kolaleph Beit Midrash

Distance Learning Fall Classes

The Rainbow Library, 2011 © Peter Puklus

Want to build or improve your Hebrew skills? Dig deeply into Jewish Thought? Get more familiar with the Jewish Liturgical Year? Then sign up now for one of this Fall’s ALEPH Distance Learning classes. Whether you are preparing for the ALEPH Ordination program or just enriching your Jewish knowledge, one this fall’s three great classes may be just right for you.

Biblical Hebrew 101

with Rabbi Bob Freedman

    • Ten 90-minute sessions
    • Monday Evenings, 8:00-9:30 pm Eastern; 5:00-6:30 Pacific
    • October 6 – December 8 (tentative)
    • Tuition: $650

This course is designed to teach you basic biblical Hebrew grammar and vocabulary, and give you practice in reading Hebrew out loud. We’ll study noun forms, prepositions, basic verb conjugations, other points of grammar, and gain a vocabulary of the 200 words most common in Tanach. To take this course you need to be able to read Hebrew out loud slowly. You will also be required to write Hebrew, script or block, either by hand or with a computer. If you think you would like to take the course, but don’t know if you are either not advanced enough or too advanced, please call me. This course is highly recommended as a mechinah (preparatory) class for the ALEPH Ordination Program. 

Call (215) 247-9700 x21 to register.

 

Rabbi Laura Duhan KaplanThe Many Faces of Torah: Back to the Sources

An Introduction to Jewish Thought with Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

    • Ten two-hour sessions
    • Tuesday Evenings, 8:00 – 10:00 pm Eastern; 5:00 – 7:00 pm Pacific
    • October 7 – December 9 (tentative)
    • Tuition: $650

Jewish Thought touches on universal themes of spirituality, ethics, psychology, and society – using a uniquely Jewish vocabulary drawn from Torah. Every historical era creatively uses Torah stories, metaphors, and teachings to advance our understanding. In this course we will become acquainted with these “faces of Torah” as they appear across Jewish history. We will sample classic texts from Tanakh, Mishnah, Gemara, Midrash, Philosophy, Medieval Torah commentary, Kabbalah and Chassidut. When we learn the language and style of Jewish thought, we gain keys to vast resources of spiritual teaching.

This class fulfills one of the course requirements for ALEPH’s Lay Leadership Certificate Program, and is highly recommended as a mechinah (preparatory) class for the ALEPH Ordination Program. 

Call (215) 247-9700 x21 to register.

Rabbi Leana MorittMake it Real, Not Rote: The Jewish Liturgical Year

Jewish Traditions of Sacred Time with Rabbi Leana Moritt

    • Eight two-hour sessions plus an additional 4 hours scheduled at the mutual convenience of the instructor and class members.
    • Wednesday evenings from 8:00 to 10:00 pm Eastern; 5:00 – 7:00 Pacific,
    • October 22 – December 17 (skipping Erev Thanksgiving)
    • Tuition: $650

Jewish festivals are about life experiences and longing, about joy, sorrow, courage, and fear. They connect with our life cycles, with our social and political realities, even with our cycles of prayer. In this course, we will explore what Tanakh and liturgy, history and rabbinic tradition have to say about our holidays. We will search for the essence of each festival. We will work on ways to inspire our communities and congregations to do the same.

This class fulfills one of the course requirements for ALEPH’s Rabbinic Pastor, Cantorial and Lay Leadership Certificate Programs, and is highly recommended as a mechinah (preparatory) class for the Rabbinic Program. 

Call (215) 247-9700 x21 to register.

Please note: All Spring & Fall courses are 10 class sessions. ALEPH’s Distance Learning Program is administered by ALEPH Ordination Program. If you have questions regarding the program, please contact Rabbi Steve Silvern at ssilvern@aleph-ordination.org. Call (215) 247-9700 to register.

Please Note: Beginning this Fall, in the spirit of T’rumah (“gift” or “offering”), everyone who participates in an ALEPH program will contribute to the T’rumah Financial Assistance Fund via a 3% registration fee. Not only is the T’rumah fee tax-deductible to you; it enables ALEPH to make programs financially accessible to as many participants as possible. In addition to your support, ALEPH is building the T’rumah Financial Aid fund by earmarking a dedicated portion of all membership/donations, a percentage of end of year surplus and by soliciting direct donations to the fund.