Course Schedule
Sample Year Program Daily Schedule
| 8:30-11:45 | 12:00-1:00 | 12:00-1:00 | 2:30-5:00 | 5:00-6:00 | Evenings (Weekly) |
| 7 levels: Talmud Chumash (Torah) |
Siddur (Liturgy) Philosophy of Halakha Bekiut Nakh (Prophets) Weekly Torah Portion Interpersonal Relationships Women and Mitzvot |
Lunch Optional Mincha |
Halakha 3 levels Midrash Seminar in Jewish Thought Bekiut Talmud (Survey) Advanced Tanakh (Bible) Zohar |
Mini-Courses Hassidut |
Seder Erev (Open Beit Midrash) Torah and Haftora Trop Literary Analysis of the Torah Portion Scribal Arts |
Classes include both Havruta partner study and interactive seminars. Each class meets two or three times weekly; Talmud and Chumash courses are year-long, other courses are one semester.
Master Course Schedule - Fall 2008
Master Course Schedule - Spring 2009
Sample Summer Program Schedule
| 8:45-11:15 | 11:45-1:15 | 1:15-2:30 | 2:30-5:00 | 5:00-6:30 |
| Multiple Levels Talmud Chumash (Torah) |
Electives 13 Principles of Faith Ethics of Life and Death Halakhic Personalities Shabbat Evening Prayers |
Lunch Optional Mincha |
Sunday and Wednesday Holy Time and Space Halakha: An Insiders Guide Interpersonal Judaism Monday and Thursday Life and Justice Site and Text Return and Rebuilding Torah Yoga |
Monday and Wednesday Scribal Arts Torah Trope |
Summer Learning Program June Session Schedule of Classes - 2008
Summer Learning Program July Session Schedule of Classes - 2008
Summer Learning Program August Session Schedule of Classes - 2008
Course Descriptions
Intensive study of portions of one book of Humash, with emphasis on analysis of the literary structure and language of the text. Traditional and modern commentaries are discussed and analyzed in depth. The course seeks both to develop textual skills and to introduce the student to the religious, moral, national and historic themes contained in Humash.
Analysis of selected sections of the Mishna to reveal the conceptual categories and legal reasoning of the pre-talmudic Sages. The course aims to train the student to comprehend the text independently and, through critical analysis of language and structure, to facilitate a transition to the study of Talmud.
Systematic examination of classical as well as modern works of Jewish philosophy which address major themes and problems in Jewish thought.
Study of the practical performance of the laws of Shabbat, festivals, kashrut, and mourning, aimed also at familiarizing the student with the structure and categories of fundamental halakhic texts. Upper level courses place greater emphasis on a developmental analysis of the halakhic process.
From amongst the 'classics', there is no one book that deals with the inner workings of the Halakhic system. Yet this system has operated in some form from the beginning of our history as a nation, and continues to be part of our heritage to this very day. Statements about the system of Halakha are spread throughout the 'Jewish bookcase'. This class explores some of the issues such as the makeup of the Oral Law, definition of Deoraita and Derabbanan, the relationship between man-made Halacha and an objective truth, who were the contributors to the Oral Law, and methods of changing Jewish Law.
Introduction to the fundamental methods of rabbinic exposition of the Bible as well as literary analysis of the tales told by the Sages. Selected chapters from mishnaic and talmudic collections are studied to reveal their original and enduring religious significance.
Tefilla (Liturgy)
Examination of the structure and content of the Siddur to familiarize the student with the core of daily prayer. Philosophical and experiential questions related to prayer will also be explored.
Nevi'im/Ketuvim -- Na"ch (Prophets/Writings)
A survey of biblical books beyond Humash with emphasis on major themes and characteristic styles.
Exploration of a chapter of Talmud, emphasizing fundamental concepts and methodology. The course aims to familiarize students with the structure and dialectic of talmudic debate and to enable students to study Talmud independently.
Bein Adam L'Chavero (Interpersonal Ethics)
Examination of Jewish teachings regarding interpersonal ethics with special attention to relations within families and within society at large. A variety of rabbinic and contemporary sources are utilized.
Using classical rabbinic as well as chassidic sources, we will approach an understanding of the Siddur from historical, analytical and spiritual points of view. As we explore the structure and meaning of the prayers, we will seek to develop a prayer life that enlightens our minds and deepens our souls. During Elul, the course will place special emphasis on the Machzor for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
The writings of Maimonides are filled with gems both in the field of Jewish Law and philosophy. Students will study texts of the Rambam, beginning with Sefer Mada in the Mishneh Torah. Parallel and complementary sources will be examined, and their implication discussed. Special attention will be given not only to content of the text, but also to the personality of the Rambam, his contribution and the relationship between the Rambam and other personalities.
Modern Jewish Thought -- Covenant, Rupture, and Redemption:
Selected Themes in Modern Jewish Thought
This intensive semester-length course challenges students to come to terms with important texts and ideas in modern Jewish thought. We will focus first on core debates that have helped to shape our world, like those between Hasidim and Mitnaggedim in Eastern Europe and between Orthodoxy and Reform in Germany. We will also explore issues including responses to the Holocaust and to the State of Israel, challenges to traditional ideas about gender, and the possibility of Jewish peoplehood or of a personal relationship with God in the modern world. The class will be organized around hevruta learning, with the aim of skill enhancement.
This course will explore how leading Jewish thinkers address the great challenges of modernity to Judaism and Jewish identity. Issues to be explored will include: Rabbinic authority, nationalism, feminism, ethics, and the goal of being a Jew. Students will be asked to formulate their own views and present them to each other in seminar style.
Sefer HaChinuch and Minchat Chinuch
Arie Strikovsky
Sefer HaChinuch is classic, an anonymous medieval work on the 613 precepts in the order of their appearance in Scripture, giving their reasons and their laws in detail. The name of the book is taken by some as referring to its educational aim: "To touch the heart of my young son and his companions in that each week they will learn the precepts that are included in the weekly portion of the Law." Sefer HaChinuch is mainly based on the Sefer HaMitzvot and the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides. The uniqueness of the work lies in the section deaing with the explanation of the principles of the precepts, especially "the simple description." Minchat Chinuch is a commentary of the Sefer Hachinuch, a masterpiece of incisive Talmudic logic. Students will be introduced to both books.
Parashat HaShavua
Learning the weekly Torah reading will be done through chevruta study, and/or presentation in class. You will be able to go through most of the Torah, in its cycle.
D'var Torah Workshop
Practical workshops in small groups to improve skills in giving a Dvar Torah, focusing on both style and content.
Talmudic Passages:
Rabbinic, Mystical and Hassidic Perspectives
This course will follow the tradition of R. Isaac Luria (HaAri) and R. Moshe Haim Luzzatto, who taught passages from the Bible and Talmud on seven levels, through the stages of the "Pardes". In our Pardes, we may uncover only two or three levels through Rambam, Kabbalah, and Hassidut. In some cases, we will start with later Hassidic and anti-Hassidic texts, trace their origins, and examine their applications.
Women's role vis-a-vis observance and Jewish society will be explored through the study of classical and contemporary legal texts. After examining the broad issue of women's obligation for/exemption from mitzvot, the course will cover the issues of Torah study, Shabbat/festival rituals, and prayer in the synagogue. Questions of custom vs. law, societal/historical influences, and future development will be addressed. The course will focus on textual analysis and interpretation with a once a month additional hour set aside for a more open discussion of issues.
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.
A workshop in the mechanics of Torah reading which, at the same time, highlights the spiritual dimension of Torah reading.
Night Seder provides a unique opportunity for students to use the resources of the Beit Midrash at their own pace, outside the regular hours, in a relaxed atmosphere. Students can take advantage of this once-a-week opportunity to investigate a particular area of interest or to review material studied during the regular programme. A Pardes staff member will be on hand to provide guidance and to answer questions.