Taught by Orna Morad — Don’t let your Hebrew get rusty over the summer – sign up for Beth Am’s adult Hebrew summer session! All classes are taught by Orna Morad, a native Israeli, who has been teaching Hebrew as a foreign language to hundreds of adults over the past 27 years. To register for a class, please visit http://catalog.lehrhaus.org/by_location/beth-am/ and sign up at least a week before the first class session.
Learning
Adult Education
Adult Education
Jewish tradition compares Torah to "a well of living waters" -- not only because water invigorates the body as Torah refreshes the soul, but because Torah study is dynamic; students of Torah continually bring forth new insights, even as fresh water gushes from a fountain.
Read moreCome to a class at Beth Am, and you'll soon experience for yourself the effervescence of creative study. Our members are thoughtful, reflective and articulate; they come from all sorts of backgrounds and every level of knowledge and observance; they bring the perspective of their professions and life experience to the table.
There are a myriad of learning opportunities at Beth Am, from drop-in classes to more formal workshops. Sometimes there is a charge for the courses, others are free. Many classes are open to the general community. If money is a problem, contact Rabbi Sarah Wolf - she'll work something out. Also, contact her to suggest a topic that you are interested in. She loves new ideas for classes.
Ongoing Classes:
Torah Study with Rabbi Marder
Dates: Saturdays
Time: 9 -10 a.m.
Location: Beit Kehillah
Cost: Free
Join a diverse, warm and welcoming group of fellow congregants for an intellectually stimulating and spiritually meaningful discussion of the week’s Torah portion with Rabbi Janet Marder. The text is studied in English. No prior study of the Torah or Hebrew knowledge is needed. Each week the group reads a new section of the text, taking up where it left off the prior Shabbat. It is not necessary to read ahead or prepare. Although this is an ongoing class, drop-in attendance is welcomed.
Talmud Study with Rabbi Wolf
Dates: Thursdays
Time: Noon -1 p.m.
Location: Beth Am Conference Room
Cost: Free
Study selections from the Babylonian Talmud (the central text of Rabbinic Judaism) and other rabbinic sources with Rabbi Sarah Wolf. Our focus is on strategies for applying these teachings to our own lives.
No prior Talmud experience is necessary. Come whenever you can and bring a lunch. The class is designed to allow participants to drop in and study whenever they can.
Jewish Spirituality with Cantor Unterman
Dates: Thursdays
Time: 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Location: Beth Am Conference Room
Cost: Free
Explore various Jewish beliefs, from traditional to modern, about the meaning of our lives and our world. The class is participatory. All students are encouraged to express their beliefs. Drop-in attendance is welcomed.
Congregant Facilitated Learning - Exploring Contemporary Jewish Writings
Dates: Fridays
Time: 1 - 2 p.m.
Location: Library
Cost: Free
Contact: Saul Wasserman
This study group is made up of congregants and is an outgrowth of the longest-running, continuous study group at Beth Am. Drop-in attendance is welcomed.
Special Events
Scholar-in-Residence
Each year Beth Am brings a renowned scholar to the community for a weekend of learning, affording a unique opportunity to learn from an expert. Topics vary.
Asilomar Adult Study Retreat
Every summer, congregants and staff join together for a relaxing, inspiring, and fun weekend on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula. Celebrate Shabbat together with prayer, learning, singing, and schmoozing.
Classes begin the week of May 20, 2013
Monday, June 27, Doors open 7:00 p.m.; Program begins 7:30 p.m., Rooms 5 and 6
Presented by the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish Genealogical Society — In 1884, at age 20, David Blumenfeld and his parents and younger siblings left Courland, Latvia, and moved to Minnesota. Shortly after David's death in 1955 his box of unpublished writing disappeared, only to be rediscovered in 2009 in the basement of a now-Episcopalian great-grandson in Seattle. The featured work of this newly discovered collection is "Diary", a semifictionalized story of the family's life in Latvia, their decision to leave for America, and the first 30 years of their life in their new world.
Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, CA
Participate in a Beloved Beth Am Tradition — Congregation Beth Am invites you to spend a relaxing, inspiring and educational weekend on the Monterey Peninsula. Study under the pines, enjoy a Shabbat stroll on the beach and schmooze with friends old and new. The Asilomar retreat is not to be missed! Please download, complete and return the registration form by Friday, June 14.
Sundays, September 29, October 20 and December 15, 2013; 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM, Beit Kehillah
Are you a mother raising Jewish children…but you’re not Jewish? Don't do it alone! — The Mothers Circle Mini-Course provides FREE education and support for women of other religious backgrounds who are raising Jewish children. The course is coming to Beth Am this fall. This three-session course will focus on Jewish rituals, ethics and the how-to’s of creating a Jewish home. Come be a part of this warm and nurturing environment, and feel empowered to take on the responsibility of raising children in Judaism. Mothers in all family constellations are welcome.
13 Sunday mornings, beginning Sunday, October 6, 9:15-11:00 a.m., Beit Kehillah
Practical Guidance and Perspectives from the Tradition — Taught by Rabbi Marder and other Beth Am clergy on the following Sundays:
Resources
Congregation Beth Am • 26790 Arastradero Rd., Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 • (650) 493-4661 • Contact Us 