Text and Thought
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A Bride for One Night: Talmud Tales #1802
Day & Time: Mon 7-8:30 pm, from 3/18-5/6 (no class on 3/25, 4/1, 4/22)
Tuition: $75
Location: B’nai Amoona, 324 S. Mason Road, St. Louis, MO 63141
Instructor(s): Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes: 5
Class Dates: 3/18, (no class 3/25 and 4/1), 4/8, 4/15, (no class 4/22), 4/29, 5/6
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Ruth Calderon’s book, A Bride for One Night, will serve as the text for this course. Each class will begin with study and an in-depth analysis of the lively Talmudic text that serves as the inspiration for the original short stories in Calderon’s book, which will be followed by a reading and analysis of the accompanying short story. This new unit will stand on its own; new students welcome.
Instructor Bio(s): Cyndee Levy is the Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library. She is a certified facilitator of Mussar. Her students enjoy the breadth of her Jewish knowledge, her personable style and extraordinary culinary skills
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Entering Pardes: Reading Yochi Brandes' The Orchard With Rabbinic Sources #1803
Day & Time: Mon 7-8:20 pm, starting 1/7/19
Tuition: $90
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Tracy Nathan
Number of Classes: 7
Class Dates: 1/7, 1/14, (no class on 1/21), 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, (no class on 2/18), 2/25, 3/4, 3/11 (make-up day if necessary)
Book Fee: None
Course Description: We will read bestselling Israeli novelist Yochi Brandes’s masterful work, The Orchard, which brings together Biblical texts, Talmudic stories, and historical events that take us back to the pivotal moment that gave birth to Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity. As we study the text sources from which Brandes weaves her novel, we will immerse ourselves in the lives of sages like Rabbis Akiva, Joshua, and Elisha ben Abuya, as well as hear the strong voices of women like Rachel and Imma Shalom.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Tracy Nathan is Senior Educator at the Center for Jewish Learning of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis and Director of Melton St. Louis. She has taught in Jewish Day Schools in Boston and St. Louis, as well as Tufts University and the University of Pennsylvania. She has served congregations in San Francisco and Waltham, Mass., and has graduate degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary and the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied anthropology as well as folklore and folklife.
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Searching for Meaning in the Great Stories of Our Tradition: Lunch and Learn #1807
Day & Time: 3rd Tue of the month, noon-1:30 pm
Tuition: $120 for all classes or $15 per class
Location: Home of Cyndee Levy, 132 Petite Royale Ct., Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Instructor(s): Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes: 8
Class Dates: 10/16, 12/18, 1/15, 2/19, 3/19, 5/21, 6/18, 7/16
Book Fee: None
Course Description: These text-based discussions will focus on uncovering the hidden wisdom in selected stories from our tradition. A light kosher dairy lunch will be served at each session (reservations required).
Instructor Bio(s): Cyndee Levy is the Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library. She is a certified facilitator of Mussar. Her students enjoy the breadth of her Jewish knowledge, her personable style and extraordinary culinary skills.
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Contemporary Jewish Writers #1810
Day & Time: Wed 11:30 am-1 pm, Unit 3: 1/9-2/13; Unit 4: 2/27-4/10; Unit 5: 5/1-5/29
Tuition:
Unit 3: $90
Unit 4: $105
Unit 5: $75
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Marcia Moskowitz
Number of Classes:
Unit 3: 6
Unit 4: 7
Unit 5: 5
Class Dates:
Unit 3: 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13
Unit 4: 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, 4/3, 4/10
Unit 5: 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22, 5/29
Book Fee: None
Course Description:
This reading and discussion-based course explores contemporary Jewish writers' perspectives on the characters and themes of modern society. Among the works will be novels by American writers Philip Roth, E.L. Doctorow, and Israeli writer Aharon Appelfeld. Please note: Each unit will stand on its own, so you may sign up for any or all.
Instructor Bio(s): Marcia Moskowitz spent 25 years teaching Advanced Placement English at Parkway West High School. Since retiring, she has led numerous classes on Jewish literature at Congregation Shaare Emeth and the Center for Jewish Learning.
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Judaism through Midrash #1813
Day & Time: Thu 11:30 am-12:30 pm, starting 10/25
Tuition: $80
Location: Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Rd., Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Instructor(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 8 sessions
Unit 2: 8 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11/15, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20
Unit 2: 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Drawing from The Book of Legends, we will explore the spaces between the letters through Midrash (rabbinic interpretive literature), from the creation of the world to the prophets and beyond. Please note: Each unit will stand on its own, so you may sign up for any or all.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh serves as rabbi at Temple Emanuel. In addition to the Center for Jewish Learning class that she teaches and hosts on Thursdays at Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Hersh is also one of our Melton faculty.
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A Palace of Pearls: The Stories of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav #1814
Day & Time: Thu 7-8:30 pm, from 2/21-3/21
Tuition: $75
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Howard Schwartz
Number of Classes: 5
Class Dates: Unit 2: 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21
Book Fee: If you don’t have a copy of A Palace of Pearls, it will be available for purchase for $35.
Course Description: Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810) is widely recognized as the greatest Jewish storyteller of all time. We will read and discuss his stories from the newly published A Palace of Pearls, edited by Dr. Howard Schwartz. The course will explore hidden meanings in the stories and the Kabbalistic principles that Rabbi Nachman drew upon, so this course will also serve as an introduction to Kabbalah. Along the way, we will learn about Rabbi Nachman’s life story and his role as the Rebbe of the Bratslav Hassidim.
Instructor Bio(s): Dr. Howard Schwartz is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an internationally celebrated and award-winning writer and poet. He won the National Jewish Book Award three times and was also a winner of the Koret Jewish Book Award. He has written and edited dozens of works in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
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Philosophy Roundtable on Philo: The Confluence of Scientific Method vs. Faith and Hope #1832
Day & Time: Tue 7-8:30 pm, from 2/19-3/12
Tuition: $60
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Cantor-Rabbi Ronald Eichaker
Number of Classes: 4
Class Dates: 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Philo was a philosopher from Alexandria, Egypt, who lived from approximately 20 BCE to 40 CE. He sought to harmonize the Hebrew Torah with Greek philosophy and influenced early Christian thought. This round-table discussion will start with a general background on Philo’s life, and we will study and discuss one or more of his philosophical treatises. Class size limited to 18.
Instructor Bio(s): Cantor-Rabbi Ronald Eichaker has served as Cantor of United Hebrew since 1999. He majored in music education and vocal performance at Northern Illinois University on a full athletic scholarship in track and field. He received the Diploma of Hazzan from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1982, and rabbinic ordination from the Rabbinical Academy of American in 2018. He has competed on an international level in the javelin throw and is a registered throwing coach/consultant for USA track and field. His travels and experience as an athlete influenced his attraction to world music and folk cultures, and he is also a highly skilled guitarist and percussionist.
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Mussar Study and Practice #1833
Day & Time: Tue 7-8:30 pm, Unit 1 from 2/19-3/26; Unit 2 from 5/7-6/18 (no class 5/28)
Tuition: $75
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 6 classes
Unit 2: 6 classes
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26
Unit 2: 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 6/4, 6/11, 6/18
Book Fee: None
Course Description:
The course is designed as an introduction to the study and practice of Mussar, an ethical philosophy and spiritual practice, which may serve as a guide for facing the challenges of daily life. We will explore the following Middot (character traits):
Unit 1: patience, forgiveness, simplicity
Unit 2: lovingkindness, strength, and faith
All materials will be provided through The Mussar Institute.
Instructor Bio(s): Cyndee Levy is the Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at Jewish Federation of St. Louis and the Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library. She is a certified facilitator of Mussar. Her students enjoy the breadth of her Jewish knowledge, her personable style and extraordinary culinary skills.
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Builders Beit Midrash: Talmud and Liberation #1834
Day & Time: Tue 7-9 pm, from 3/12-4/16, (3/5 is an introduction for anyone new to Builders Beit Midrash)
Tuition: $90
Location: MaTovu, 4200 Blaine Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
Instructor(s): Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael
Number of Classes: 6
Class Dates: 3/5 (for new students), 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16
Book Fee: None
Course Description: The Beit Midrash (House of Study) has been the home for creative, radical, liberating thought in the Jewish world for centuries. The Builders Beit Midrash introduces learners to the ongoing conversation about liberation in the Jewish tradition and invites them to be a part of that conversation. We will read texts through a lens that is feminist, queer-oriented, and focused on the importance of hearing voices that have too often been marginalized. This is a multi-level course: All texts will be studied in the original Hebrew/Aramaic, with the tools and support needed to ensure that anyone who can sound out the aleph-bet will be able to read and interpret the text for themselves. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning and MaTovu.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael serves as the Coordinator of Community Chaplaincy with the Jewish Family & Children's Service, where provides personalized support and connection for individuals throughout the St. Louis Jewish community. He educates and advocates on issues of justice, access, and welcome for the full spectrum of human diversity. He is particularly passionate about work for racial justice, disability justice, and LGBTQ justice. He holds a master’s degree in Talmud and Rabbinic literature and Rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
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The Book of Isaiah: Its Impact and Influence on Jewish Tradition #1835
Day & Time: Tue 11 am-noon, from 5/7-5/28
Tuition: $40
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Lane Steinger
Number of Classes: 4
Class Dates: 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28
Book Fee: None
Course Description: The poetry and power of the words of the prophet Isaiah continue to challenge and resonate in our day. We will explore and examine texts of Isaiah as they appear in Jewish liturgy and other aspects of Judaism.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Lane Steinger is Emeritus Rabbi of Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Community. A native of St. Louis, he formerly served as Regional Director of the Midwest Council, Union for Reform Judaism, and as a congregational rabbi in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
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Jewish Sexual Ethics: Unexpected Texts #1836
Day & Time: Wed 7-8:30 pm, from 2/20-3/6
Tuition: $30
Location: Kol Rinah, 829 N. Hanley Road, 63130
Instructor(s): Dr. Rebecca J. Epstein-Levi
Number of Classes: 3
Class Dates: 2/20, 2/27, 3/6
Book Fee: None
Course Description: In this course, we will examine some of the more frequently deployed Jewish texts on sexuality and see what they have to offer and where their limits lie. Then, we will explore other textual possibilities. What might we learn about sexual health from texts that deal with day-to-day ritual impurity? What might classic tales of rabbinic argumentation tell us about BDSM, risk, and community? And what might a story about a powerful rabbi exempting himself from his own rulings have to say about #MeToo. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning and Kol Rinah.
Instructor Bio(s): Dr. Rebecca J. Epstein is the Friedman Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and her dissertation used rabbinic ritual purity discourse toward a Jewish ethic of sex and public health. She is a practical ethicist who examines questions of sexual, biomedical, and environmental ethics through a Jewish lens.
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Rabbis and Kitchen Magicians: Ancient Jewish "Superstition" in Context #1841
Day & Time: Mon noon-1:30 pm on 3/4
Tuition: Free; $10 for optional kosher vegetarian lunch (registration required)
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. James Redfield
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 3/4
Book Fee: None
Course Description: The rabbis of second to fourth century Roman Palestine are not known for their tolerance toward non-Jewish beliefs and practices. However, they were also curious about these matters – at the very least in order to prohibit them, but sometimes for other reasons as well. This talk will explore one area of their curiosity, in their laws of "superstition" or what they called "ways of the Amorite." We will explore how the rabbis' debates around these laws reflect a more nuanced interaction with their cultural environment – not only with their non-Jewish elite peers but also with popular Jewish practices.
Instructor Bio(s): James Redfield is Assistant Professor of Biblical and Talmudic Literatures in the Department of Theological Studies at Saint Louis University. His Ph.D. in Religious Studies is from Stanford University, and he received an M.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. James has a passion for translation and has published several shorter works from Yiddish, German, and French. He is currently completing a book-length translation of the Yiddish writings of Mikhah Yosef Berdichevsky entitled Letters from a Distant Relation.
The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning
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Vayikra (Leviticus) - A Call to Holiness #1837
Day & Time: Thu 7-8:30 pm, from 1/31- 4/18 (no class 3/21 and 3/28)
Tuition: $250 paid directly to Melton
Location: Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Road, Creve Coeur, 63141
Instructor(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh
Number of Classes: 10
Class Dates: 1/31, 2/7, 2/14,2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14 (no class 3/21 and 3/28), 4/4, 4/11, 4/18
Book Fee: See Melton site for choices
Course Description: In this study of Vayikra/Leviticus, we will examine themes that include the role of ritual, responding to tragedy, confronting birth and parenthood; seeking forgiveness; balancing the place of the individual and the community, bringing sanctity into one’s daily life, and more. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning and Temple Emanuel.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh serves as rabbi at Temple Emanuel. In addition to the Center for Jewish Learning class that she teaches and hosts on Thursdays at Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Hersh is also one of our Melton faculty.
History, Politics, and Current Events
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Foundations of Genealogy Workshops #1817
Day & Time: Sun 2-4 pm on 1/6/19 and Sun 11 am-1 pm on 1/27/19
Tuition: Free
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Ilene Kanfer Murray
Number of Classes:
Workshop 1: 1 session
Workshop 2: 1 session
Class Dates:
Workshop 1: 1/6
Workshop 2: 1/27
Book Fee: None
Course Description:
Workshop 1
Whether you are just beginning or you have been working on your family history for years, sometimes you just need to rethink your strategies. We will look at ways to get organized and review basic rules of genealogy, including citing sources and more.
Workshop 2
Most genealogists begin with census research, but then what? We will look more closely at how to analyze those census records, how to get the most from vital records, repositories, and Internet sites that can help you find what you need to do better research. This class follows the first session, and you are encouraged to sign up for both.
Instructor Bio(s): Ilene Kanfer Murray is publications director for the St. Louis Genealogical Society. She co-leads the society’s annual research trip to Salt Lake City and is co-leader of the Jewish Special Interest Group.
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Screening of St. Louis Stories: The Jewish Americans #1818
Day & Time: Sun 1-3 pm on 2/3
Tuition: Free
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Diane Everman
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 2/3
Book Fee: None
Course Description: St. Louis Stories: The Jewish Americans is a one-hour documentary exploring the rich 200-year history of Jewish people in St. Louis. Tracing the history of the St. Louis Jewish community from the arrival of the first settlers to the present day, the film includes archival material, interviews and current-day footage. Diane Everman will facilitate a discussion after the film, which was originally broadcast on KETC9.
Instructor Bio(s): Dr. Diane Everman is Archivist of the St. Louis Jewish Community Archives.
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Jewish Current Events #1822
Day & Time: 1st and 3rd Thu of the month, 9-10 am
Tuition: $170
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Robert Cohn
Number of Classes: 17
Class Dates: 10/4, 10/18, 11/1, 11/15, 12/6, 12/20, 1/3, 1/17, 2/7, 2/21, 3/7, 3/21, 4/4, (no class on 4/18), 5/2, 5/16, 6/6, 6/20
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Explore the news and events of the day through a Jewish lens and enjoy a spirited discussion.
Instructor Bio(s): Robert Cohn, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the St. Louis Jewish Light and leader of the National Jewish Press, is a highly respected writer and commentator on a wide span of Jewish topics.
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Galia and Milton Movitz, Senator John Danforth Israel Scholars Program for Adults #1831
Day & Time: Section 1: Wed 7-8:30 pm, from 1/30-5/8 (no classes 3/20, 4/17, 4/24); Section 2: Thu 11:30 am-1 pm, from 2/14-5/23 (no class on 3/21)
Tuition: Free; Register directly with Rabbi Rovinsky at 314-498-6279 or rabbimike@jsustl.org.
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Michael Rovinsky
Number of Classes: 12
Class Dates:
Section 1: 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, (no class 3/20), 3/27, 4/3, 4/10, (no class 4/17 or 4/24), 5/1, 5/8
Section 2: 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, (no class 3/21), 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, (no class 4/18 or 4/25), 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Participants will be introduced to the history of Israel, beginning with the ancient and medieval eras through the development of modern political Zionism in 19th century Europe until the establishment of the state of Israel. We will study the impact of immigration in determining the characteristics of the society and the emergence of ethnicity and religiosity and its influence on the socio-cultural, economic, and political center-periphery structure of the society. The second part of the course will cover the relationship of the State of Israel to the Arab world, including the many attempts for peace, both successful and unsuccessful, and we will seek to understand both the Israeli and Palestinian narratives of Israel’s history. The last part of the course will cover the historical relationship between Israel and the United States, the contributions of Israel to the world in the arena of medical and technological advancements, the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), and the rise in antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment on the university campus and around the world.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Michael Rovinsky, is the Director of the Jewish Student Union (JSU). He is a Certified Mohel and consultant to mohels and doctors around the country. He has a B.A. in Education from Adelphi University, MBA from John Hopkins University, Rabbinic Ordinations from Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Kol Yaakov Torah Center.
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Boycotts and the Jews #1838
Day & Time: Wed 7-8:30 pm, from 3/27-4/10
Tuition: $30
Location: MaTovu, 4200 Blaine Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110
Instructor(s): Russel Neiss
Number of Classes: 3
Class Dates: 3/27, 4/3, 4/10
Book Fee: None
Course Description:
Boycotts were a potent and effective political weapon for the Jewish community in the 20th century. This course will examine primary sources and contemporary news accounts of three of the most notable boycotts of this era: the 1902 Kosher Meat Boycott, the anti-Nazi global Jewish boycott of the 1930s, and the 1975 American-Jewish boycott of Mexico.
Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning and MaTovu.
Instructor Bio(s): Russel Neiss is a Jewish educator, technologist, and activist who builds critically acclaimed educational apps and experiences used by thousands of people each day. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, CNN, Teen Vogue, Jewish Telegraph Agency, and other media outlets. Russel is a Software Engineer at Sefaria.
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Ableism and Antisemitism from Nazi Germany to Contemporary America #1842
Day & Time: Tue 7-8:30 pm on 4/2
Tuition: Free
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Harold Braswell and Dr. Warren Rosenblum
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 4/2
Book Fee: None
Course Description: The Nazi dream of a "master race" excluded both Jews and persons with disabilities. This was no coincidence. Nationalist movements frequently build a sense of unity and solidarity among their followers by demonizing the other. The Nazis were not the first nationalist movement to create a powerful ideological brew by mixing antisemitism and ableism; nor were they the last. Our presenters will explore the intersections between anti-Jewish feeling and discrimination against the disabled in the Nazi area and in more recent times. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning, Brodsky Library, and the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center.
Instructor Bio(s):
Harold Braswell is an Assistant Professor of health care ethics at Saint Louis University. His work focuses on the intersection of bioethics and disability studies, with a specialization on disability at the end of life. His first book The Dying Family: US Hospice Care and the Crisis of Freedom at the End of Life will be published in fall 2019 by Johns Hopkins University Press.
Warren Rosenblum is Professor of History and Chair of the History, Politics, and International Relations Department at Webster University in St. Louis. He is the author of Beyond the Prison Gates: Punishment and Welfare in Germany, 1850-1933, which won the Baker-Burton Prize of the Southern Historical Association. He is currently finishing a book about an antisemitic justice scandal in the Weimar Republic, and working on a major study of the treatment of the “feeble-minded” in modern Europe. Rosenblum serves on the Executive Committee of the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center in St. Louis.
Arts and Culture
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Focus on Film Through a Jewish Lens #1824
Day & Time: Last Tue of the month, 3:30-4:30 pm, starting 10/30
Tuition: $80
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Robert Cohn
Number of Classes: 8
Class Dates: 10/30, 11/27, 1/29, 2/26, 3/26, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25
Book Fee: None
Course Description: This course is designed for those that love film and want to engage in lively facilitated discussion.
Instructor Bio(s): Robert Cohn, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the St. Louis Jewish Light and leader of the National Jewish Press, is a highly respected writer and commentator on a wide span of Jewish topics.
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Seeing Ourselves out of Egypt: An Art and Text Workshop #1839
Day & Time: Sun 10 am - 1 pm on 3/31
Tuition: $30 plus $8 materials
Location: Gal Amir’s Studio in Creve Coeur (address provided after registration)
Instructor(s): Gal Amir and Rabbi Tracy Nathan
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 3/31
Book Fee: None
Course Description: In this hands-on workshop, we will study texts from the Passover Haggadah to inspire a piece of artwork that can be used at your seder table. Artist and educator Gal Amir will lead a workshop that utilizes a technique in which a photograph will be placed on fabric and “illuminated” with embroidery. Class size limited to 15.
Instructor Bio(s): Gal Amir is an Israeli mixed-media artist and lecturer in art and design. She served as the Head of the New Media Design department and as a Lecturer in graphic design and art history at Ruppin Technology Center and also worked as a stage designer and graphic designer in Israel before moving to St. Louis. She teaches art workshops at her local studio.
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Jewish Difference and the Arts in Vienna: Composing Compassion in Music and Biblical Theater #1843
Day & Time: Tue 7-8:30 pm on 4/30
Tuition: Free
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Caroline Kita
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 4/30
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Professor Caroline Kita will present on her book, Jewish Difference and the Arts in Vienna: Composing Compassion in Music and Biblical Theater (Indiana University Press, 2019), which examines discourses of inclusion and otherness in musical and dramatic works by Jewish artists in Vienna around 1900. Co-sponsored by the Center for Jewish Learning, Brodsky Library, the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center, and the St. Louis Jewish Book Festival.
Instructor Bio(s): Caroline Kita is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her Ph.D. from Duke University and her research interests include German and Austrian literature and culture in the 19th and 20th centuries, German-Jewish Studies, music and musical aesthetics, theater and performance, and sound studies.
Hebrew Language
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Intermediate Biblical Hebrew #1827
Day & Time: Mon 10-11:30 am, Unit 3: 2/11-3/25; Unit 4: 4/1-5/20
Tuition:
Unit 3: $90
Unit 4: $105
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker
Number of Classes:
Unit 3: 6
Unit 4: 7
Class Dates:
Unit 3: 2/11, (no class 2/18), 2/25, 3 /4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25
Unit 4: 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, (no class 4/22), 4/29, 5/6, 5/13, 5/20
Book Fee: Book to purchase TBD.
Course Description: Students will continue to acquire vocabulary, increase proficiency with Hebrew roots and grammar using selections from the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible).
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker joined the St. Louis community in 2016, after graduating from the Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf and Hearing in Skokie, Illinois, and completing a post-ordination year of learning at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
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Conversational Hebrew #1828
Day & Time: Mon 7-8:30 pm, from 2/25-5/6 (no classes on 3/11, 3/18, 4/22)
Tuition: $120
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Ariel Kielmanowicz
Number of Classes: 8
Class Dates: Unit 2: 2/25, 3 /4, (no class 3/11 and 3/18), 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15, (no class 4/22), 4/29, 5/6
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Students will acquire the necessary vocabulary and grammar for basic conversation and reading of Modern Hebrew. Students will read, listen to stories, songs, and dialogues, and participate in guided class discussions. Students must be able to read and pronounce Hebrew letters and words.
Instructor Bio(s): Ariel Kielmanowicz was born in Israel and grew up on a kibbutz. He has a master’s degree in the social sciences and specialized in organizational behavior. Before his recent family move to St. Louis, he worked for the Office of the Prime Minister in Israel. He speaks Hebrew, English, Arabic and Spanish.
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Beginning Hebrew-Aleph-Bet and Beyond #1840
Day & Time: Thu 11:45 am-1 pm, from 2/21-4/11
Tuition: $100
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker
Number of Classes: 8
Class Dates: 2/21, 2/28, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 4/11
Book Fee: None, but please purchase The First Hebrew Primer, Third Edition. Simon, Resnikoff, Motzkin. EKS Publishing, 2005.
Course Description: Learn to read Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) in the original! We will begin with learning the aleph-bet for those who are new to Hebrew or would like to brush up. Class size limited to 10.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker joined the St. Louis community in 2016, after graduating from the Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf and Hearing in Skokie, Illinois, and completing a post-ordination year of learning at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
