Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation - Ashburn, VA

Adult Education

Beth Chaverim Adult Education Classes - Fall 2011/Winter 2012

Lunch and Learn with Morah Nehama and Rabbi Linda Joseph
Instructor: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Wednesdays, 12:30 - 2 pm
Dates: Aug 10, 17, 23; Sept 7, 14, 21; Oct 12, 19, 26; Nov 16, 30; Dec 7;
Jan 18, 25; Feb 1, 8; Mar 7, 14, 28; Apr 4, 11, 18, 25; May 2, 9, 16, 23
Location: Classroom across from the Ulrich Memorial Library - Bring your own bagged lunch!
- Nehama Leibowitz (1905- 1997) was one of the most brilliant teachers of Torah the 20th century had to offer. She developed a new conception of Torah study, focused on the classic commentaries of the bible, biblical criticism, archaeology and history. She revolutionized and raised the prestige of Torah study in a world where Yeshivot were largely Talmud focused. Her question, which we will revisit many times: "What's Rashi's difficulty?" is a common Torah study question today.

Bring your lunch as we will delve into her Torah study sheets together! And, since each class is a complete lesson, you do not need to attend every session; Come to as many as you like!

  Book Club: The Golem in New York!
Instructor: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Wednesdays, 7:30 pm - 9 pm
Dates:
         October 26 - Snow in August by Peter Hamill,
         January 25 - Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick,
         May 2 - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
- Join the rabbi to discuss one, two or all of the above books, each very different, but united in their inclusion of the Golem myth, reset into NYC! Participants must purchase their own books.

Hebrew for Beginners
Instructor: Tracy Cirone
Time: Sundays, 9:15 am to 10:45 am
Dates: 2/26, 3/4, 3/18, 3/25, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6, & more if necessary!
Location: TBD
- Perfect for those with little or no prior knowledge of Hebrew, this free course concentrates on teaching basic Hebrew reading skills to help you read prayer book Hebrew.We will also cover basic Jewish vocabulary and religious concepts. We will meet on Sunday mornings from 9:15 am to 10:45 am during religious school on the dates listed above.

This class is open to all adult members of Beth Chaverim. There is no fee for this program, but participants will be expected to purchase their own text (Aleph Isn't Tough: An Introduction to Hebrew for Adults: Book 1; available at Amazon.com). Please contact Tracy Cirone if you have any questions or would like to register for this class. (Please note: There is a minimum enrollment of five for this program to take place.)

Women in the Bible
Instructor: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Wednesdays, 7:30 pm - 9 pm
Dates: March 28, April 4, 11
Location: Classroom across from the Ulrich Memorial Library
- A sampling of female characters from the Torah, Prophets and Writings. We will delve into biblical texts, commentaries and Midrash to re-imagine these women of biblical times.

SOFER NEIL YERMAN SCHOLAR–IN-RESIDENCE
Meet the Sofer: Neil Yerman is a sofer — a person who writes and restores Torah scrolls. In English, the Hebrew word sofer is translated as “scribe.” To become a sofer, a Jewish person must master the art of Hebrew calligraphy, document restoration, and the many rules and traditions governing the writing and restoring of a Torah. In addition, a sofer must lead a religious life. Meet the Artist — Sofer Yerman is also an artist who specializes in creating one-of-a-kind illustrated documents for life cycle events, creating ketubot for weddings, scrolls for bar and bat mitzvah, and illustrated family trees.
Time: Sunday, 9 am - 12 pm
Date: March 11
- Join us for an all-Shul program with Sofer Yerman and learn all about the art of being a sofer.

MAKE YOUR OWN CHALLAH COVER: A SILK PAINTING EXPERIENCE!
Instructor: Rabbi Linda Joseph
Time: Sunday, 9 am - 1 pm
Date: April 1
Class Fee: $25 Material Fee for All Attendees

- Join Rabbi Linda in one of her favorite activities – silk painting. We will each create a Challah cover of pre-determined or our own design to use at our Shabbat and festival tables.

For registration or further information, please contact our Adult Education Coordinator.

Other Adult Education

In our surrounding community, adult education courses are also offered by these organizations:

Union of Reform Judaism
Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School (FMAMS)

Please check the BCRC Calendar for Adult Education events.