Monday Midrasha

Welcome to the Midrasha (Learning Center)! We will have a series of courses and one-night learning opportunities on most Monday evenings.

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The Mitzvot of Jewish Living
Monday, October 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12 & 19—7:00 p.m.

Mitzvot are the foundation stones of Jewish life – from the ethics of welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick and freeing the captive to the rituals of prayer and holiday observance – they have been central to the values and practice of living and believing as a Jew. Each night Rabbi Prosnit will focus on a different mitzvah and consider not only the traditional “how to’s,” but contemporary meaning and adaptations. Attend one, two or all of the sessions.

October 15
Kibud Av V-eim -- Honoring One’s Father and Mother
A no brainer – maybe, but what does tradition tell us about caring for aging parents and making decisions when they can no longer decide for themselves? How does one honor when they feel the psychological wounds from dysfunctional parenting?

October 22
G’milut chasadim -- Deeds of Compassion
Time for ourselves vs. time for others; Visiting the sick and reaching out to those in need; levels of charity – to whom to give and how much.

October 29
Hachnasat Kalah -- Provide for the Wedding Couple
The rituals of love and marriage, of beginning (and ending) sacred relationships provide a starting point for a discussion of contemporary responses to the changing Jewish family.

November 5
Iyun T’filah -- Pray with Sincerity
The tension between the fixity of the prayers and the intent of the
“pray –er.” Especially as we introduce a new prayer book (hopefully) the classic struggle provides a backdrop for this central mitzvah.

November 12
Ahavat Yisrael -- Love of Israel
Special Guest Rabbi Kinneret Shiryon, Rabbi of Congregation Yozma makes a return visit to speak about the Mitzvah of living and loving the Land of Israel. Rabbi Shiryon is uniquesly gifted teacher and passionate speaker. As we head toward Israel’s 60th year she is the perfect person to speak about the power and place of Eretz Yisrael in our lives.

November 19
Hachnasat Orchim -- Welcoming the Stranger
Special guest, Father Ric Ryscavage S.J. from the Center for Religion In Public Life at Fairfield University leads the discussion of hospitality and it’s implications for the debate on immigration and refugee policy

November 26
Shalom Bayit -- Peace in the Home, in the Community
Treating one another with civility and respect in an age of gossip. Is lying for the sake of peace permissible?

assa

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Recipes for a Joyful Life From the Wisdom Teachings of the Hasidim January 7, 14, 21, 28 and February 4—7:00 p.m.
	assa	Finding joy, anger management, seeing God in the everyday, learning to live more simply… these topics and more can be found in the teachings of the Hasidim. Drawing on the wisdom teachings of the Rebbes and Maggidim (story-tellers), influenced by Jewish mysticism, we will explore how these teachings can apply to our lives today. January 21st will feature a Tu Bishvat Seder, based on the original model developed by sixteenth century Jewish Mystics (See p. 16 for more details). Led by Rabbi Gurevitz.

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Displaced Persons:
Growing Up American after the Holocaust
Monday, February 11—7:00 p.m.

Joseph Berger, author of the Notable New York Times book, Displaced Persons: Growing Up American After the Holocaust, will lead a discussion of his poignant memoir of a Polish refugee family’s adjustment to life in New York in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Elie Wiesel called the book “powerful and sweetly melancholic …, brilliantly written”.

Mr. Berger is the national education columnist for The New York Times and has been a reporter and editor with The New York Times since 1984, covering religion, education and the New York region; he has also frequently written on the Jewish world. Please join us for this exciting opportunity to meet and talk with Mr. Berger. Discounted copies of the book are available in the office.

assa

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Why Israel? Exploring What Israel Means To Us Today Monday, February 26, March 3, 10, 17—7:00 p.m.
	assa	Settlements. Terror attacks. The security fence. War in Lebanon. Orthodox vs. Secular. Rights of return. Join Ira Wise for a frank discussion of how we feel about Israel. We will look at how we felt in the past and the impact of events of the past several years on the connection of American Jews to the Jewish State. While we won’t solve the problem in four evenings, we can hope to wrestle with our personal perspectives.

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Business Ethics: A Jewish View of the Marketplace Monday, March 24, 31 and April 7—7:00 p.m.
Join members of B’nai Israel and our staff for a frank discussion of real ethical dilemmas. We will examine the solutions suggested by the ethical standards of the industries involved as well as how Jewish values might agree or offer an alternative. Look for details about specific sessions in the March Bulletin.	assa

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Stepping Up To The Plate Substitute Teacher Training Course Monday, April 28—7:00 p.m.
	assa	We are regularly reminded of how rewarding it is to be a Jewish teacher and how great the need is for each adult in our congregation to think about stepping into a classroom. Join Ira Wise for an exploration of what it takes to be a sub—a temporary visitor who, with a great deal of assistance, can make Judaism come alive for our young people!