TEMPLE ISRAEL OF NATICK ADULT EDUCATION SPRING 2015  Jewish learning at Temple Israel is limitless, ageless, and stretches beyond classroom walls.  We recognize and appreciate that each member has a unique Jewish educational journey.  May we accompany each other, as a community, along our paths of lifelong learning. 1 TEMPLE ISRAEL OF NATICK ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE Burton Marmer, Chairman Michael Baron Omi Cantor Marilyn Feinberg Carolyn Goodman Carole Lechan Rabbi Daniel Liben Elaine Marmer Jack Miller Cantor Ken Richmond Sheila Wolfson ADVISORY COMMITTEE Alan Avery-Peck Gretchen Brandt Paula Jacobs Jonathan Klawans TO REGISTER FOR A COURSE    email [email protected] or call 508-650-3521 ext 100 For course with fee: send check with amount payable to TEMPLE ISRAEL OF NATICK and note course(s) nos. in memo block. QUESTIONS? Contact Elaine Marmer [email protected] 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS S-1 S-2* S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8 S-9 S-10 S-11 S-12 S-13 INSIDE THE MIND OF JIHAD UNDERSTAND ISRAEL'S CHALLENGES LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE MY ISRAEL TIME OF FAVOR: ISRAELI FILM BOOK DISCUSSIONS: LIKE DREAMERS ROUGH, TOUGH AND UNORTHODOX HEARING LOSS AND AGING WISE AGING WHAT IS FAITH MEAH: 100 HOURS OF JEWISH LEARNING BASIC HEBREW READING for BEGINNERS ISRAELI DANCING – “JEWISH AEROBICS” TALMUD IN TRANSLATION 4 5 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 * Sponsored by the TEMPLE ISRAEL LEARNING INSTITUTE (TILI) 3 S-1 INSIDE THE MIND OF JIHAD: The Religious and Psychological Foundations of Islamic Extremism Islamic radicalism presents the most formidable challenge to western values and security since the fall of communism, and it is imperative that Americans grapple with an understanding of its roots and its deadly appeal to countless thousands of Muslims. Part One: What are some of the fundamental differences between "Islam," and "Islamism" which can lead to the horrors of ISIS and Al Queda? Part Two: Inside the Mind of Jihad: How does ISIS, for example, justify unspeakable atrocities in religious terms? Part Three: The religious and intellectual founders of Islamic radicalism: A look at the writings of Hassan Al-Banna, Sayed Qutb, Sayyed Abu'l A'la Mawdudi, and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Dr. Lowenthal received his B.A and M.A in English Literature at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and his Ph.D in English from New York University. Retired as the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, Dr. Lowenthal is currently an Adjunct Professor at Northeastern University. Drafted into the Israeli Army after the Yom Kippur War, Dr. Lowenthal went through basic training on the West Bank and anti-aircraft gunnery training on an air base in Herzlya. As part of his military obligation, he served on night time guard duty in Sharm el Sheik at the tip of the Sinai Desert. DATE: Thursday, April 16, 23, 30, 2015 TIME: 7:00 - 8:30 pm INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Larry Lowenthal FEES: Temple Israel Members: $36; Non-members: $54. 4 S-2 UNDERSTAND ISRAEL'S CHALLENGES THE ADULT EDUCATION COMMITTEE IS PROUD TO OFFER A ONE BOOK READ PROGRAM. “A magnificent book, one of the two or three finest books about Israel I have ever read….” —Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg News Winner of the Everett Family Jewish Book of the Year Award (a National Jewish Book Award) and the RUSA Sophie Brody Medal. 4.5 and 5 Star Customer Reviews – Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, GoodReads “Yossi Klein Halevi has written the Israeli epic.” —Michael Oren, bestselling author of Six Days of War and Israeli Ambassador to Washington Mind-altering facts about Israel ... Truly appreciate divergent views … Understand Israel’s Challenges Like You Never Have Before 5 Yossi Klein Halevi Delivers a Masterful Saga of Seven Israeli Paratroopers Who Fought Together to Unite Jerusalem Yet Fought Each Other to Unite Israel Hear Author Yossi Klein Halevi Speak & Lead a Powerful Discussion! WHEN: THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2015 AT 7 PM ADMISSION: Members FREE if RSVP by 2/20* *Limited Seating: [email protected] or call 508-650-3521 x100 6 S-3 MY ISRAEL: A panel of TI members will share their family and personal stories about living in Israel. They will reflect on how their life stories have been shaped by the Six Day War and other major events in Israel’s history. We will also hear from an IDF soldier. An Israeli lunch will be provided. Date: Sunday, Feb 1, 2015 Time: 12:30 – 2:30pm Facilitators: Irit Tau-Webber and Shai Fuxman S-4 TIME OF FAVOR: ISRAELI FILM Presented by the Israeli Film Club. Winner of several Israeli “academy” awards. Intrigue and romance in an Israeli religious west bank settlement. Date: Monday, February 23, 2015 Time: 8:00pm Facilitator: Dubi Gordon S-5 BOOK DISCUSSIONS: LIKE DREAMERS: Session One focuses on the paratroopers – before, during and after the Six Day War and how their cultural and ideological backgrounds affect their perspective, ideals and visions for Israel. Date: Sunday, APRIL 12, 2015 Time: 3:30pm. Baby sitting Session Two focuses on the thinking, longings and challenges of modern day Israel which have evolved since the Six Day War. Date: Sunday, APRIL 26, 2015 Time: 3:30pm. Baby sitting Facilitators: Shai Fuxman, Dallas Kennedy, Ruth Winett See Study Guide @ www.tiofnatick.org Fee: free to TI members; RSVP to Temple Office 7 S-6 ROUGH, TOUGH AND UNORTHODOX: THE JEWISH GANGSTER IN AMERICA No group provided more shame to Jewish Americans than headlinegrabbing gangsters such “Bugsy” Siegel, “Dutch” Schultz, the Purple Gang. At a time when Jews faced discrimination in employment, Jewish gangsters came out of the crowded immigrant ghettoes of America’s largest cities. These few turned to crime as a way to succeed in America. Many began their careers as juvenile delinquents. They were not exemplary citizens but when Israel was fighting for independence in the 1940s, they were powerful defenders of the Jewish people. Their time of infamy did not last long and their children never followed them into lives of crime. As Meyer Lansky is purported to have said – and as repeated in The Godfather, Part II “We are larger than U.S. Steel!” DATES: Thursdays March 19, 26, April 2, 2015 TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 pm INSTRUCTOR: Norm Finkelstein FEES: Temple Israel Members: $36; Non-members: $54. S-7 HEARING LOSS AND AGING Are you having more difficulty hearing your friends and family? Are your children insisting it’s time for hearing aids? Leslie McCowan, M.S. CCC-A, Director of the Audiology Clinic, The Learning Center for the Deaf DATE: Wednesday, March 18, 2015 TIME: 12:00 noon - 1:30pm FACILITATOR: Nancy Fried-Tanzer FEE: All RSVP's should be directed to JFS: Tel: 508-875-3100 x330 8 S-8 WISE AGING “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Geared to people 55 and older who want to explore, in a small group, what it means to grow older in our society. It is an opportunity to find new resources to live with spirit, resilience and wisdom. It is based on a curriculum developed by Rabbi Rachel Cowan and Linda Thal, EdD, for the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. These three sessions will deal with topics such as exploring this stage of life, a life review, and revitalizing and nourishing healthy relationships. Participants (limited to 15) will be guided in this reflective work within a supportive environment of confidentiality and trust. Register early to assure your participation. Dates: Mondays, April 6, 13, 20, 2015 Time: 1:30 to 3:00pm Facilitator: Sheila Wolfson Fee: Temple Israel Members: $36; Non-members: $54; Text: $18 LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES: S-9 WHAT IS FAITH Faith is one of those words which have come to mean so many things over the centuries that it is hard to come to clarity about the meaning of this word. We will be studying the first usage of the word in Torah and it's usage in several other early passages in Torah to better understand what faith might have originally meant in our tradition and to better understand faith in our own lives today. DATES: Mondays, March 23, 30, April 6, 2015 TIME: 12:00 – 1:30pm INSTRUCTOR: Rabbi Alan Ullman FEE: Temple Israel Members: $36; non-members: $54. 9 CONTINUING PROGRAMS: S-10 MEAH: One Hundred Hours of Jewish Learning Me'ah — Hebrew for 100 — is an intensive Jewish educational experience designed for busy adult learners of all backgrounds. Participants are immersed in reading core Jewish texts, grappling with concepts representing cultural and political movements from four historical periods — biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern. DATES: Wednesdays through May 20, 2015 TIME: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. COORDINATOR: Marjory Aarons S-11 BASIC HEBREW READING for BEGINNERS Participants in the Hebrew Reading Crash Course will learn to read Hebrew in ten, 2 hour weekly sessions. Designed for those with little or no background in Hebrew, it concentrates on teaching the Hebrew alphabet and reading skills. DATES: Level 2: Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29, Feb. 5, 2015 TIME: 7:00 – 8:30 pm INSTRUCTOR: Carolyn Goodman SUGGESTED REFRESHMENT FEE: $12 per LEVEL S-12 ISRAELI DANCING – “JEWISH AEROBICS” Israeli dance choreographers have fashioned a unique and energetic style that expresses Israel’s multi-ethnic contemporary culture. DATE: Every Thursday evening TIME: 8:00-9:00 PM INSTRUCTORS: Sherrie Barlas and Rabbi Daniel Liben FEE: Temple Israel Members: Free; Non-members: $25 S-13 TALMUD IN TRANSLATION Join us for Shabbat afternoon Talmud study. We read the text in English with modern commentary. Whether you have studied Talmud before, or you are a newcomer to its language and logic, all are welcome. DATE: Shabbat afternoons TIME: 4:45-5:30 PM before Minyan FACILITATOR: Dr. Alan Avery-Peck 10 TILI* *Temple Israel Learning Institute (TILI) The purpose of the Temple Israel Learning Institute (TILI) is to enhance Temple Israel of Natick's community by subsidizing rabbis, academics, authors, statesmen, and other keynote speakers for lectures, and panel discussions, on events and subjects of general interest to the Temple Israel membership. It will be the goal of this fund, under the direction of Adult Education, to continually provide such programs at no additional cost to the Temple Israel of Natick membership. 11 12