pdf - Jewish Study Center

Bob Rovinsky,
President
Rachel B. Miller,
Exec. Director
Jewish Study Center
Winter Semester, January - February 2007
Warm up with new classes!
On the front burner:
India and
The Jews
Hot Topics
In Judaism
Kosher Party
Food From
The Ends
Of the Earth
The Best of Tradition in an informal setting…
Classes in four locations:
Dupont Circle, Farragut North,
Chinatown, and Cleveland Park
The Jewish Study Center is an independent nonprofit
center for adult Jewish education in the Washington
D.C. area. Founded in 1978, it has a reputation for
teaching and learning in an open, participatory
environment. Engage with traditional texts and
topics, contemporary Jewish culture and concerns,
and faculty from across the community. We
welcome teachers and students of all backgrounds.
Please register at www.jewishstudycenter.org or call 202-332-1221
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Monday class at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St, NW
Two blocks from Chinatown Metro Station, four blocks from Mt. Vernon Metro Station
Monday, Jan. 8
Jews and Justice: Past, Present, and Future
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Members: $15
With the approach of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, let us revisit the involvement of Jews in
non-members: $20 the civil rights movement in America. How extensive was it? And was it for the right reasons?
One-day
event!
What is its significance in understanding the nature of American Jewish identity? In this one-night
event, we will look at some of these issues and consider how social justice can become a more
prominent feature of American Jewish identity in the future.
Rabbi Sid Schwarz is the author of Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World
(available for sale at this event). He is the founder of PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership
and Values and was also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation.
This event is co-sponsored with Jews United for Justice (www.jufj.org) and Yachad, (www.yachad-dc.org).
Mondays at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Dupont Circle
1830 Connecticut Ave., NW, 2.5 blocks north of the Dupont Circle’s north Metro exit. Street parking is available.
Monday
Jan. 22 – March 5
Basic Judaism: Six Adventures into the Heart of Judaism
6 classes,
no class on Feb. 19 Come and experience what Judaism is today and where it is going in the future. This course is a
7:00 – 8:15 PM
good introduction to Judaism for anyone—Jew or non-Jew, secular or religious— who wants to
Members: $70
learn what it means to be Jewish. We will study together, explore Washington synagogues and
non-members: $80
Jan. 22 – Feb. 12
4 classes
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Members: $50
non-members: $60
Feb. 26 – MAR. 12
3 classes
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Members: $40
non-members: $50
All 3 Films:
Members: $40
Non-members: $50
Individual Films:
Members: $15
Non-members: $20
other institutions, experience how Jews approach and create prayer, visit a ritual bath, go to a
kosher restaurant, perform mitzvot (good deeds), and eat together at a traditional Friday night
(Shabbat) meal. We will also go to a Tu B’Shvat (Israeli Arbor Day) Seder meal and enjoy the
festive holiday of Purim. While the course uses a text to introduce basic concepts of Judaism, the
emphasis will be on the communal experiences that bind Jews together everywhere. Some activities
will be optional and outside of class hours.
Bob Rovinsky, president of the Jewish Study Center, belongs to many of the Jewish communities of
Washington, from Adas Israel to the Zoo Minyan. He has taught numerous courses for the Jewish
Study Center, including Basic Judaism.
Beginning Conversational Hebrew
This class will cover conversational everyday Hebrew, such as greetings, ordering meals, classroom
vocabulary and buying items in a store. Knowledge of the aleph-bet is helpful, but not necessary.
Students should bring a pen, paper, and energy to learn!
Nurit Sharon is an Israeli-American teacher for English as a Second Language and has tutored
students of all ages in Hebrew.
Three Israeli Films
Take a look into Israeli culture and cinema with this three-part film class. The first film, Live and
Become, is about an Ethiopian boy who migrates to Israel under false pretenses and adjusts to
Israeli society. The second film, Time of Favor, is about fanaticism and relationships in the West
Bank, and the last film, Free Zone, is about the dilemmas faced by three women while traveling
from Israel to Jordan. Each class will conclude with a thematic discussion and refreshments.
February 26: Live and Become (Va, Vis et Deviens, 2005)
March 5: Time of Favor (Ha Hasder, 2000)
March 12: Free Zone (2005)
Judi Spungen is completing a Ph.D. in Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins and frequently travels to
Israel for her research.
Monday class at the American Jewish Committee, Farragut North
1156 15th St, NW, four short blocks northeast of the Farragut North metro station.
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the movie Salaam Shalom: The Jews of India and then we will study the culture with help from
local members of the Indian Jewish community. The class will conclude with a reception with an
Indian diplomat and Aaron Jacob, a former Israeli Ambassador of Indian Jewish origin who is
Associate Director of International Affairs at the American Jewish Committee. Vegetarian and
dairy Indian food will be served.
Nissim Reuben is a program officer on Indian-Jewish relations at the American Jewish
Committee. He coordinated a historic India-Israel-U.S. friendship reception in 2003 and taught
a class on India and the Jews for the Jewish Study Center in Fall 2006.
Monday
Jan. 22 – Feb. 12
India and the Jews
4 classes
7:00 – 8:15 PM
The first Jews arrived in India more than 2000 years ago and were followed by several waves of
Members: $50
Jewish immigration, all with distinct origins. Join us for a special look into the Indian Jewish
non-members: $60 community, at their lives in India, Israel, Canada, and here in the U.S. We will begin by watching
Tuesdays at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Chinatown, 600 I St, NW
Two blocks from Chinatown Metro Station, four blocks from Mt. Vernon Metro Station. Limited street parking is available.
Jan. 16 – Feb. 20
6 classes total
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Hot Topics in Judaism
Join us for a fascinating series on controversial subjects within Judaism. Classes will use a variety
of classical Jewish texts and the topics will rotate each night.
All 6 classes:
Members: $70
January 16: Insights into news coverage of the Palestinian Authority and UNRWA.
non-members: $80 David Bedein is the bureau chief of the Israel Resource News Agency, which provides features
23: Opinions on homosexuality from the Conservative Jewish movement.
Rabbi Ken Cohen is Director of American University Hillel and met his wife, Joanne Kenen,
at the Jewish Study Center.
*if you know you
will miss a session,
January 30: What does Judaism say about cruel, inhumane treatment, and torture?
you can send
Rabbi
Gerry Serotta works at Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase and is a former Hillel Rabbi at
someone in your
GWU. He is also the chair of Rabbis for Human Rights in North America.
place or bring a
friend to another
February 6: Judaism and Naturalistic Beliefs.
session
Binyamin Biber is the rabbi at Machar, the Washington Congregation for Secular Humanistic
Judaism (www.machar.org), and a chaplain of the American Humanist Association.
Tuesday
about Israel for more than 65 media outlets, including the Washington Post. He resides in Israel.
Individual classes:
Members: $15
January
Non-Members: $20
February 13: Judaism and the Body: Tattoos, Ornaments, and Elective Surgery
Rabbi Hirsh Chinn is the director and principal educator of the ATID Campus Fellowship, a yearlong program of Jewish exploration for college students. He holds graduate degrees in
Education/Guidance, Counseling, and Clinical Social Work.
February 20: Halachic Organ Donation
Rabbi Dr. Barry Freundel has been Kesher Israel’s rabbi for 18 years and is an Assistant Professor
of Rabbinics at Baltimore Hebrew University and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown
University. He is the author of Contemporary Orthodox Judaism’s Response to Modernity.
Become a member of the Jewish Study Center
For $36 a year for individuals or $72 for households, you can support the mission of the Study Center and the
community. By becoming a member, you will gain access to exclusive events and closed-out classes and pay
discounted rates all year at the Jewish Study Center. All contributions to the Study Center are tax-deductible.
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Tuesday at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue: 600 I St, NW, Chinatown
Two blocks from Chinatown Metro Station, four blocks from Mt. Vernon Metro Station
Tuesday, Feb. 27
Kosher on the Rocks: A Tasting of Whiskies
7:00 – 9: 00 PM
Join us for a night where we will learn about Scottish, American, and Irish whiskies: What are the
Members: $25
non-members: $30 differences, what are the similarities, and why are some considered kosher, while others are not?
We will discuss the kashrut issues of whiskies, and learn why the rabbinic authorities in the U.K.
differ from those in the U.S. on what is and isn’t acceptable. We will also learn how to appreciate
the world of whisky/whiskey in a hands-on fashion by tasting several varieties of each of the spirits.
The class is designed for those new to whiskies, as well as those who attended December’s Kosher
Scotch Tasting. Refreshments will be served.
Joshua London is an author, lobbyist, and regular contributor to The Washington Examiner.
One-day
event!
Jan. 16 – Feb. 20
Jewish History in Europe
5 sessions
This series of lectures will cover important periods and movements in the history of the Jews in
No class Feb. 6
7:00 – 8: 15 PM
Europe. Each lecture and discussion section can be attended individually or together as a course.
Members: $60
Jan. 16: The Jews of Spain: From the Golden Age to the Spanish Inquisition
non-members: $70
Jan. 23: Jewish Mystics and Mysticism: The Rich History and False Messiahs
Tuesday
Jan. 30: Hasidism: Origins in the 18th Century and the Life of the Founding Rabbis
Feb. 13: European Enlightenment: Transformations in Jewish Culture and the Emergence
of Denominational Judaism
Feb. 20: The Age of Nationalism and the Impact on Jewish Identity in 19th and 20th
Centuries
Helene Sinnreich is the director of Judaic and Holocaust Studies at Youngstown State University in
Ohio. She is currently a Fellow at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Kosher Party Food from the Ends of the Earth
Feb. 13 and 20
Great food can do wonders for a social gathering. Join us for a night of learning how to create
7:00 – 9: 00 PM
exciting dishes from all over the world that can be prepared for large or small groups. Each student
Members: $35
will receive a recipe booklet at the end of the night and inspiration and energy for many culinary
non-members: $40
For Students 40
and up: Feb. 13
For Students in
their 20s and 30s:
Feb. 20
experiments. This is a one-night class that will be held twice, each for a different age group—
February 13th will be for students who are 40 and over, and February 20th will be for students in
their 20s and 30s.
Louise Fisher teaches kosher Thai, Indian, sushi, Israeli, and Vietnamese cooking for culinary
schools and in her own teaching kitchen. More info about her is online at www.cookwithlouise.com
Support the Jewish Study Center by:
—becoming a member
—donating to the general Study Center fund
—contributing through United Way/CFC — our number is 8366
—sponsoring a class, a JSC project, or an event (contact us for the wish list)
Donations to the Jewish Study Center, a tax-exempt non-profit, enable us meet administrative expenses,
provide scholarships, and — more importantly — support the Jewish community of Washington, D.C.
All contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information, call Executive Director Rachel Miller at 202-332-1221.
Wednesdays at Adas Israel, 2850 Quebec St, NW, Cleveland Park
One block north of the Cleveland Park Metro. Parking is available.
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Jan. 10 and 17
The Early Jews of New Orleans
2 sessions
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Members: $30
Before Hurricane Katrina tragically put New Orleans in the public eye, in antebellum America,
non-members: $40 New Orleans was one of the largest and most important Jewish communities. Both the first
Jan. 10 – Feb. 7
Learn to Read the Torah
5 sessions
7:00 – 8:15 PM
It is said that the scroll is the body of the Torah, while the person reading provides the breath
Members: $60
or soul. Leyning, or chanting from the Torah, is a musical skill that punctuates the text and
non-members: $70 makes it come alive for the reader and those who hear the Torah. This course teaches the art
and practical skill of chanting the Torah text. The musical phrases, or trope, that are used to
leyn will be learned by ear in class—no need to read music, though you do need to be able to
sound out Hebrew words phonetically, and to carry a tune (more or less). The trope will also
be provided on cassette, CD, or MP3 so you can practice at home, while commuting to work
or during commercial breaks of your favorite show! Instruction will be a mix of
demonstration, group practice, and one-on-one instruction. For those who wish, the
instructor and the Study Center will help match participants with a congregation or minyan in
which to debut their new skills.
Eric Fendler has helped prepare b’nei mitzvah and many adults for their first readings from
the Torah, and has led High Holiday Torah reading for several years at the Capital Kehillah.
Wednesday, February 28, 7:00-9:00 PM, GW Hillel, 2300 H St, NW
One block from the Foggy Bottom/George Washington Metro station
16th Annual Latke-Hamantash Symposium
How does the round potato pancake square off against the tri-corner pastry? Join the Jewish Study
Center for a hilarious mock debate over the superior Jewish food.
Each speaker presents an argument on the merits of each traditional food using justifications from
across the academic spectrum. Scholars come from all areas of the community academically,
professionally, and socially and when the debate is completed, the participants and the audience have
ample opportunities for in-depth research with a delicious latke and hamantash taste-test.
This event is $10 in advance, $12 at the door. For more information, please visit
www.jewishstudycenter.org or call us at (202) 332-1221.
Wednesday
acknowledged Jew and the first practicing Jew in the U.S. Senate were residents of New
Orleans. While the Jewish presence in the area goes back to the 1700s, Jews in New Orleans
were notoriously slow in forming an organized community. This course will tell the story of
New Orleans’ early Jewish settlers, as well as discuss why it took so long for Jewish life to
develop in New Orleans. Personalities such as Judah P. Benjamin, the “brains of the
Confederacy,” as well as the enigmatic Judah Touro, among others, will also be covered.
Jeffrey Kaplan, an attorney with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, regularly teaches and lectures on
Jewish history at a number of institutions. He has served as archivist and archival consultant
at Philadelphia's oldest Jewish institution, Congregation Mikveh Israel (founded in 1740).
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Wednesdays at Adas Israel, 2850 Quebec St, NW, Cleveland Park
One block north of the Cleveland Park Metro. Parking is available.
Wednesday
Jan. 10 – Jan. 31
The Women of Exodus
4 sessions
8:30 – 9:45 PM
How do traditional and modern commentaries see the women at the great moments of Exodus? For
Members: $50
example: the oppression and resistance in Egypt; revelation and celebration at the sea; receiving
non-members: $60
and transmitting the Torah at Sinai; rebellion, failure and forgiveness over the golden calf; and the
construction of the holy sanctuary. This class will focus on the collective actions of the women and
explore individual leaders, such as Miriam, Yocheved, Tziporah, Pharoah’s daughter, the midwives
in Egypt and others. We will use biblical, rabbinical, and contemporary texts and sources.
Norman Shore is a veteran teacher for the Jewish Study Center and elsewhere in the Washington
Jewish Community.
Jan. 17
The Abraham Narrative: A Jewish and Islamic Perspective
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Members: $15
non-members: $20 Abraham is often regarded as the founding patriarch of Judaism and Islam. Join us as we discuss
this story from the Hebrew Bible and the Koran with two scholars of different faiths.
One-day
event!
Zafer Mohammad is a Muslim scholar specializing in interreligious and conflict resolution work,
as well as comparative mysticism. He is completing his Ph.D. in Theology and Religious Studies.
Rabbi Harold White is the Senior Jewish Chaplain at Georgetown University.
Jan. 17 – Feb. 21
The Great Jewish Trials
5 sessions
No class Jan. 31
Three trials have brought turning points in Jewish history. In this 5-session class, we will explore
7:00 – 8:15 PM
these trials, the background, and the outcomes. The first will be the trial of Jesus, the study of
Members: $60
which will provide insight into the social religious dynamic of the first century. After this, we will
non-members: $70
look at the trial of the Talmud in Paris in 1240, which will help us understand the status of Jews in
medieval Europe. We will conclude the class with a study of the trial of Alfred Dreyfus in the late
19th century, which will illuminate the assimilationist stance of Jews in Europe at that time and the
nascent nationalist movement within Judaism.
Rabbi Charles Feinberg is associate rabbi at Adas Israel, and has served four different
congregations.
Jan. 24 – Feb. 21
4 classes,
No class Feb. 14
7:00 – 8:15 PM
Jewish Cultures Across the Globe
Join us for a 4-part series that looks at Jewish life in communities around the world.
January 24: The Language of the Sephardim: Ladino
All 4 classes:
Members: $50
Non-members: $60
Ralph Tarica is a retired professor of French from the University of Maryland.
Individual classes:
Members: $15
Non-members: $20
Ed Askinazi is a filmmaker, producer, and editor, whose films have been shown worldwide. He
directed the film (which will be shown at class) and is currently a producer for Public Television.
January 31: The Romaniote Community and the film The Last Greeks on Broome Street
February 7: The Jews of Cape Verde: Sephardic Jews off the coast of West Africa
*if you know you will Carol Castiel is director of Public Affairs Programming at the Voice of America. She has traveled
miss a session, you
widely in Portuguese-speaking Africa.
can send someone in
your place or bring
February 21: Romanian Jews: their Synagogues and Heritage
a friend to another
Stefan Niculescu-Maier is a native of Romania who works as a software development consultant.
session
From 2003-2005, he directed the Romanian Jewish Heritage project with B’nai B’rith International.
Volunteer for the Jewish Study Center!
The Jewish Study Center runs almost entirely on volunteer effort, and we are always looking for people to help us with
various tasks. As a thank you, volunteers can take classes for free. Check out our website at www.jewishstudycenter.org or
call us at (202) 332-1221 for ways on how you can help out and examples of tasks you can do.
Wednesday classes at Adas Israel: 2850 Quebec St, Cleveland Park
7
One block north of the Cleveland Park Metro. Parking is available.
Jan. 24 and 31
Poetry Workshop on Biblical Themes
2 sessions
7:00 – 8:15 PM
The story of the binding of Isaac has inspired many writers for generations. In this two-session
Members: $30
class, we will read some of the more famous poems relating to this and other stories in Genesis and
non-members: $40
Jan. 31 – Feb. 21
Learning the Saturday Morning Service
4 sessions
8:30 – 9:45 PM
Feeling lost in services? Let us be your guide! In this four session class, learn the key elements
Members: $50
of Saturday morning services. The class will cover the most popular melodies for the major
non-members: $60
songs and we will discuss the meaning of the sections of prayers as well as a few individual
prayers. Tape and digital recorders are welcome.
Michelle Buzgon can be found on some Saturday mornings leading musaf at the Adas Israel
Egalitarian Minyan, though most of her singing these days is of the E-I-E-I-O variety. She’s a
life strategies coach who helps caregivers realize the importance of caring for themselves.
Jan. 24 – Feb. 21
Savoring the Psalms
5 sessions
8:30 – 9:45 PM
The one hundred and fifty mysterious and passionate religious poems that comprise the Book of
Members: $50
non-members: $60 Psalms are an enticing invitation to read, untangle, and savor. The psalmist’s voice addressing
G-d is emotional and immediate; the ideas and language are difficult, literary and complex. In this
class, we will spend some time on psalms central to the literary and liturgical tradition, compare
various translations, and look at the Hebrew to a limited degree, depending on the preferences and
fluency of class members.
Amy Schwartz, a Washington journalist, has taught many Jewish Study Center courses on poetry.
Sign up for classes: JSC Winter 2007
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$36 individual, $72 household
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To RSVP, call us at 202-332-1221,
Go to the registration page at www.jewishstudycenter.org,
Email this information to rachel@jewishstudycenter.org
Or mail this to: 1634 I St, NW, Suite 700,
Washington DC 20006
Wednesday
try our hand at creating our own. Featured poets include Yehuda Amichai, Moshe Dor, and Myra
Sklarew, among others.
Barbara Goldberg is the author of three books of poetry and co-editor of After the First Rain:
Israeli Poems on War and Peace. She is the recipient of two fellowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts and is senior speechwriter for a large non-profit organization.
Introducing:
The Jewish Study Center Core Curriculum!
Every semester, each class will fall into one or more of these 8 categories:
• (Re) Introduction to Judaism
• Global Jewish Culture
• Text Study
• Language and Literature
• American Jewish Experience
• Synagogue and Home
• Judaism in Everyday Life
• Israel
Our website will have the category listing for classes offered each semester, so you can keep track of
your progress in completing the Core Curriculum.
After you have taken a class in each of these categories, you will be awarded a congratulatory
certificate at a Jewish Study Center dinner to celebrate your achievement.
More info online at www.jewishstudycenter.org
Please visit our website to RSVP and for the latest information about classes. If there is
inclement weather, please call us at 202-332-1221 to find out about schedule changes.
1634 I St, NW, Suite 700
Washington DC 20006
(202) 332-1221
Rachel@jewishstudycenter.org
www.jewishstudycenter.org
Board of Directors
Bob Rovinsky, President
Daniel Juceam, Vice President of Programming
Michael Pinck, Vice President of Operations
Ken Goldstein, Secretary
Roz Timberg, Treasurer
Jay Caplan
Tom Diaz, Curriculum Chair
Stefan Gunther
Lindsay Lassman, Fundraising Chair
Michael Marcus
David Salem
Amy Schwartz
Sybil Wolin
Executive Director
Rachel B. Miller