UPCOMING ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES

Midrash

Tuesdays, February 16 & 23, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Led by Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

Midrash: Biblical interpretation. We all do it as we read! What is the connection between midrash practiced by our earliest sages and midrash that we construct today? Learn about the techniques and themes of the most famous early midrashim. Learn about new scholarly understandings of midrash. Gain a better vocabulary for interpreting ancient midrash and developing your own.

Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan is currently teaching an undergraduate course on midrash at UBC.

Yiddish Nacht

Wednesday March 17, 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Led by Myrna Rabinowitz

Sponsored by the Tikkun Olam committee

On Lag B'Omer we celebrate the early rabbis' fight for national survival. As part of their work, they learned outdoor skills. For this walk, we will gather in Lighthouse Park and learn to observe the old-growth forest around us. Through interpretation, games and silence, we will learn about the ecosystems that connect mountains with sea, with a focus on habitat transitions and local plant and bird species.

Packing list: sturdy walking shoes, the right clothes for the weather, a snack and water, and binoculars if you have them.

Directions from Vancouver: Cross the Lion's Gate Bridge. Stay left and take Marine Drive west. The scenic drive nears the park when it winds up a hill. Be careful when turning left at the large wooden Lighthouse Park sign just past the bus stop: visibility is limited and you turn into a one-lane road. Drive slowly.

Peter Ballin is a retired biology instructor, Vancouver Community College, Adjunct Professor in the Biological Sciences Department, Thompson Rivers University, and a founding member of Adam v'Adamah

Ruth and Shavuot: A Tantalizing Treat

Wednesday May 12, 7:30-9:30 pm

led by Barbara Halparin

It's easy to see why we read the Book of Esther on Purim - Esther relates the history of that holiday. But why would our sages single out the Book of Ruth as the ideal Shavuot narrative? Come and explore the intricacies of this rich and beautiful text. Together we will read Ruth, ponder its meanings for the festival of Shavuot, and sample some dairy goodies. Treat your mind, your soul, and your taste buds.

Barbara Halparin is Or Shalom's Education Director, and a dairy delicacies maven.

Wednesdays, June 2 & 9, 7:30-9:00 pm

Shekhinah: A Book Discussion

led by Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

Join a thoughtful group in reading and discussing On the Wings of Shekhinah: Rediscovering Judaism's Divine Feminine by Rabbi Leah Novick. Rabbi Novick traces the theological portrayal of women and feminine through the history of Jewish thought. The book discussion will be an opportunity to learn, synthesize, question, and broaden our spiritual vocabulary. The book is available through chapters.indigo.ca and amazon.ca

Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan served as Coordinator of Women's Studies at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte from 1993-2000, where she taught an academic course called "Women in Judaism."

Supporting Friends with Serious Illness

Sunday, June 6 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Led by Sally Thorne & Mary Adlersberg

Sponsored by the Gemilut Chesed Committee

Offering appropriate support to a friend with a serious illness causes us to confront our deepest emotional and spiritual selves. How we communicate or extend assistance can influence whether or not the person who is afflicted will feel cared for and sustained. Grounded in our awareness of the circumstances, and our own motives and agency, caring support can take many positive forms. In this workshop we will discuss the mitzvah of gemilut chasadim, acts of loving kindness, in this special situation. By sharing our stories we will explore how best to present ourselves as instruments of support in this most taxing time of human struggle.

Dr. Sally Thorne, Director of the UBC School of Nursing, and Mary Adlersberg, recently retired from the College of Nursing, draw on their professional and human background. They are grateful to the many patients and research subjects who have taught them what it is to be ill within a social world.

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