Great Expectations: The Art and Aims of Rabbinic Narrative
Fall 2026
ONLINE

Great Expectations: The Art and Aims of Rabbinic Narrative

Program: Hebrew College
Instructor:  Rabbi Benjamin Samuels
Dates: 10 Mondays: 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21 (make-up: 1/4)
Time:  Mondays, 9:30-11:30 am ET
Course fee: $500.  Financial aid is available.
Location:  Zoom
Hosted by: Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley, MA
Registration:  Click here

The stories of the Talmud are among the most compelling creations of the rabbinic imagination. Through memorable sages, dramatic encounters, and enduring moral dilemmas, the rabbis explored questions of leadership, faith, scholarship, family, suffering, and the human condition.

In this ten-session course, we will study some of the finest narratives of the Talmud and Midrash while exploring both traditional and contemporary approaches to interpretation. Together we will discover how rabbinic storytelling conveys values, shapes culture, and offers profound insight into the Jewish understanding of life.

We warmly invite you to consider dedicating your class in loving memory or
honor of a dear one by making a gift in support of Jewish learning. Simply use
our secure form and indicate in the text box that this is your class sponsorship.
Please be sure to write the class name so your thoughtfulness can be recognized
by your instructor. (Suggested minimum gift of $360). Thank you!