MNS Winter 5775 – Hour 1 Course Offerings
Rad(ical)
Art Beit Midrash (Suzie Jacobson)
Radical =
1. relating
to or affecting the fundamental nature of something• characterized by departure
from tradition; innovative or progressive:
2.
advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social reform
3. of or
relating to the root of something
4. An
exclamation! e.g., "You are going to be in Suzie’s class? Radical!"
Let’s hang
out and make radical art about the Torah (see above definitions of radical). We
will be using different visual modalities (Suzie is open to suggestions). Be
prepared to make a mess, have fun and study Torah together. Talent is optional, Passion is everything.
Is
Life Meaningless? Ecclesiastes and Existentialism (Matthew Lowe)
Learn about
Kohelet, a biblical book sharing the wisdom of a very old and crotchety
"King Solomon." We will read this book and explore some
philosophical/emotional themes, including: life, death, time, happiness,
anxiety, purpose, absurdity, and wisdom.
Prayer
and Song: Leading Shabbat Services (Cantor Einhorn)
Standing,
sitting, bowing, bouncing on your toes, singing, singing, singing, and a whole
lot of Hebrew - ever wonder what Shabbat services are really all about? Would
you like to learn or build your own service-leading skills? This course will
help you to understand the flow and meaning of the liturgy in our Qabbalat
Shabbat service. We will learn current musical settings that are used in
services. One goal is for those students who feel ready to participate in
leading Qabbalat Shabbat services with Cantor Einhorn!
Jewish
Gender Justice (Monica Gomery)
What is
gender? What is gender justice? What is Jewish about this? This class will explore contemporary issues
of gender justice, while drawing on Jewish ethics and ideas of diversity to
guide us. Topics might include: reproductive rights, women's health, gender
roles, equal pay for equal work, LGBTQ issues, transgender and transphobia,
domestic violence, healthy relationships, becoming strong allies, feminism, and
international solidarity. The class will be largely driven by the interests of
the students in the class around the topic of gender justice. It will be an
exciting place to grow together, get to know ourselves in new ways, and learn to
support gender justice in our schools, communities, and at our synagogue.
Torah
Yoga (Hayley Goldstein)
Through yoga
and text study, we will experience Torah in an embodied way. Some questions
we'll look at through text and movement: How might it have felt to cross the
Sea of Reeds? What was going on in the Israelite's bodies when they received
the Torah? We will look deeply at these questions while also advancing our yoga
practice.
Jewish
Thought and Practice: 10th Grade/Confirmation Class (Rabbi Morrison and Rabbi
Soffer)
In this
continuation of your Confirmation studies, you will focus on the third pillar
of covenant in Jewish tradition: God.
With your rabbis, you will learn about the variety of ways in which some
of the most important Jewish thinkers in modernity have conceived of God. This array of Jewish ideas will help you to
consider your own thoughts about God and to describe your own relationship with
divinity.
MNS Winter 5775 – Hour 2 Course Offerings
WHO to
Be or Not to Be: How the Holocaust Changed Everything (Suzie Jacobson)
This is not
your usual Holocaust class. This
semester we will learn about the life stories of people who discovered,
concealed, embraced, or rejected their Jewishness as a result of Nazi
persecution. Theirs are atypical stories, the stories of people whose physical
and spiritual survival came to depend on the ability to change or adapt their
identity. As a bonus, you will have the opportunity to participate in a cabaret
about the women of Ravensbruck, the only all female concentration camp. The
cabaret will be performed at TI in March as part of the Boston Jewish Music
Festival. And of course, there will be plenty of time to talk about your
identity (Jewish or otherwise) and how your identity has been shaped by the
events of your life.
Are
You a Self or an Other? An Introduction to Jewish Philosophy Through Identity
and Ethics (Matthew Lowe)
Who (or
What) am I? How should we treat each other? Who (or What) is God? We will read
short texts, including the Book of Jonah, Hillel's Golden Rule, and Martin
Buber's "I and Thou" as springboards for discussion about these big
questions in life. We will ask and answer these questions, with some
inspiration from biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern Jewish thinkers.
Power,
Privilege, and Jews, Oh My! (Emilia Diamant)
The path of
the Jews in America has been twisty and turny. We've gone through eras of being
treated as the other, to rising through the ranks and achieving acceptance from
the larger community. What role do we have, as American Jews, in identifying
systems of power that keep others oppressed, and prevents them from reaching
the level of power and prestige that Jews have in America today? Spend some
time learning about our history, but mostly focusing on the present and future.
Ancient
Influences on Jewish Religion (Joshua Berkowitz)
Did you ever
wonder where the Seder came from, or if anyone else has ever worn fringes on
their garments? Want to know the origin of angels or of the six day work week?
Explore how ancient civilizations and religions like the Canaanites, Greeks,
Zoroastrians and Egyptians have influenced Jewish thought and religion. Examine
the evolution and anthropology of Judaism!
Clowning
Around with Midrash (Hayley Goldstein)
Moving
through the weekly parashah (Torah portion), we'll be exploring midrash through
improv, theater, and clown! Each week we'll learn the basic outline of the
story for that week, read a commentary, and experience the story as if we were
there. Throughout the year you will turn into Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Aaron, and
many more!
The
RYFTI Board Meeting (RYFTI Board, with Advisor Roberta Bergstein)
As a member
of the RYFTI board, you'll be meeting with your peers and advisors during this
time to plan RYFTI events for the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment