Text and Thought
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Jeremiah: Prophet Of Pain, Herald Of Hope #1901
Day & Time: Tuesday, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, from 10/29 - 11/19
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: 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19
Book Fee: None
Course Description: This course will be a survey of one of the most influential figures in the Bible. The prophet Jeremiah lived at a crucial time, and the influence of his thinking and message profoundly impacted the course 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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Wrestling With Angels #1902
Day & Time: Thursday, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, unit start dates: 9/26 and 2/6
Tuition:
Unit 1: $100
Unit 2: $70
Location: Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Rd, St. Louis, MO 63141
Instructor(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 10 sessions
Unit 2: 7 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 9/26, 10/3, (no class 10/10), 10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, (no class 11/28), 12/5, 12/12
Unit 2: 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/5, 3/12, (no class 3/19 and 3/26), 4/2
Book Fee: Students should purchase Wrestling with Angels: What Genesis Teaches Us About our Spiritual Identity, Sexuality, and Personal Relationships, by Naomi H. Rosenblatt and Joshua Horwitz.
Course Description: This course will use the book, Wrestling with Angels: What Genesis Teaches Us about our Spiritual Identity, Sexuality, and Personal Relationships, by Naomi H. Rosenblatt and Joshua Horwitz, to discuss how the Book of Genesis may speak to us today about the demands and challenges of adulthood, the nature of leadership, the challenges of faith, the joys of sexuality, the role of values in building our character, the empowerment of a spiritual identity, and more.
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 at Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Hersh is also one of our Melton faculty.
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Reading the New Testament Through a Jewish Lens #1903
Day & Time: Tuesday, 7 - 8:30 pm, from 11/5-12/17 (no class 11/26)
Tuition: $90
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Mark Shook
Number of Classes: 6
Class Dates: 11/ 5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 11/26), 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Book Fee: If possible, please purchase The Jewish Annotated New Testament, edited by Amy Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler. Oxford University Press, 2011, New York, NY.
Course Description: This course will explore the foundational text of Christianity within a Jewish historical and literary context. Students will be introduced to the structure of the New Testament and its connections to the apocalyptic literature of Late Second Temple Judaism and the literature of post-Second Temple Rabbinic Judaism. A major focus of the course will be an examination of the points of departure between Rabbinic Judaism and early Christian theology.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Mark Shook is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Temple Israel. For 24 years, he taught philosophy at St. Louis University. His first historical novel, The Ezra Scroll, was published in 2014. He serves as the Chaplain Coordinator of the St. Louis County Police, Chaplain of the St. Louis Division, FBI, and Chaplain of the Creve Coeur Police Department.
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Fearless Women of the Bible #1904
Day & Time: Monday, Noon - 1 pm, from 11/18 - 1/13
Tuition: $10 per class or $30 for the series
Location: Mirowitz Center, Covenant Place, 8 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes: 3
Class Dates: 11/18, 12/16, 1/13
Book Fee: None
Course Description: In each class, we will explore strong women of the Bible who face difficult situations. Some women appear briefly or lack even a name, but their actions are powerful and inspiring for us today. Feel free to arrive early to purchase a lunch at the on-site HJ’s cafe.
Instructor Bio(s): Cyndee Levy is the Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at the 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: Imagining a Jewish Future #1905
Day & Time: Tuesday, 7 - 9 pm, from 10/29 - 12/17
Tuition: $100
Location: MaTovu, 4200 Blaine Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Instructor(s): Rabbi Micah Buck-Yael
Number of Classes: 7
Class Dates: 10/29 (for beginners), 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 11/26), 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Book Fee: None
Course Description: The Beit Midrash (House of Study) has been the home for creative, radical, and liberating thought in the Jewish world for centuries. Using the SVARA method of learning, we will read texts through a lens that is feminist, queer-oriented, and focused on the importance of hearing voices that have 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 he 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 holds a Master’s degree in Talmud and Rabbinic Literature and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and is a SVARA fellow.
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Hurting Each Other: The Talmud of Personal Injury #1906
Day & Time: Monday, Noon - 1 pm, from 11/4 - 12/16
Tuition: $60
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Seth Gordon
Number of Classes: 6
Class Dates: 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, (no class 12/2), 12/9, 12/16
Book Fee: None
Course Description: You are in a car accident or trip over a child’s toys or you and another person bump into each other, which results in injury and/or property damage. Who is responsible? How much is the liability? The Talmud includes many fascinating scenarios. Our class will explore the issues of personal injury and property damage in the Talmud and their commentaries and in law. Text material provided.
Instructor Bio(s): Rabbi Seth Gordon is the Rabbi of Traditional Congregation. He was a co-founder of Aleph-Bet Jewish Day School in Annapolis, Maryland, and founder of the African-American Jewish Coalition of Anne Arundel County (Annapolis). He received his rabbinic ordination from Rav David Weiss Halivni in 1994 and has served on medical ethics committees.
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Contemporary Jewish Writers #1908
Day & Time: Wednesday, 11:30 am - 1 pm, unit start dates: 10/23, 1/8, 2/26, 4/22
Tuition:
Unit 1: $120
Unit 2: $90
Unit 3: $75
Unit 4: $75
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Marcia Moskowitz
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 8 sessions
Unit 2: 6 sessions
Unit 3: 5 sessions
Unit 4: 5 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, (no class 11/27), 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
Unit 2: 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12
Unit 3: 2/26, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, (snow day 4/1 if needed)
Unit 4: 4/22, 4/29, 5/6, 5/13, 5/20
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 our works this year will be novels by American writers Philip Roth, Michael Chabon, Nathan Englander, and Israeli writers Ayelet Gundar-Goshen and Amos Oz.
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. Marcia once again brings her expertise to the classroom this year with her extremely popular Contemporary Jewish Writers course.
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Searching for Meaning in the Great Stories of Our Tradition: Lunch and Learn #1909
Day & Time: 3rd Tuesday of the month, Noon - 1:30 pm, from 9/17 - 7/21
Tuition: $15 per class or $145 for all classes
Location: Home of Cyndee Levy (address provided after registration)
Instructor(s): Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes: 10
Class Dates: 9/17, (no October class), 11/19, 12/17, 1/21, 2/18, 3/17, 4/21, 5/19, 6/16, 7/21
Book Fee: None
Course Description: These text-based discussions will focus on uncovering the hidden wisdom in selected stories from our tradition. Source materials will be drawn from the Bible, historic and contemporary Jewish commentary, and narrative selections from Talmud. 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 the 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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Jewish Mystical Tales #1910
Day & Time: Thursday, 7 - 8:30 pm, from 10/31 - 12/12
Tuition: $90
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Howard Schwartz
Number of Classes: 6
Class Dates: 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, (no class 11/28), 12/5, 12/12
Book Fee: Gabriel’s Palace: Jewish Mystical Texts will be available for purchase at a discounted rate (if minimum threshold reached).
Course Description: Using texts from Gabriel’s Palace: Jewish Mystical Texts, selected and retold by Howard Schwartz, we will read and discuss Rabbinic, Kabbalistic, and Hasidic tales, along with some modern mystical stories of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi.
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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Jewish Responses to Life's Most Challenging Questions: a Melton Mini-Course #1911
Day & Time: Monday, 7 - 8:30 pm, from 10/28 - 11/25
Tuition: $60, which includes $18 book fee
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Tracy Nathan and Dr. Harold Braswell
Number of Classes: 4
Class Dates: 10/28, 11/4, (no class 11/11), 11/18, 11/25
Book Fee: $18
Course Description: Why do people suffer? Why is there evil in the world? This new Melton mini-course explores responses to difficult human questions through the eyes of the rabbinic sages and modern thinkers, presenting multiple approaches in the quest for understanding and meaning. This course is based on Rabbi Dr. Morey Schwartz’s book, Where’s My Miracle? Exploring Jewish Traditions for Dealing with Tragedy.
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, CA, and Waltham, MA, and has graduate degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary and the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Anthropology and Folklore and Folklife.
Harold Braswell is Assistant Professor of Health Care Ethics at St. 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, has recently been published by Johns Hopkins University Press.
Hebrew Language
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Biblical Hebrew: Translating and Discussing the Book of Joshua #1912
Day & Time: Monday, 10 - 11:30 am; Unit 1 from 9/9 - 11/25; Unit 2 from 1/27 - 4/6
Tuition:
Unit 1: $135
Unit 2: $150
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 9 sessions
Unit 2: 10 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, (no class 9/30), 10/7, (no classes 10/14, 10/21), 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25
Unit 2: 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, (no class 2/17), 2/24, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30, 4/6
Book Fee: None
Course Description: In this upper level Biblical Hebrew course, students will translate and discuss the meaning of passages from the Book of Joshua.
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, IL, and completing a post-ordination year of learning at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
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Beginning Hebrew #1913
Day & Time: Wednesday, 7 - 8:30 pm from 9/18 - 12/4
Tuition: $125
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Rabbi Shulamit Cenker
Number of Classes: 10
Class Dates: 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, (no class 10/9), 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, (no class 11/27), 12/4
Book Fee: Students should purchase Aleph Isn’t Tough, edited by Linda Motzkin and Hara Person, URJ Press, 2000
Course Description: This course introduces the letters and vowels of the Hebrew aleph-bet with the goal of developing the student’s ability to phonetically sound out any vocalized Hebrew text and learn basic vocabulary.
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, IL, and completing a post-ordination year of learning at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
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Conversational Modern Hebrew - First Level #1914
Day & Time: Tuesday, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, unit start dates: 11/5 and 1/7
Tuition:
Unit 1: $60
Unit 2: $80
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Ariel Kielmanowicz
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 6 sessions
Unit 2: 8 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 11/26), 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Unit 2: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25
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 an MA in the Social Sciences with a specialization in Organizational Behavior. Before his recent family moved 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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Conversational Modern Hebrew - Second Level #1915
Day & Time: Tuesday, 7:45 - 8:45 pm, unit start dates: 11/5 and 1/7
Tuition:
Unit 1: $60
Unit 2: $80
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Ariel Kielmanowicz
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 6 sessions
Unit 2: 8 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, (no class 11/26), 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
Unit 2: 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, 2/18, 2/25
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 an MA in the Social Sciences with a specialization 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.
History, Politics, and Current Events
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Jewish Current Events #1916
Day & Time: 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, 10 - 11 am from 9/19 - 6/18
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: 9/19, 10/3, 10/17, 11/7, 11/21, 12/5, 12/19, (no class 1/2), 1/16, 2/6, 2/20, 3/5, 3/19, 4/2, (no class 4/16), 5/7, 5/21, 6/4, 6/18
Book Fee: None
Course Description: Explore the news and events of the day through a Jewish lens, and enjoy a spirited discussion with the Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the St. Louis Jewish Light.
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 topics of Jewish interests.
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Galia and Milton Movitz, Senator John Danforth Israel Scholars Program for Adults #1917
Day & Time: Monday, 7:15 - 8:45 pm, from 11/4 - 2/10
Tuition: $180
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: 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 1/6, 1/13, (no class 1/20), 1/27, 2/3, 2/10
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. The second part of the course will cover the relationship of the State of Israel to the Arab world, 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 Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement; and the rise in 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 BA in Education from Adelphi University, MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and Rabbinic Ordinations from Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Kol Yaakov Torah Center.
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Israel's Foreign Policy #1918
Day & Time: Thursday, 7 - 8:30 pm, 1/9 - 1/30
Tuition: $15 per class or $40 for the series
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Elai Rettig
Number of Classes: 4
Class Dates: 1/9, 1/16, 1/23, 1/30
Book Fee: None
Course Description:
This course will explore what drives Israel’s foreign policy and how Zionism, Judaism, trauma, and war influence Israel’s engagement with the rest of the world.
January 9: Is Israel part of the Middle East?
We examine the tension between Israel's geography and its desire to be part of the West and ask whether Israel is a foreign entity in the Middle East. We review Israel’s changing role in the Middle East, from a country under complete economic boycott to an integral part of an emerging Sunni alliance against Iran. We will also discuss the moral dilemmas that this alliance entails
January 16: Israel and Germany – In the Shadow of the Holocaust
We discuss the complicated relations between Israel and Germany, from the question of receiving reparations from Germany during the 1950s, to the influx of young Israelis living in Berlin in recent decades. We ask whether Israelis forgave Germany for the Holocaust and whether Germans forgive the Jews for Auschwitz.
January 23: Israel and Europe – Between Economics and Politics
The European Union is Israel's largest trade partner. Yet the politics between Israel and the EU have known highs and deep lows throughout the decades. We discuss Israeli foreign relations with the EU and several of its state-members, particularly France, UK, and the countries of Eastern Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union (including Russia).
January 30: Israel and the Developing World – Tikun Olam vs. Realpolitik
We review the evolution of Israel's relations with various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. We discuss the conflicting motivations driving these relations and the moral questions they raise.
Instructor Bio(s): Dr. Elai Rettig is the Israel Institute Teaching Fellow in Israeli and Environmental Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on the interplay between energy security and foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East and West Africa. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Haifa.
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Kodak Moments and Technicolor Dreams: Reading Immigrant Clues in Twentieth Century Photos #1919
Day & Time: Sunday, 10 am - 12 pm, 12/8
Tuition: Free
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Maureen Taylor
Number of Classes: 1
Class Dates: 12/8
Book Fee: None
Course Description: In this Jewish Genealogy workshop, internationally recognized expert on historic photograph identification Maureen Taylor will guide participants in discovering their family history one picture at a time. She will share her passion on getting people to dig deep into their family history in order to tell the story of their ancestors. She will present tools and tips for photo identification, family history and research, and photo preservation. Co-sponsored by Brodsky Library, the St. Louis Jewish Community Archives, and the St. Louis Genealogical Society-Jewish Special Interest Group.
Instructor Bio(s): Maureen Taylor is an internationally recognized expert on historic photograph identification, photo preservation, and family history research. The author of several books, scholarly articles and online columns, she appeared on The View and The Today Show for completing Meredith Viera’s family tree. She has been featured in numerous publications including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Better Homes and Gardens, and was dubbed “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal.
The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning
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Jewish Denominations: Challenges of Modernity #1920
Day & Time: Thursday, 7 - 8:30 pm, from 9/26 - 12/12
Tuition: $250 paid directly to Melton
Location: Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Rd, St. Louis, MO 63141
Instructor(s): Rabbi Elizabeth Hersh
Number of Classes: 10
Class Dates: 9/26, 10/3, (no class 10/10), 10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, (no class 11/28), 12/5, 12/12
Book Fee: $30 - $45 depending on selection of course reader
Course Description: This course examines Jewish identity and religious expression against the backdrop of dramatic political and social change. Students will gain extensive insights into the historical and ideological developments of the major movements and explore the impact of gender, assimilation, Israel, and post-denominationalism on the movements and the Jewish people.
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 at Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Hersh is also one of our Melton faculty.
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Crossroads of Jewish History #1921
Day & Time: Wednesday, 7 - 8:30 pm; Unit 1: 10/30 - 1/22; Unit 2: 1/29 - 4/1
Tuition:
Unit 1: $200
Unit 2: $200
Units 1 and 2: $350
Please note that there is a $50 discount available if you register for Unit 1 and Unit 2 at the same time.
Tuition is paid directly to Melton
Location: Jewish Federation of St. Louis, 12 Millstone Campus Dr, St. Louis, MO 63146
Instructor(s): Dr. Robert Taxman and Cyndee Levy
Number of Classes:
Unit 1: 10 sessions
Unit 2: 10 sessions
Class Dates:
Unit 1: 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, (no class 11/27), 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22
Unit 2: 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/4, 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1
Book Fee: $20 - $35 depending on selection of course reader
Course Description:
This course merges the concepts of history and memory in order to better understand how each has shaped Judaism today. It is part of the second year of the Core curriculum for Melton and was updated in 2015. Year one is NOT a prerequisite for this course.
Unit 1 begins in the biblical period and moves through the rabbinic era, including the confrontation with Christianity and early Islam, early mysticism, and the emergence of Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities.
Unit 2 looks at life in the ghetto, the first crusades, reactions to the false Messiah Shabbetai Tzvi, the Enlightenment (Haskalah), the Hassidic movement, antisemitism, Zionism, the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel, and the immigration of Jews to the United States.
Instructor Bio(s):
Dr. Robert Taxman is a retired physician whose zeal for Jewish history is equaled by his zest for teaching it. He served as the principal “history” teacher for the Melton Core program, and he has taught many well-received classes on Jewish history and archeology.
Cyndee Levy is the Director of the Center for Jewish Learning at the 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.
Arts and Culture
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The Play's the Thing: Amy Herzog's After the Revolution #1922
Day & Time: Thursday 7 - 9 pm, 10/24 and 10/31
Tuition: $30, which includes $10 script fee
Location: MaTovu, 4200 Blaine Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Instructor(s): Kathleen Sitzer
Number of Classes: 2
Class Dates: 10/24 and 10/31
Book Fee: $10 for script
Course Description: Plays are meant to be heard and read out loud. Join New Jewish Theatre Founding Artistic Director, Kathleen Sitzer, for this opportunity to hear the words as class members assume the roles of the characters in Amy Herzog’s play, After the Revolution. We will discuss the play after the reading. The play is a family drama that includes themes that resonate in today’s politically charged climate. Participants who are not interested in reading a role will serve as audience members, and roles will be swapped out as necessary to ensure everyone who wants to play a role has a chance to do so.
Instructor Bio(s): Kathleen Sitzer, the Founding Artistic Director of the New Jewish Theatre, is a member of two professional actors unions, Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, and has performed for many theatre companies, including Theatre Project Company, the Black Rep, West End Players, St. Louis Shakespeare, and of course New Jewish Theatre. You may have seen her most recently in Driving Miss Daisy and Raging Skillet. Sitzer has an MA in Theatre from St. Louis University.
