jewish world marked by prophets and pilgrimages to a world where students study Torah in cyber-classrooms and rabbis address ethical question posed by organ transplants.Yet the elemental questions about our tradition remain the same. How do we know what G-d wants of us in this world? Do we have any evidence that the Bible text is divine and true? How can we understand its cryptic passages? Why are the rabbis so concerned with minute details? Who has the right to interpret the Bible? How do we adapt its laws to modern times and changing influences?The answers to these questions are addressed in “From Sinai to Cyberspace,” the most popular course ever offered by the Jewish Learning Institute. Newly revised on the basis of feedback from students like yourself, this interactive course promises to intrigue and inspire as you explore the history and development of Jewish law and tradition.The journey “From Sinai to Cyberspace” represents the inner story of our lives and of our people. We invite you to join us for the ride. |
| Tier II Course Studies in Talmud: Matters of Life and Death |
| Recording hundreds of years of rabbinical debate and discussion in Israel and Babylonia, the Talmud is the foundation of traditional Jewish scholarship. Tier II’s Studies in Talmud draws you into the Talmudic fray through original texts and lively presentations of essential subjects from across the spectrum of Jewish life. The course will trace the source of both common ritual practice and civil law from scriptural roots through modern application. Studies in Talmud will illuminate familiar territory as you will be introduced to a panoramic view of the genius of Jewish thought throughout the centuries. |
| The Kabalah of Time |
| Examine time and the Jewish calendar through the mystical lens of Kabbalah. Time is a profound organizing element of our existence, and the cycle of the Jewish calendar provides a powerful template for personal growth.Discover both a practical understanding of the structure of the Jewish calendar as well as mystical insights into recurrent patterns of time. |
| Beyond Never Again: The Holocaust - A View from the Soul |
| Explore the ways in which the Holocaust continues to affect our generation and colors what it means to live as a Jew today. The Holocaust forces us to grapple with the existence of evil and suffering. It challenges us to find faith and optimism in the face of devastation and despair. And it awes us as we encounter heroes of the spirit who fought for truth and decency in the darkest of times. |
| The Messiah Mystery: Toward a Perfect World |
| No idea in human history has inspired so much hope or ignited so much debate. It is the dream that has motivated prophets, poets, sages and mystics. It is the basis for the beliefs of billions across the globe.What is this Jewish ideal, “Mashiach” – the Messiah? Where is its source? When did it become so important to Judaism? Why? How is it relevant to the here and now? |
| Men, Women & Kabbalah: Wisdom and Advice From the Masters |
| Viewed through the prism of Kabbalah, gender is an essential quality of the cosmos. From mystical secrets of reincarnation to practical tips on enhancing relationships, Judaism’s ancient teachings will bring new depth in understanding life’s most challenging issues. |
| Kabbalah Unplugged: The Secret Power of Prayer |
| For over 3000 years, the mystic masters have tapped the deepest wellsprings of human potential. For eight weeks this winter, discover tools to elevate, enlighten, and heal, to change your destiny - as we probe mysteries of the Kabbalah to unleash the awesome power of Prayer. |
| Soul Power: Shedding New Light on Self and Relationships |
| For over 3000 years, Torah wisdom has illuminated a path to inner tranquility, personal growth and enriched relationships. For eight weeks this spring, join us as we explore a timeless road to living life at its fullest. |
| Kabbalah Rhythms: A Spiritual Roadmap to Higher Living |
| Exploring the inner core of Judaism and the inner core of your own soul. What are we about in the world, who is G-d, and what does G-d want from us? Learn how to reengineer your Jewish life in the light of the answers you will discover. Join us for eight weeks of spiritual exploration that will cast new light and bring new life into everything you do |
| Seasons of the Soul: The Jewish Life Cycle |
| A passionate journey of dramas and joys, your soul's course through the Jewish life cycle is a wondrous tale of discovery, meaning and fulfillment. This spring, join us for eight weeks of life, love, family, and renewal – as we explore the Seasons of the Soul. |
| Journey of a Nation: The Miracle of Jewish Survival |
| Discover the magnificent spirit of the Jewish people through the ages as we experience the tragedy and triumph of Jewish History. |
| Jewish Essentials: A Spiritual Guide to Jewish Life and Learning |
| What we do and why we do it. The body of Judaism and the soul within. This eight-week course will investigate the sources and meaning of the essential elements of active Jewish life. |
| Talmudic Ethics: Timeless Wisdom for Timely Dilemmas |
| From Internet privacy and corporate scandals to abortion and euthanasia – our lives are filled with difficult, often gut-wrenching ethical dilemmas. Perplexed? Come discover new ways to navigate the moral sea as we examine some of today’s toughest questions in the light of the Torah – Judaism’s ethical and moral compass for over three thousand years. |
| Wisdom From Sinai: Revolutionary Ideas that Judaism Introduced to the World |
| At the heart of the mystical Jewish experience at Sinai that made us a people, the Ten Commandments constitute an ethical core that has guided us for three thousand years. Yet they have had influence far beyond Jewish life. The Ten Commandments are widely acknowledged as the bedrock of most religions, legal systems and ethical codes of the Western world. In this inaugural course offered by the Sinai Scholars Society, you will discover why. |
