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The Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Continuing Education Program at Pardes Fall Semester October 27– January 14 (28 Tishrei – 18 Tevet) No studies during the week of Channukah (Dec 21-28)
Spring Semester January 19 – March 25 (23 Tevet – 29 Adar) No studies on March 11-12 (Purim)
Omer Mini-Session April 20 – May 20 (26 Nissan – 26 Iyar)
Fall Semester 2008
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| Mondays | Tuesdays | Wednesdays | | 8:45-10:45 a.m. | The Power of Minhag (Talmud. Peachim ch.4) What is a custom (minhag) and can a custom be changed? A Talmudic perspective - Reuven Grodner | Jerusalem to New York and Back! (Philosophy) Does our residence affect our thinking? Rav Kook, Rav Soloveitchik, Leibowitz and Heschel - David Levin-Kruss | Foundations of Civilization (Midrash) Midrashic texts illuminate and surprise as they comment on the stories of Bereshit -Alieza Saltzberg | | 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
| Essays of Nachmanides (Philosophy) Nachmanides discusses Sources of Truth, Christianity, Messiah and other themes. - Reuven Grodner | Conquest, Independence and Settlement. (Tanach) Themes and dilemmas of the Book of Joshua - Alex Israel | Understanding Liturgy – Understanding Ourselves Dig beneath the surface of Kabbalat Shabbat, Lecha Dodi and Shabbat Zemirot - Yaffa Epstein |
Tuition: 650 NIS/course for a semester. 1200 NIS for the year. (10% discount for more than one course) Tour with Text: 180 NIS (half day) 270 NIS (full day)
Tour with Text – Shulie Mishkin (In conjunction with Conquest, Independence and Settlement Course. Tue 11:00)
In Israel the text is not contained by the classroom. This course takes the text into the hills and valleys of Eretz Yisrael bringing it alive.
1. In the Footsteps of Joshua – Gilgal and the Jordan Thursday Nov 20th 8:30-2:00 We will retrace the footsteps of B'nei Yisrael as they enter the land for the first time. After seeing the view to Mo'av, we will descend to the Jordan River, and then continue on to overlook the city of Yericho, and discuss the conquest there. Finally, we will try to determine the location of Gilgal, the first camp of B'nei Yisrael. 2. Shilo, Mount Eval and Mt. Gerizim - (In the footsteps of Joshua) Thursday Dec 18th: 8:30-2:00 Joshua leads the Israelites to deepen their connection with God when they enter the land. We will visit two of the sites where they renew their covenant with God. First we will overlook Mt. Grizim and Mt. Eval, the site of the blessing and the curse that are uttered when they first enter the land . After that we will continue to Shilo, the site of the Mishkan, and Israel's capital for 369 years. 3.Emeq Yizrael and Mt. Gilboa Thursday Feb 5th 8:30a.m. -6:00 p.m. The Jezre'el valley has been one of the most historic battle sites throughout history. Our full-day trip will encompass Mt. Tavor the site of Dvorah and Barak's battle with Sisera, Ein Harod, where Gid'on chose his warriors, and Mt. Gilbo'a, the scene of King Saul's final tragic battle and demise.
4.Philistines are upon you, Samson: Thursday March 5th. 8:30 a.m. -2:00 p.m.
Samson came from the tribe of Dan, and lived in close proximity to B'nei Yisrael's terrible enemies, the Philistines. Many of the sites that he visited still exist today. Our trip will include the Tel of Tzor'ah, where Samson grew up, his alleged grave, and the enormous and current excavation of the major Philistine city of Gat. TUESDAY EVENING COURSES (All begin Oct. 28) TORAH CANTILLATION ELISA PEARLMAN Tue 5:15 –6:15 p.m.
The word ‘ta’am’ means ‘flavor’ and the ‘ta’amei hamikrah’ (trop marks) not only show us how to chant each word in the Tanach, but also add ‘flavor’ i.e. enhance the text too. During this course students will acquire the tools to chant any part of Torah, while also looking at how the trope functions as an interpretation to the text. Megillat Esther Cantillation Elisa Pearlman Tue 6:15-7:15pm Learn to chant this special trope in preparation for Purim. SCRIBAL ARTS DOV LAIMON Tue 6:30 -8:00 p.m.
In this hands-on seminar, students will learn the script used in writing Sifrei Torah, tefillin, and mezuzot, how to make a quill and write on parchment. The course will provide an introduction to the many intricate halachot determining when a letter is kosher, and how tefillin and mezuzot must be written, as well as an investigation of the deep meaning of the alef-bet in classical texts. PARSHAT HASHAVUA AVIVAH ZORNBERG Tue 8:00-9:45 p.m. We will study selected traditional and modern commentaries on the parsha with a special interest in the relation between the manifest and the hidden meanings of the text; and in the ways in which this represents the complexity of communication between human beings, between God and human beings, and within the self.
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Mondays - 8:45-10:45 am
– Reuven Grodner The Power of Minhag (Custom) - Talmud Jewish communities throughout the world compromise a multi-colored embroidery of customs and traditions. This class studying Talmud Tractate Peachim ch.4 will explore a wide variety of ancient and modern customs. What gives custom binding authority? Can custom be changed or abolished? In moving to a new locale, must one keep the tradition of the old home or the new home? Must one conform to community custom? May one be a non-conformist? What special role does Eretz Yisrael play in the authority of Halachah?
In addition, many fascinating passages containing Aggadic wisdom of the Sages will be studied.
Mondays 11:00 am -1:00 pm
– Reuven Grodner The Beautiful Mind of Ramban (Philosophy) Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban) , renowned Torah scholar, Kabbalist, physician, philosopher, poet, orator and defender of the faith. This class will discuss and analyze several of his writings and discourses, which will include: A LETTER TO THE FRENCH RABBIS
A heated dispute arose amongst French scholars regarding Maimonidies' "Guide for the Perplexed." Could Torah be Harmoinized with Greek and Arabic philosophies or was this dangerous heresy? Ramban heroically defended Maimonidies, and at the same time, attempted to make peace between the two camps. THE GATE OF REWARD
Themes including: reward and punishment, the righteous who suffer and the wicked who prosper, the book of Job and life after death. THE BOOK OF REDEMPTION
In combating Christian theology, Ramban clarifies the Jewish concept of Messiah. When will the Messiah come? THE DISPUTATION IN BARCELONA
Account of Ramban's disputation with his apostate opponent, Pablo Christiani, in the presence of King James of Aragon. Ramban staunchly defends the Jewish faith in the face of Christian challengers.
Tuesdays 8:45-10:45 am
- David Levin-Kruss
From Jerusalem to New York and Back (Philosophy) How does where one live affect the way we think? Abraham Isaac Kook and Yeshayahu Leibowitz wrote in Eretz Yisrael; Joseph Soloveitchik, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Judith Plaskow in America. How is their balancing of tradition and modernity different? Can somebody living in an all Jewish society be sure to truly confront new ideas? How does somebody living in a pluralistic society ensure that their thinking is indeed part of Jewish tradition? And what about those subtle, unstated, cultural assumptions that affect the way great philosophers (and ordinary people!) approach the world?
Tuesdays 11:00am - 1:00pm - Alex Israel and Shulie Mishkin Conquest, Independence and Settlement. (Tanach) We shall engage in a study of selected chapters of Sefer Yehoshua (Book of Joshua). We shall describe the conquest of Canaan with its battles and miracles and the challenges of creating a society in a new land. We shall discuss the tensions and issues raised by the book: Conquest, war and peace; the transition from the homelessness to a homeland, the miraculous and the natural, and the ethical treatement of a hostile enemy population.
Tour with Text trips will complement our study of the Book of Joshua.
(Spring Semester will study Sefer Shoftim – Book of Judges)
Wednesdays 8:45-10:45 am
Alieza Saltzberg The Foundations of Civilization (Midrash)
The Chumash gives us one view of the beginnings of society through the stories of creation, the first couple, the discovery of murder, the division of language, and so on. Through Midrash and Aggadah the Rabbis of the Talmudic Era provide their own opinions on these foundational events. This class will use Midrash Bereshit Rabba and other interpretive texts to explore Rabbinic thoughts on these important moments in the development of Jewish and Human Civilization.
Wednesdays 11:00 am -1:00 pm
Yaffa Epstein Examining Liturgy-Examining Ourselves
Kabbalat Shabbat is a relatively recent invention in Judaism, and yet it has become very wide spread. This class will be examining the Friday Night Liturgy in depth with an eye to understanding what we are trying to do with Kabbalat Shabbat. We will look at preparing for Shabbat, Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv Prayers, as well as a look into the Brachot and Zemirot of Friday night.
Pardes "Year" Classes open to Continuing Education Students.
2:30-5:00 –Tuesday TORAH IN JEWISH PRACTICE AND IMAGINATION(Advanced Kollel Class) JAMES MAISELS
In this course we will explore the meaning of Torah and Talmud Torah in Jewish thought and practice from the rabbinic period through to modern Jewish thinkers though with a particular emphasis on medieval and early modern Jewish thought. We will strive to understand how these different thinkers understood the nature of Torah and its study and what that means for our own practice of Talmud Torah. CAN HALAKHA MAKE SENSE? ELISHA ANCSELOVITS Wed. 8:30-10:30pm HALAKHAH AS COMMON SENSE
Are you bewildered by Halakhah being treated as a collection of mysterious norms? Are you frustrated by the presentation of halakhic decison making as formal deduction? Are you annoyed by use of the social and liberal arts disciplines to analyze Halakhah externally instead of religiously? In this class we will combine several disciplines in order learn to understand Halakhah as a continuous process of learning and applying various wise insights through the generations.
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