Lunch & Learn Beit Midrash: Week 3

If you've missed the first sessions, fear not - you can STILL SIGN UP!!!  

***Please note, that if you've already registered for any of the sessions YOU DO NOT need to register again.***

Together with other North Carolina Reform Congregations, we invite you to join us for this free online adult education program!  The "Lunch & Learn" runs Thursday, November 4, 11 & 18, and December 2, 9 & 16

The weekly schedule is:

12 noon - 1:00 PM: First Course

1:00-1:15 PM: Short Break

1:15-2:15 PM: Second Course

When you register, please indicate which course you wish to attend for the first hour and which course for the second hour.  For additional information, please contact your rabbi or call Temple Emanuel at (336) 292-7899.

Course Offerings

First Hour: 12 Noon - 1:00 PM

How Should I Make Free Choices: Jewish Views of Human Nature, Talmudic and Mystical

with Rabbi Harley Karz-Wagman, Congregation Bayt Shalom, Greenville, NC

Discussions about how we can balance the forces of love and fear within us that drive us to make good or bad choices -- from a Talmudic perspective (yetzer tov and yetzer harah), a Mystical one (the sephirot) -- with insights from the holidays of Hanukah and Passover and the story of Eden.

How to be happy?

with Rabbi Ariel Edery, Beth Shalom, Cary NC

Many of us live a life of material comfort, and are "doing well" by the standards of our society - and still, often our 'successful life' does not make us live a "life of happiness". A growing number of us experience higher levels of dissatisfaction and frustration, a depressed mood and diminished self-worth, and general anxiety, even when we have more than our previous generations could dream of.  We will explore how - regardless of circumstances, wealth, success, and other factors which are beyond our control - there are recipes and insights for a lot that we can do to truly be happy. We will discuss traditional Jewish answers and insights (from Bible and Rabbis), and what modern psychological and behavioral research has been recently discovering about achieving happiness.

An Overview of The Second Temple Period and its Aftermath

with Rabbi Fred Guttman, Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, NC

This period is one of the most formative periods in all of Jewish history. We will begin with a historical understanding of the Maccabean period and then move to other topics. These topics will include: Roman Rule in Israel, The Great Revolt, The rise of Christianity and a Jewish viewpoint of the differences between Christianity and Judaism, and the Development of Rabbinic Judaism (Mishnah and Talmud). No previous knowledge of this period in Jewish history is necessary! Join me as we seek to understand our history.

Second Hour: 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM

Talmud: Master Lessons From Just One Page

with Rabbi Andy Koren, Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, NC

There are 38 Tractates of the Babylonian Talmud with over 2700 two-sided pages of material. We will not attempt to summarize this massive, encyclopedic work of Jewish law and more. Rather, we will take the first page of the first volume of Talmud, front and back, as a guide to unlocking some of the great lessons the Rabbis of generations past felt were both timely and timeless. Students from beginning to advanced levels will love this class!

L'ovdah Ul'shomrah: To Till and to Tend – Taking Care of the Earth

with Rabbi Libby Fisher, Temple Emanuel, Greensboro, NC

It seems as though every day, we read more concerning news about our planet, the human role in climate change, and what we should do to protect our world. But did you know that even thousands of years ago, our Jewish ancestors were considering our responsibility to take care of the earth? This class will take us on our tour of Jewish texts on the environment, from Torah to today.