Or Shalom prides itself in being a community of learners, of valuing “holy chutzpah” in challenging the status quo, and constantly searching for deeper spiritual truths in both traditional and modern stories. Discover opportunities for Jewish learning below; those who may need support are encouraged to enquire about subsidies at office@orshalom.ca.
Exploring Judaism
Exploring Judaism is Or Shalom’s umbrella of adult classes for those on the path to discovering Judaism and for those wishing to deepen basic understandings of Jewish holidays, Shabbat, modes of prayer, ritual and more. Registration required.
Living a Jewish Year
This entry-level exploration delves into each of the Jewish holidays in real time, providing a rich historical perspective and multiple entryways into celebration. Participants will engage in guided rituals and spiritual experiences, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of each holiday’s significance.
In addition to holiday observances, the course also dedicates time to exploring the meaning and practices of observing the Sabbath. Through engaging discussions as well as communal celebrations, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of Jewish traditions and how to incorporate them into their lives.
No prerequisites are needed for this course. It is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and connection to Jewish holidays and rituals.
Mondays 7pm – 8:30pm
September – June (11 classes)
September 9, 2024, *October 21, 2024, November 4, 2024, December 2, 2024, January 20, 2025, *Jan 24, 2025, February 3, 2025, March 3, 2025, *April 7, 2025, May 5, 2025, June 9, 2025
Member $575.00 / Regular $690.00
Repeat Student: Member $145.00 / Regular $175.00
- Monday Oct 21, 2024 – a meeting of all adult courses, in the Or Shalom Sukkah
- Friday Jan 24, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, for Shabbat dinner.
- Monday April 7, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, to explore Passover tradition
Register here by Sep 9
Late registration, please email programs@orshalom.ca
Become a Member here.
Jewish Spiritual Practice
This three moduled course offers an in-depth exploration of essential Jewish practices,. The first module explores the history of Jewish spiritual practice. The second delves in into Jewish spiritual practice as it’s expressed today. The third module explores the trends and philosophies of the future of Judaism. Each session will dive into these topics, providing historical context, practical guidance, and opportunities for personal reflection.
Participants will learn how to incorporate these practices into their daily lives, using them as vehicles to create a meaningful and personalized spiritual routine.
No prior experience is necessary, making this course accessible to anyone interested in deepening their connection to Jewish spirituality and developing a consistent daily practice.
3 modules of 5 sessions each, with unique yet interwoven themes and ideas.
An exploration of five daily Jewish practices: prayer, meditation, blessings, tzedakah, and torah study. We will dive into each of these topics as vehicles for creating a personal daily practice of our own. No prior experience necessary.
Twice monthly on Thursdays. 7pm – 8:30pm
Module 1: November 7, 2024, November 21, 2024, December 5, 2024, December 19, 2024, January 16 2025
Module 2: January 24, 2025, January 30, 2025, February 13, 2025, February 27, 2025, March 20, 2025, April 3, 2025
Module 3: April 7, 2025, May 1, 2025, May 15, 2025, May 29, 2025, June 12, 2025
- Friday Jan 24, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, for Shabbat dinner.
- Monday April 7, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, to explore Passover tradition
Pricing Structure per Module:
Member: $215.00
Non-Member: $250.00
Register for Module 1 here by Nov 7
Register for Module 2 here by Jan 24
Register for Module 3 here by Apr 7
Late registration, please email programs@orshalom.ca
Become a Member here.
Adult Simchat Mitzvah
The Adult Simchat Mitzvah program is a remarkable journey of learning, praying, studying and exploring Jewish identity and tradition. This 10-month course will delve into Jewish theology, liturgy (prayer), and Jewish cannon (Torah, Midrash,Talmud, etc.). This may be an opportunity to celebrate a Simchat Mitzvah for the first time or to revisit and renew this moment in a more purposeful, thoughtful and intentional way as an adult. Wherever you are on your Jewish journey, whatever the motivation for embarking on this path, approaching this rite of passage as an adult learner is an expansive journey.
Learn to read from the Torah following classic musical notation in preparation to lead portions of the Or Shalom Shabbat morning service.
Class time will also be devoted to the mastery of parts of the Shabbat morning service. The course culminates in a joint ceremony on a Shabbat morning during which the b’nai mitzvah lead the service, read from Torah, and give Divrei Torah.
Rabbi Arik will meet with students as needed to guide Torah study and the writing of a Dvar Torah on students’ chosen Torah portions.
This is a program for Or Shalom members.
Please note, a rate of 80% attendance of all aspects of the course is required, in addition to attendance at Bayit based Shabbat morning services, once per month.
Prerequisite: Ability to read Hebrew aloud.
Weekly on Thursdays. 7pm – 8:30pm
November – November (32 classes)
This three moduled course offers an in-depth exploration of essential Jewish practices,. The first module explores the history of Jewish spiritual practice. The second delves in into Jewish spiritual practice as it’s expressed today. The third module explores the trends and philosophies of the future of Judaism. Each session will dive into these topics, providing historical context, practical guidance, and opportunities for personal reflection.
Participants will learn how to incorporate these practices into their daily lives, using them as vehicles to create a meaningful and personalized spiritual routine.
No prior experience is necessary, making this course accessible to anyone interested in deepening their connection to Jewish spirituality and developing a consistent daily practice.
3 modules of 5 sessions each, with unique yet interwoven themes and ideas.
An exploration of five daily Jewish practices: prayer, meditation, blessings, tzedakah, and torah study. We will dive into each of these topics as vehicles for creating a personal daily practice of our own. No prior experience necessary.
Weekly on Thursdays. 7pm – 8:30pm
November 7, 2024, November 14, 2024, November 21, 2024, November 28, 2024, December 5, 2024, December 12, 2024, December 19, 2024, January 9, 2025, January 16, 2025, January 23, 2025, *January 24, 2025, January 30, 2025, February 6, 2025, February 13, 2025, February 20, 2025, February 27, 2025, March 6, 2025, April 3, 2025, *April 7, 2025, April 10, 2025, April 17, 2025, April 24, 2025, May 1, 2025, May 8, 2025, May 15, 2025, May 22, 2025, May 29, 2025, June 5, 2025, June 12, 2025, September 4, 2025, September 11, 2025, October 23, 2025, Ceremony – November 8, 2025
- Friday Jan 24, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, for Shabbat dinner
- April 7, 2025 – a meeting of all the adult courses, to explore Passover tradition
- November 8, 2025 – Adult Simchat Mitzvah celebration
Pricing:
1 year, Or Shalom membership.
Course fee: $825.00 (Members only)
Text & Workbook: $95 (Approximately)
Register here by Nov 7
Late registration, please email programs@orshalom.ca
Become a member.
Zusia: The Bet Midrash
For those with a base of Jewish knowledge, Zusia is a serious but playful study for all learners who are interested in examining the multi-faceted nature of Torah and Jewish culture. Registration required.
[Virtual] Integral Halacha: Transcending and Including
Reb Daniel Siegel, co-founder of Or Shalom and the Integral Halacha Institute, will be teaching this special lunch hour zoom series on our evolving relationship to halacha. The class will explore some classic halachic issues as well as make space for participants to bring modern issues to explore together. Through an interactive conversation with the halachic tradition, we discover ways in which Jewish spiritual practice is alive and responsive to this moment in time.
Tuesdays, 12-1pm: Nov 5, Nov 12, Nov 19, Nov 26 | Offered via Zoom (Link Shared with Registrants)
With Rabbi Daniel Siegel
Members: $72 | Regular: $144
Register here.
Creating The World that is to Come: A Poetry Workshop
In this generative workshop, we will explore creating Olam-Haba (That World That is to Come/The World That is Coming) through poetry. As People of the Book, we will position ourselves in a rich lineage of imagining and building a more just and equitable world through text study and poetry as prayer. We will engage with feminist midrashic poetry, eco-feminist poetry, magic realism, and folktales. Authors will include Alicia Jo Rabbins, Rabbi Rachel Barenblat, Hila Ratzabi, Marge Piercy, and selections from Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. Together, we’ll envision and write of a more joyful, peaceful, and playful world to come, with a desire to create that reality now. No poetry experience is needed, just a hopeful and imaginative spirit!
Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm: Jan 15, Jan 22, Jan 29 | Or Shalom
With Hannah Yerington
Members: $54 | Regular: $108
Register here.
The Wild West of Jewish Literature: Second Temple Religious Imagination
The period of the 2nd Jewish Temple (516 BCE – 70 CE) is a veritable wild west of the Jewish religious imagination and practice, revealed by the prolific creation of texts and competing canons, much of which did not make the final edit that is the present-day TaNaKh. This includes Qumran materials, pseudepigrapha, rewritten Bible, and apocryphal texts. Our study will introduce these texts and what is known about their context. It will also help us answer the following questions: What are the flavors of ancient Judaisms? What is canon – what does canon do? How do we understand our own contemporary flavor of Judaism in the grand arc of history?
Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm: Jan 29, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 12 | Or Shalom
With Yehuda Mansell
Members: $72 | Regular: $144
Register here
Zusia Beit Midrash
K’ne lecha rav, Come to the Bayit for an evening of Beit Midrash-style learning. You can bring a specific text you’d like to study or explore materials we’ve selected. Come with a chevrutah (study partner), or find one that night. The evening will conclude with a brief Maariv service and an opportunity to say Kaddish (and perhaps even learn more about it!).
Wednesdays, 7-8:30 pm Feb 5, Feb 19, March 5, March 19 | Or Shalom
No fee
Register here
Mame-loshn in Vancouver
Join local Yiddish translators Helen Mintz, Faith Jones, Rachel Mines, and Seymour Levitan as they share insights into their translation process and showcase their work. These sessions offer a rich exploration of Yiddish literature, highlighting diverse approaches to bringing these vibrant, often deeply personal texts into English. Discover the challenges and rewards of translating this unique literary tradition while gaining a deeper appreciation for Yiddish culture.
Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm: Mar 25, Apr 8, Apr 22, May 6 | Or Shalom
Teachers: Helen Mintz, Faith Jones, Rachel Mines, and Seymour Levitan
Members: $72 | Regular: $144
Register here
Subsidies available: email office@orshalom.ca
Join us Friday mornings at 9:00 am at the bayit for text-based Torah study as we start learning at the beginning, with Parshat Bereshit on Friday, October 13, and finish at the end, with Ha’azinu and Vezot HaBerakha on Friday, October 4, 2024. No registration required.
Heart-centred Torah Study for Women & Non-binary Members
This closed group reads the weekly (Torah) parsha together, a gleaning from scholars and/or our own impressions is presented by 1-2 participants, then each responds from the heart to what is speaking to us from the Torah portion and writes freely for 15-20 minutes. This is followed by each classmate sharing their rough, heart-centred writing. And a short reflection at the end. Contact programs@orshalom if interested.
