Education at Temple Emanuel

Pirke Avot, The Chapters of Our Ancestors, is a section of the Mishnah (the first part of the Talmud) which offers ethical insights from the key teachers and rabbinic authorities between 200 BCE and 100 CE. These powerful aphorisms transcend time in offering to us a moral compass for our present day experiences. Throughout the New Year ahead, six congregations will serve as host sites for three week sessions of each of the six Avot chapters. The sessions will be facilitated by Rabbi Hesch Sommer, Director of Jewish Family Service’s Wellness and Healing Center. The first session of each three… more

This year’s lay-led Adult Education class will be based on a module from the URJ’s Adult Jewish Living and Learning Journeys project, Living Ethics: An Investigation of Reform Halachah through Case Studies.  Traditionally, halachah seeks to provide guidelines for the community and for the individual with regard to virtually every aspect of life, including ritual practice and personal behavior. For Reform Jews whose primary understanding of the movement’s philosophy is informed choice and the autonomy of the individual, the idea of a central body of Jewish law can seem irrelevant.  In this class we will examine and discuss Reform Judaism’s role within the context of… more

Learning opportunities aren’t just for kids at TE! There is a warm, welcoming learning community for adults too.  Multiple educational opportunities with the Rabbi are available for adults including weekly Torah study on Shabbat mornings, Basic Judaism class on Sundays, and continued Jewish education class on Thursdays.  There are numerous special lectures and learning sessions which occur throughout the year, including an annual interfaith scholar-in-residence program with our neighboring houses of worship. Individual opportunities exist for adult b’nai mitzvah, for learning Hebrew and Torah trope. more