Adult Learning

Please join us throughout the year to learn Torah, explore its roots and branches, and discuss the meaning of our texts and tradition. Classes are announced through our weekly newsletter, Reyim Shelanu.

Learning with Rabbi Berman

Rabbi Berman offers semester- or year-long courses in ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary Jewish text and thought. Recent courses have included: Modern Jewish Theology; Israeli Hebrew Poetry; Early Hasidic Teachings; History of Israel and Zionism; The Midrashic Imagination; Talmud Study (Brachot, Yoma and Kiddushin); and Pathways into Meaningful Prayer. Classes are announced each semester in our Reyim Shelanu newsletter.

Rabbi Berman also teaches in small groups or one-on-one. Reach out to Rabbi Berman if you are interested. 

Beit Midrash

In the fall of 2015, we launched a new model in community learning: our community Beit Midrash. Scholars in many different areas of Jewish and religious thought join us throughout the year to teach, guide our hevruta text study, and lead us in a community conversation on questions of Jewish law, ethics, spirituality and history.

The Beit Midrash meets selected Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m.  

Beit Midrash Scholars and Topics

  • Dr. Shira Fischer:  Why We Sometimes Have Two Months of Adar and Other Adventures in Jewish Times
  • Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, Hebrew College: Rejoicing in Being “A Part”
  • Sivan Etedgee: Reyim community member -Jewish voices in Classical Piano – Lecture and Recital
  • Professor Benjamin Sax, Institute for Islamic, Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore: Making Dialogue Possible – Discussing the Israel-Palestinian Conflict with Respect and Empathy
  • Anita Rabinoff-Goldman, Reyim community member – Seeing Torah: A Visual Midrash
  • Rabbi Benjamin Samuels, War Prayers, Victory Songs, and Prayers for the Government
  •  Rabbi Daniel Cohen, the Bracha Formula
  • Dr. Shira Fischer:  Why We Sometimes Have Two Months of Adar and Other Adventures in Jewish Times
  •  Rabbi Sharon Cohen-Anisfeld: Shouts and Whispers: On Saying “We Jews”
  •  Dr. Joan Listernick, Reyim community member – Through the Gate of the Heart: The Influence of Sufism on Jewish Thought and Worship
  • Simona Di Nepi, Museum of Fine Art: A History of Judaic Art
  • Professor Jonathan Klawans, Boston University: The Hanukkah Story
  • Michael Satlow, PhD, Brown University: The Kingdom of Judah after the fall of Israel
  • Rabbi Dan Judson, PhD, Hebrew College: A Genuinely Candid Conversation: A Brief History of The Jewish Community’s Approach to Race in the Early 20th Century
  • Carla Naumburg, PhD: You’re Not a Terrible Parent: How to Practice Self-Compassion and Give Yourself a Break 
  • Yuval Evri, PhD, Brandeis University: The Mizrahi return to Arabic Music
  • Brian Robinette, PhD, Boston College: Spiritual Exercises
  • Yael Schonbrun, PhD, Reyim community member – A New Approach to being a Working Parent
  • Edith Pick, PhD, Queen Mary University of London: Diversity, Politics and the Jewish Space
  • Adele Reinhartz: Anonymity And Identity In Biblical Narrative
  • Adriane Leveen: Understanding The Biblical Prophets During Covid-19
  • Eric Lichtblau: discussion of his book Return to the Reich: A Holocaust Refugee’s Secret Mission to Defeat the Nazis
  • Saul Zaritt: Yiddish Afterlives
  • Shai Asfai: Benjamin Franklin’s Influence on Jewish Thought and Practice
  • Sarah Wolf: What if God Was One of Us? Envisioning God in Rabbinic Literature
  • Ed Rabin: The Hebrew Bible as a Source of American Political Values
  • Jacob Meskin: Religious and Mystical Beliefs in Two Contemporary American Jewish “Revival” Movements
  • Peter Machinist: Understanding the Book of Job
  • Jon Levenson: Did the Israelites Deserve to Be Taken out of Egypt? An Ancient Theological Debate in Midrashic Form
  • Micha’el Rosenberg: Sacred Envy? The Virgin Mary in Rabbinic Literature
  • Judith Kates: The Magic of Midrash: How the Ancient Rabbinic Playful, Creative Imagination Came to Define Jewish Theology and Thought
  • Alan Verskin: Grappling with Expressions of Anger in Jewish Liturgy
  • David Jaffe: A Jewish Approach to Personal and Social Change
  • Eugene Sheppard: Why the State of Israel Has No Written Constitution
  • Lori Hope Lefkovitz: The Biblical Story of Joseph in Judaism and Islam
  • Simon Rabinovitch: The Russian Revolution and the Jews: Moscow or Jerusalem?
  • Rabbi Daniel Berman: A Comparative Study of Jewish and American Law
  • Rabbi Art Green: Neo-Hasidism – Judaism’s Path to Living Spiritually and Meaningfully in the Contemporary World 
  • Professor Peter Machinist: The Hebrew Bible and Myth 
  • Professor Jeff Shoulson: Not Your Hebrew School Bible – Sex, Lies, and Love in the Torah
  • Professor Rachel Adelman: Redeeming the King? The Role of David’s Wives in the Making of the Messianic Dynasty
  • Professor ChaeRan Freeze: Everyday Jewish Life in the Pale of Settlement
  • Rabbi Daniel Berman: Folklore in the Talmud
  • Professor Yehudah Mirsky: Israel’s Religious Politics
  • Professor Jackie Vayntrub: The Beauty and Wisdom in Proverbs
  • Professor Peter Machinist: The Bible and Monotheism
  • Tamar Biala: Dirshuni – Israeli Women Writing Midrash
  • Professor Eugene Sheppard: Radical Critiques of Judaism
  • Celene Ibrahim Lizzio: Moses and his Mother: A Quranic View
  • Rabbi Micha’el Rosenberg: Ancient Texts, Contemporary Issues
  • Professor Susannah Heschel: the Life and Legacy of Abraham Joshua Heshel
  • Rabbi Jonah Steinberg: Menschlikeit is Next to Godliness
  • Tamar Biala: Jewish Sacred Texts by Israeli Women
  • Rabbi Daniel Berman: The History and Meaning of Zachor
  • Rabbi Daniel Berman: Trends in Jewish Mysticism

Lay-Led Classes

Many of our community members are passionate and gifted teachers, who facilitate discussion of Jewish text throughout the year. Recent classes have included the study of Psalms, Proverbs, and the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel. To join, please reach out to Vitaly Zakuta.

We are also very fortunate that our own community members teach prayer, nusach and Torah and Haftarah trope, which enables our members to lead us in our prayer services on Shabbat, festivals and the High Holy Days. For more, be in touch with Michele Koppelman, chair of our Limmud Adult Education Committee.

Chug Ivrit: Hebrew Conversation Group

Every second Wednesday beginning October 22, 2025 • 7:30 p.m. by Zoom

Chug Ivrit is a continuing conversational Hebrew group for experienced Hebrew speakers. Students gain confidence and skill in hearing and speaking Hebrew by sharing in conversations, in a supportive friendly setting, guided by a native Israeli Hebrew speaker. We talk about recent experiences­: family events, work, travels, movies, books, news articles or other topics of interest. We also identify helpful online resources for home practice. Be in touch with David Stollar for more information.

Learning