Jewish Study Center
Course Schedule, Winter 2002

Understanding Fundamentalism

In response to recent interest in "Understanding Fundamentalism," the Study Center is developing a course on this topic for later in the year. In the meantime, consider reading and joining a discussion group on The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong (NY: Knopf, 2000 -- and now in paperback), a study of fundamentalism as a reaction to modernity, written by a scholar with a depth of understanding in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. If there is sufficient interest, the Study Center will launch an informal, interfaith discussion group focusing on this book. Some interested participants have suggested additional/alternate readings.

Please call 202/884-7634 or e-mail if you are interested in this possibility (please include several preferred days/times for meeting). Would you be interested in an on-line discussion?

Tuesdays at the DCJCC
16th & Q Streets, NW

Basic Judaism
Tuesdays, January 22 - March 12 (8 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members: $85/Non-Members: $95
DCJCC
A chance for anyone who wants to discover--or rediscover--Judaism. We will learn about the variety of Jewish practices, beliefs, and customs and discuss what it means to live a Jewish life. The class will include not only readings and discussion but some opportunities to experience Judaism directly, including synagogue attendance, Shabbat dinners, working with ritual objects, and celebrating Holidays such as Purim and Passover.
Bob Rovinsky is a Jewish storyteller who enjoys belonging to many of the Jewish communities of Washington, from Adas Israel to the Zoo Minyan. When not at home with his wife and two young daughters, at prayer, or studying, he can be found at the Federal Aviation Administration. He has previously taught many courses, including Basic Judaism, for the Study Center.

The Early Moses and the Roots of Exodus
Tuesdays, January 22 - February 12 (4 classes)
8:30 - 9:45 pm
Members $45/Non-Members $55
DCJCC
In this course we will examine the first six chapters of the book of Exodus. These passages largely concern conversations between G-d and Moses. We will in this context examine Moses' fear of authority, existential doubt, sense of socio-economic righteousness, and discomfort with leadership on our way to understanding this individual and the acts of freedom which he helps precipitate. The format of the class will be discussion based on primary analysis of the text, although some traditional and modern commentary may be used. While Hebrew is not required, knowledge of the language will be useful. This class comes just after these sections appear in the weekly Torah reading, and are great preparation for the approaching Passover.
Kenneth Jeruchim works in the field of international development. He studied philosophy and history at Wesleyan University and attended the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem.

American Jews and the US-Israel Relationship
Tuesdays, Feburary 5 - March 12 (6 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members $65/Non-Members $75
DCJCC
In considering the U.S.-Israel relationship, it is easy to overlook the range of perspectives and activities within the American Jewish community vis-a-vis this relationship. This has resulted in ever-increasing misunderstandings, and in some cases acrimony, among various sectors of the American Jewish community. In this course, we hope to begin to bridge some of these gaps through presentations by a variety of guest speakers and open, respectful discussion among class participants.
Guest Presenters: February 12: Norman Goldstein, Jewish Federation of DC; Max Chamovitz, AIPAC. February 19: Dr. Rand Fishbein, Fishbein Associaties (former Hill Staffer); Andrew Goldsmith, One Israel Fund (charitable organization funded by YESHA Council). February 26: TBA, topic: religious perspectives. March 5: Lori Weinstein, DC Regional Council, New Israel Fund; Sarah Anne Minkin, Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel. The first and final sessions are reserved for participant discussion, with no guest speakers invited.
Liana Brooks works in the Refugees Bureau at the State Department, has Masters Degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and Public Policy, and previously lived in Israel for three years. Brad Rubin is an international trade lawyer in D.C. and co-taught "Human Rights and Religion" for the Jewish Study Center.

Introduction to Kabbalah
Tuesdays, February 5 - March 12 (6 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members: $65/Non-Members: $75
DCJCC
This course will introduce the concepts and practice of Jewish Mysticism. Students will learn about G!d, the S'firot, and the creation of the world. We will use Lawrence Kushner's new book The Way into Jewish Mysticism as a text. Students will be expected to purchase the book.
Howard White is a long time member student and teacher at the Jewish Study Center. He has taught courses on Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism several times.

Saul Bellow: Jewish-American Writer, American Writer
Tuesdays, February 5 - 26 (4 classes)
8:30 - 9:45 pm
Members: $45/Non-Members: $55
DCJCC
Jewish-American writers wrote masterworks before Saul Bellow came upon the literary scene. However, many credit Bellow and his bold literary enterprise with fully opening the entrance doors to American letters for Jewish writers. Many also consider Bellow, the 1976 Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, the clear choice as “Great Jewish-American Writer” of the last century. This course will focus on three Bellow novels: Seize the Day, Him with his Foot in his Mouth, and Ravelstein, exploring his humor and innovations in writing and considering what, in his writing, is particular to Jews and what is universal to being human. Students are encouraged to acquire and begin reading Seize the Day before the course begins. An additional meeting, a participant-led symposium may be scheduled.
Rich Blaustein is a veteran Study Center teacher whose topics have ranged from James Joyce's Ulysses to Human Sacrifice. His most recent course on Modigliani completed a three-part series on the Jews of Italy.

Jewish Law Perspectives on Current Bio-Ethical Issues
Tuesdays, February 5 - February 26 (4 classes)
8:30 - 9:45 pm
Members: $45/Non-Members: $55
DCJCC
New bio-medical techniques have raised questions for Jews today that were not explicitly addressed by sages of the past. This course will consider how traditional Jewish law texts and contemporary Jewish teachings are being utilized as a basis for resolving such bio-ethical issues as stem cell research, cloning, organ transplantation, surrogate motherhood, and care of the terminally ill.
Rabbi Ben Mintz, ordained at Yeshiva University, is Professor of Law at Catholic University and 1997 recipient of the Foundation for Jewish Studies “Master Teacher” award. A veteran Study Center teacher, he last taught “Meet the Biblical Commentators” in the spring of 2000.

Discussions in Islam
Tuesdays, February 19 - March 12 (4 classes)
8:30 - 9:45 pm
Members: $45/Non-Members: $55
DCJCC
This text-study and discussion course will introduce participants to some of the basics of Islam. Topics will include the importance of Abraham and monotheism in Islam, constants and variables in the Muslim world, women in Islam, and Islamic fundamentalism.
Naeim Sherbiny, an economist, author, and teacher in the field of Middle East development, serves as representative of the Cairo-based Ibn Khaldun Center for Development and as an international management consultant. He teaches young adults at the Virginia Arabic Language School and serves as an Imam at the IMF/World Bank mosque.

Wednesdays at Adas Israel
2850 Quebec Street, NW

Chumash with Commentary: Symposium on Genesis
Wednesdays, January 23 - February 27 (6 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members $65/Non-Members $75
Adas Israel
This course will begin at the beginning of the Chumash (Five Books of Moses), with Breishit (Genesis) 1:1, and explore the Chumash text with the help of some of its many commentaries. Participants will be encouraged to bring to each class the commentary of a particular source, traditional or contemporary, and to share that perspective in the class discussion. In preparation for the first class, please read Genesis chapters 1 and 2.
Ken Goldstein is the president of the Jewish Study Center, a regular at the Adas Traditional Egalitarian Minyan, and a teacher at the Temple Micah Hebrew school.

Synagogue Skills:
Leading the Shabbat Morning Service
Wednesdays, January 23 - February 27 (6 classes))
7:00 - 8:15 6m
Members $55/Non-Members $75
Adas Israel
This course will review the core elements of the Shacharit (morning) service and the nusach (melodies and presentation) for different sections. The class will also discuss what it means to be a service leader for the community. Participants are encouraged to lead a shacharit service soon after the course. Familiarity with the service and ability to read Hebrew is needed. We will use the Kol haNeshamah siddur as a class, but participants should also bring their favorite for comparison.
Fran Teplitz is a member of the Fabrangen Havurah.

Hot Topics in Deuteronomic History
Wednesdays, January 23 - February 27 (6 classes)
8:30 - 9:45 pm
Members: $65/Non-Members: $75
Adas Israel
King Hezekiah defied Assyria in 701 B.C.E. and nearly destroyed what was left of the Jewish people - and yet the Bible loves him! Why? We will explore some hot topics in recent studies of the Deuteronomic History, which covers the biblical books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Samuel I and II, Kings I and II. Issues will include the authorship and dating of the texts; the intertwining of theology, history, and political ideology; and the complexity of the relationship of the people of Israel to the land. Literary, historical, archeological, and feminist analysis will be used and compared with traditional understandings of the text. For the first class, please read or skim Deut. 1-4. All texts will be studied will be in English.
Gilah Langner is co-editor of Kerem: Creative Explorations in Judaism, and is studying to be a rabbi.

"Technicians of the Sacred": A Reading of American Jewish Poets
Wednesdays, January 23 - February 27 (6 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members$65/Non-Members $75
Adas Israel
The American Jewish poet Jerome Rothenberg has described Jewish poets as "technicians of the sacred": While they are enmeshed in American secular life, Jewish poets attempt to recapture and re-shape a religious vision. In this course, we will explore how American Jewish poets such as Emma Lazarus, Charles Reznikoff, Allen Ginsberg, Adrienne Rich, and Allen Grossman serve as "technicians of the sacred." Students should secure a copy of Ginsberg's Kaddish (available in used bookstores and libraries in both single volumes and collections); other texts will be provided in class.
Robin Friedman …is a lawyer with the Department of the Interior who studies literature in his spare time. He last taught "Telling and Remembering" for the Study Center in Winter 2001.

A History of Klezmer
January 23 - February 13 (4 classes)
8:00-9:00 pm -- Please note staring time!
Members: $45/Non-Members: $55
Adas Israel
Meant for the non-musician, this course will trace Klezmer music from its earliest days in 1880's Europe to the present, listening to recordings from various periods and considering how recording and the move to America changed Jewish music, and how Jewish music changed American music. We will also explore the Klezmer revival of the 1970's and Klezmer today. Live klezmer music is a possibility.
Tom Puwalksi is a lifelong musician and member of the Lox and Vodka Klezmer band and last taught another version of this popular course for the Study Center in Winter 2000.

Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews
February 13, February 27, March 6 (3 classes)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members: $35/Non-Members $45
Adas Israel
Author James Carroll's Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History (publisher, Houghton Mifflin, 2001) is a chronicle of the two-thousand year history of the Catholic Church's attitudes toward Judaism and the Jewish people. From the earliest divergence between Jewish sects of the first century of the common era, to the Roman Emperor Constantine's transformation of the cross into a sword, to the rise of modern anti-Semitism, Carroll presents a social and political history of the Church.
This course will be an examination of the history and theology in Carroll's book. Class participants should purchase or borrow a copy of "Constantine's Sword" and bring it to the first class.
Chuck Myers is a student of history and a member of Fabrangen.

Ethiopian Jews: Origin, History, and Contributions
Wednesdays, February 13 - March 13 (5 weeks)
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Members: $55/Non-Members: $65
Adas Israel
This course offers an opportunity to explore the latest research on the history and culture of Ethiopian Jewry. Topics will include recent findings in archaeology, linguistics, and other research fields; current practices and customs; and the present situation of Ethiopian Jewry. The instructors' original research and their analysis of other scholars' wo so far suggests "more questions than answers," inviting discussion and further study.
Yohannes Zeleke and Samuel Tadesse are co-authors of the forthcoming book, Ethiopian Jews: Origin, History, and Contributions to the Civilization of Ethiopia. This course is co-sponsored by the Washington Association for Ethiopian Jews.

Thursdays on Capitol Hill
call or e-mail for location details

Rhythm of Torah
This informal, portion of the week discussion course meets on Capitol Hill. Drop-in and pro-rated tuition is available to accommodate travel and work schedules. Call or e-mail for details.
David Goldston works on environmental issues on the Hill and has taught several text-based courses for the Study Center.