Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ new Center for Jewish Learning is excited to offer several winter courses beginning this January.

• Browsing the Bible: Biblical Books We Don’t Often Study with Rabbi Lane Steinger, Tuesday mornings 10:30-11:30 am, 6 sessions beginning January 26; Tuition is $60. Class #1511 Unit 2. JFedSTL.org/Adult-Education-Classes. Mining the Minor Prophets? Over the course of 3 units of study we will explore each of the “minor” prophets; minor only in words not message. Part One: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah; Part Two: Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk; Part Three: Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. This course will be held at Jewish Federation of St. Louis Kopolow Building.
• Mysticism and Kabbalah: Secret Knowledge in Judaism with Rabbi Dr. Neal Rose, Monday evenings, 7:00-8:30 pm at the Brodsky library beginning Monday, January 25; Tuition is $250 plus book fee. www.events.org/MeltonStLouis. This special Melton Scholars Course presents the rich history of Jewish Mysticism, along with understandings of many of the texts that have been so central to that tradition, speaking to the deepest mysteries of human existence and to many of life’s eternal universal questions. Taught by master teacher, participants will have the opportunity to learn with a faculty member that has been engaged with the traditions of mysticism and kabbalah throughout his life time, allowing for a learning experience that will draw upon years rich with experience.
• Tu b’Shevat Sameach with Cyndee Levy, Monday evening 7:00-9:00 pm on January 25; Tuition is $20. JFedSTL.org/Adult-Education-Classes. Join us for a wonderful evening in celebration of trees and the beauty and bounty of the earth as we ponder the sheer wonder of creation. This program will bring together wonderful vegetarian recipes, new tastes and tips, and the opportunity to share a fantastic meal together in honor of Tu B’Shevat.  This Jewish Federation of St. Louis course will be hosted at Traditional Congregation, 12437 Ladue Road, in the kosher dairy kitchen.
• Jews in America: Insiders and Outsiders with Bob Taxman, Wednesday evenings 7-8:30 pm, 10 sessions beginning on February 3; Tuition is $250 plus book fee. Register at www.events.org/MeltonStLouis. This course provides students with the opportunities to consider the challenges of Jewish acculturation to American life, and the sacrifices as well as the contributions that have been made over the past 200 years. Lessons will explore education, the Three Generations Hypothesis, Antisemitism and the Holocaust, Zionism and the State of Israel, the Civil Rights Movement, and other issues that address American and Jewish culture and identity. This course will be held at Jewish Federation of St. Louis Kopolow Building.
• The History of Anti-Semitism with Rabbi Seth Gordon, Wednesday evenings 7:15-8:30 pm, 8 sessions beginning February 3; tuition is $100. JFedSTL.org/Adult-Education-Classes. Sometimes called “the longest hatred,” antisemitism has persisted in many forms for over two thousand years; based on stereotypes and myths that target Jews as a people, their religious practices and beliefs, and the Jewish State of Israel. Historically, what began as a conflict over religious beliefs evolved into a systematic policy of political, economic, and social isolation; exclusion, degradation and attempted annihilation.  Explore this topic through a variety of source material and engaging conversation.  This course will be held at Jewish Federation of St. Louis Kopolow Building.

For additional information and/or questions on any of the courses listed above, contact Cyndee Levy, Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at CLevy@JFedSTL.org, 314-442-3754.

Additionally, University of Missouri- St. Louis (UMSL) will be offering two courses this coming Spring-Winter 2016 semester that will be of interest to the Jewish community.

• Conversational Hebrew: In this class, students will practice spoken Hebrew in its cultural context. While we will focus on everyday spoken Hebrew, we will also strengthen reading and listening comprehension by studying authentic Hebrew texts. The class is open to all proficiency levels and provides a comfortable environment that fosters language learning.
• The Abrahamic Tradition in the Medieval Islamic World: A Jewish Perspective: The course contextualizes the role of Jewish thinkers in the formation of and response to the intellectual world of medieval Islam and its rich exchange of philosophical and scientific ideas among Muslims, Christians and Jews. Figures to be explored include Saadia Gaon, Ibn Gabirol, Maimonides, Abu l-Barakat al-Baghdadi and Ibn Kammuna (as well forays into the medieval Latin world with thinkers such Gersonides and Crescas). This course will be held at Jewish Federation of St. Louis Kopolow Building.

The courses can be taken for credit through the University or taken for non-credit. Classes begin January 19/20 and end May 10/11. Register at https://pcscatalog.umsl.edu/ under Arts & Sciences.