Current Classes
Jewish Prayer Beyond Belief: Insight, Inspiration and Wisdom
January 7th, 14th and 21st 7pm-8:30pm PST
This is an online class. You will receive a link after you register.
Jewish prayer can be boring, page after page of strange murmured words. But if you have the secret decoder ring you can see deep into the beauty of the prayers of the Jewish tradition. This class gives you that decoder ring, so you can gain access to the inner meaning of the prayers. No belief required.
We'll start with a brief overview of the prayerbook that will give us a framework for understanding Jewish prayer. This will help us see prayer not as some old record of words that the ancient ancestor said, but as part of a timeless and deeply human yearning.
As we go on, you’ll see how deep translation, context, and interpretation will open up this ancient wisdom poetry. Close readings of these works will allow you to gain appreciation for their beauty but also to find how they might fit into your life, perhaps as little literary gems to reflect upon, or even as prayers and meditations to explore in your own way. Rabbi Josh will share various gems scattered throughout the Jewish prayerbook and we will explore and discuss them.
No knowledge of Hebrew or of prayer is required to love this class!
This series is "Pay what you wish" - really! - but Rabbi Josh asks that you consider offering $12 per class.
Finding Hope in Darkness: Jewish Wisdom for the 21st Century
February 4th and 11th 7pm-8:30pm PST
This is an online class. You will receive a link after you register.
We live at a time when there is a pervasive sense of crisis, that things that once held together are falling apart. Can we find hope to rebuild when those things we took for granted have faded away?
In this two-class session we will explore some Jewish texts that gaze into the void of chaos and fear. Take a journey through profoundly honest teachings that confront the sometimes absurd experience of being human and contemplate how to life a life of meaning in the face of it. How do we cultivate authentic hope in dark times? We will explore some ancient stories, mystical texts, and some modern thinkers as well.
No knowledge of Hebrew is required to love this class!
This series is "Pay what you wish" - really! - but Rabbi Josh asks that you consider offering $18 per class.