Eleven lessons that probe into the depths of contemporary Torah thought, with a special focus on issues surrounding spirituality, the human psyche, love, and relationships. Every experience offers meaningful and timely lessons – from the most timeless of texts. You will walk away surprised, inspired, and knowing more about who we are as Jews, and who you are as an individual.
Reaction and Direction
How to ace the test of anti-Semitism
Trouble is no recent addition to the Jewish story. Our
ancestors encountered it millennia ago, and it continues to cross paths with many Jews today. How do you respond to baseless hatred? This class explores three unique approaches.
Why, Thank You
Jewish perspectives on gratitude
Why thank a fellow undeserving of your thanks? This lesson questions why G-d rewarded a tyrannical monarch, and presents a counterintuitive approach to gratitude that champions action over intent.
Quality Above Quantity
Making the most of your time
Unlike money, time is a limited and irreplaceable resource.
How do you spend it? This class looks beyond traditional time management techniques, to unlock deep inherent value that lies dormant within things we already do.
How to get others to think for themselves
Followers may make leaders but leaders don’t make
followers; they make more leaders. This class examines approaches to leadership and empowerment by observing Moses, the first Jewish leader.
A World of Difference
What impact do I make?
What will be your legacy? The footprint we leave on the
world is a measure of the life we live. This class explores the lessons of a tree, defining a successful life as one that makes a difference in the lives of others.
The politics of in vitro fertilization
The marvel of 21st-century technological breakthroughs
highlights man’s ability to alter nature’s course. Should we have the right to play G-d? If it should exist, why didn’t G-d create it? In this class, we examine Judaism’s surprisingly liberal approach to some modern advances of the human race.
The Parenting Paradox
Facing the challenge of child rearing
Everyone wants their children to become good and decent
people. What’s the secret of those who succeed? Why do some fail? This class explores a crucial piece in the puzzle of parenting, focusing on what we can do to plot the course of our children’s future.
Why the Jew?
Understanding those who hate us
The symptoms of anti-Semitism are all too familiar. In this
class we step into the Purim story and the human psyche, to examine its cause. Is it a particular apprehension, some perceived misdeed? Or does our very existence generate an existential angst that cannot be calmed?
Defogging Our Windshields
What’s really on the road ahead?
A “pitfall” is defined as “a potential problem, hazard, or
danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.” Our lives, then, are full of pitfalls. But how do we identify them? The Purim saga, where masks disguise reality and everything isn’t as it seems, is a good place to
Did Plato Get It Right?
Jewish realism vs. Greek idealism
While Plato spoke of the Universal—the dreamy ideal without concrete realization—Torah mobilizes to take action in the here and now. In this class we discover heaven on earth in Judaism’s more sublime sense of idealism, one deeply rooted in reality.
Back to Life
Recovering from life’s challenges
Throughout our history, there were times when all seemed
lost. In our own personal lives, too, we sometimes feel that we are deadened, our inspiration gone. Today, it seems that our nation’s vitality has been sapped, our spirit crushed. This class shows how to bring it all back to life
I… I Don’t Know
Can a Jew live with questions?
We don’t buy a car unless we know everything about it. We
won’t vote for a politician until we make sure their agendas are aligned with ours. But when it comes to G-d, we can leave our questions unanswered and believe, nonetheless. Why?