BETH SHALOM ADULT EDUCATION ACADEMY

Thursday evenings: 7:00-9:00 p.m.
October: 11, 25, 31
November: 1, 8, 29
Please call the office (803.782.2500) to register for classes.

Introduction to Classical Rabbinic Literature (rabbinics)
7:00–7:55 p.m.
$60.00 members⁄$70.00 non-members
The formative period of rabbinic Judaism took place in the first five centuries of the Common Era, under the oppression of the Roman Empire and the rise of Christianity. During this time, classic rabbinic literature began to take shape in two major genres, Midrash and Talmud, and became the foundation upon which emerging Jewish law and religious belief are based. In this course selections from Midrash and Talmud will be studied in English in order to train students in the midrashic methodology of Biblical interpretation, to introduce students to Talmudic logic and to gain the skills to analyze a Talmudic sugya (thematic passage.)

Introduction to Hebrew
7:00–7:55 p.m.
Don’t know an aleph from a bet? This course will enable students to recognize the Hebrew alphabet and begin decoding words. Learn or remind yourself how to read Hebrew. Free. This course is co-sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program (1-800-44-HEBREW)

Judaism’s Encounter with Modernity (thought)
8:10–9:00 p.m.
$60.00 members⁄$70.00 non-members
This course offers a brief introduction to Judaism in the modern period. Together with a brief survey of Jewish history during this period, the course will concentrate on the religious and ideological tensions posed to Judaism by modernity and the range of Jewish responses, such as Enlightenment, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, contemporary Orthodoxy, Jewish Secularism, Zionism, Jewish socialism, and Jewish liberalism.

Intro to Judaism - Part I
8:10–9:00 p.m.
Crash Course in Basic Jewish Concepts
In this class we will discuss 5 major topics in Jewish thought: God, prayer, Sabbath, Jewish Observance, and Sexuality. This course is for you if you never had the chance to go to Hebrew School, or if you went to Hebrew School but forgot what you learned, or if you are not Jewish but simply interested in learning. 5 sessions: 10⁄11, 10⁄25, 11⁄1, 11⁄8,⁄15. Taught by Rabbi Siff. Free. This course is co-sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program (1-800-44-HEBREW).