Finding Our Way to Freedom: Bringing Ourselves to Seder in Troubled Times (3 sessions)
Program: Open Circle Jewish Learning Texts and Traditions
Instructor: Meredith Reiches
Day and Time: Mondays, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Eastern
Dates: April 1, 8, 15, 2024
Location: Online via Zoom
Fee: $100 Financial scholarships available
The Passover seder is the most widely practiced Jewish custom. Around the world, Jews of every stripe sit down at tables to share a meal and tell stories of liberation. But what happens when we get to the table? How can we make the seder both meaningful and manageable? In this charged global moment, when Jewish identity is center stage in the Diaspora, this class invites us to explore how we articulate what freedom and liberation mean, and how we can share sacred space with people whose ideas are different from our own. We will look at the textual origin of the Passover story, Exodus, to grapple with how it describes the passage from slavery to a different place (hint: the word “freedom” does not appear in the text). We’ll examine passages from different haggadot to understand how the concept of liberation has resonated for different communities, identities, and causes. What speaks to us and what might we bring to our own seder tables to share? Whether this is your first or your seventy-first time thinking through the seder, all are welcome—the richness of our conversation will come from our many voices.
Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning classes are for learners of all backgrounds.
Registrants from Canada, UK, EU and Australia: please email Cindy Bernstein to complete your registration. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Each semester, our Me’ah team works closely with groups who want to learn together, offering them unique course topics that meet their interest.
See a course you like in our online course catalog? Looking for something different? Interested in studying with a particular instructor? If you have a group of learners, from a synagogue, organization or just friends, who may wish to learn together and have a course designed to fit your specific interests, please contact us at meah@hebrewcollege.edu and we would be happy to work with you!
Sample Me’ah Select Courses from our Me’ah Faculty
Note: This is only a selection of courses and faculty from 2021-2023. Choose from these courses and instructors or the Me’ah team can work with you to create a course for your group.
Instructor: Dr. Jacob Meskin
An Introduction to the Modern Reading of Rashi
The Diverse Cultures of Contemporary Israel
Crucial Moments in Israeli History Through the Lens of Short Stories: Parts I & II
Tradition on the Screen II: Challenges & Joys of Traditional Jewish Life in Film
A Modern Introduction To The Thought Of Maimonides
Instructor: Rabbi Or Rose
Hasidic Narratives of Spiritual Growth, Loss, and Renewal
Abraham Joshua Heschel: Spirituality & Social Justice
The Mystical Quest: Kabbalah & Contemporary Jewish Experience
Instructor: Dr. Susie Tanchel
Ancient Responses to Modern Challenges
Honoring Many Voices
Connections and Disconnections: The Biblical World
Instructor: Rabbi Neal Gold
Sages and Dreamers: The Lives of the Rabbis of the Talmud
Encountering God Today
Beyond Statehood: How Early Zionism Transformed Jewish Life & Culture
The Passover Haggadah
Discovering the Art of Midrash
Instructor: Rav Rachel Adelman, PhD
The Problem of Evil Love
Love and Marriage in Rabbinic Tales of the Talmud
Bad@ass Broads of the Bible
Moses, A Life: A Study of Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg’s Biography of Moses
Bad@ass Broads in Midrash
Joseph and His Brothers
Instructor: Rabbi Benjie Samuels
The Biblical Book of Judges: Leadership Amidst Lawlessness
Profiles in Leadership and Resilience: Exploring Biblical & Jewish Historical Personalities
Changes and Challenges for a New Generation
Instructor: Rabbi Nehemiah Polen
Music and Melody in Jewish Spiritual Practice
Gender Symbolism in Bible, Talmud & Midrash, Kabbalah and Hasidism
Thank you for your interest in Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning.
Starting in 2016, Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning courses took place in living rooms and synagogue meeting rooms, creating safe, intimate spaces to strengthen social connections through shared learning journeys. Open Circle Jewish Learning has expanded with online learning to include learners from as far as the FIJI Islands and Australia!
Open Circle Jewish Learning brings groups of friends together to learn with veteran and new instructors. Designed for learners of all backgrounds, sometimes groups approach the Open Circle Jewish Learning team to request a course in a specific topic, and we work to match instructors with groups. Sometimes instructors submit course proposals (in May and November) after coordinating with student groups.
Some topics that groups of students are interested in are: Jewish Texts, Ritual, Israel, History, Jewish Thought, Holidays, Calendar, Social Action, Young Adults, Mussar, Spirituality, Parenting, Grandparenting, Art and Culture. We welcome the opportunity to match your interests with instructors.
For instructors wishing to teach through Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning, we welcome the opportunity to understand your particular passions and keep your name handy for groups looking to learn a topic within your area of expertise.
Student groups and instructors are invited to contact the Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning Team at opencircleregistration@hebrewcollege.edu.
Course Title: Parenting Through a Jewish Lens TBS Needham
Program: Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning: Parenting and Grandparenting
Instructor: Rabbi Mona Strick
Dates: March 17: April 7; May 5, June 9, 2024 (4 sessions)
Day and Time: Sundays, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Location: In-person, Temple Beth Shalom, Needham, MA
Fee: $100 Financial scholarship available
Join a group of fellow parents of young children to discuss topics that matter to you as a parent; reflect on the joys and challenges of raising kids today; and find support, encouragement, and connection. This Hebrew College designed curriculum helps parents discover the many ways in which Jewish sources of wisdom can inform their choices. Specific topics will include: Towards Joyful Parenting, Infusing Our Lives with Meaning, Shabbat: A time to Recharge and Reconnect, Finding Peace in Our Homes. On-site babysitting with pizza is included with registration.
Parenting Through a Jewish Lens is now part of Hebrew College Open Circle Jewish Learning and is for learners of all backgrounds.
