Open Circle Jewish Learning
Open Circle Jewish Learning brings together groups of curious, engaged learners with exceptional educators to dive into an array of compelling topics and practices.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all Hebrew College Community Learning classes, including Open Circle Jewish Learning, are currently being offered online, including Summer and Fall 2020 classes.
- time Adults of all ages
- location Virtual living rooms, synagogues, and community spaces
- duration 6 to 8 Sessions, 1.5 hours each
- Open Circle Jewish Learning Courses
- Open Circle Jewish Learning Courses
- About Open Circle
- Faculty & Staff
Fall 2020 Open Circle Jewish Learning Offerings:
This Fall we are pleased to offer both Open Circle Jewish Learning: 20s & 30s classes as well as Open Circle Jewish Learning: Classic classes.
Please join us for two virtual Sukkot Community Education Events taking place on October 6 and October 7, 2020. Both events are free and open to the public. Registration is required in order to receive a Zoom link.
- Rivkah’s Simchas Torah Song: Women’s Celebration in Early Modern Europe with Dr. Rachel Greenblatt, October 6, 2020 from 7:30-8:30pm. Register.
- Light in the Dark: Mussar as a Spritual Resource for Challenging Times with Rabbi Eric S. Gurvis, October 7 from 7:30-8:30pm. Register.
Open Circle Jewish Learning: 20s & 30s
| PROGRAM | COURSE TITLE | INSTRUCTOR | TIME | DATE | COST | REGISTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCJL 20s and 30s | Advanced Zivug | Rabbi Getzel Davis | Sundays 8-9:30pm | Oct 11, Nov 8, Dec 13; Jan 10, Feb 14, Mar 14, Apr 11, May 9 | $120 | Register |
| OCJL 20s and 30s | Jewish Tools for Saturn's Return | Rabbi David Curiel | Tuesdays, 7:30-9pm | Oct 13, 20, 27; Nov 10, 17, 24; Dec 1, 8 | $120 | Register |
| OCJL 20s and 30s | Zivug: Activist Couples Preparing for Marriage | Rabbi Getzel Davis | Wednesdays, 8-9:30 pm | Oct 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18; Dec 2 | $105 | Register |
| OCJL 20s and 30s | Shal-Om: Stories and their Storytellers | Rabbi Getzel Davis | Thursdays, 8-9:30pm | Oct 15, 22, 29; Nov 5, 12, 19; Dec 3, 10 | $120 | Register |
| OCJL 20s and 30s | Tatti Circle: Fathers of Young Children | Rabbi Getzel Davis | Sundays, 8-9:30pm | Oct 18, Nov 22, Dec 20; Jan 17, Feb 21, Mar 21, Apr 18, May 16 | $120 | Register |
Open Circle Jewish Learning: Classic
| PROGRAM | COURSE TITLE | INSTRUCTOR | TIME | DATE | COST | REGISTER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCJL Social Action | Does G!d Vote? | Hindy Finman | Thursdays, 7-8:30pm | October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and November 5 | $108 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Days of Awe: Prayer and Teaching | Rabbi Allan Lehmann | Wednesdays, 7 -9:30 PM | September 2. 9, 16, 23, 30, and October 7 | $150 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Personal Growth through Ancient Wisdom | Ketriellah Goldfeder | Sundays, 7:30-9pm | September 6, 13, October 18, November 1, 15, 29, December 6 and 20 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Inspired Leadership in Times of Crisis | Layah Lipsker | Tuesdays, 1-2:30pm | September 8, 22; October 13, 27; November 10, 24; December 1, 8 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | In Search of Renewal: Spiritual Teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi | Rabbi Or Rose | Thursdays 12-1:30 pm | September 10, 17. 24; October 1, 8, and 15 | $150 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Daf Yomi for Beginners | Layah Lipsker | Mondays and Thursdays, 9 to 9:45 am | September 10, 14, 17, 21, 24; October 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, 29; November 2 and 5 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Hasidic and Neo-Hasidic Insights into Maintaining Hope, Joy and Perspective in Challenging (or normal times) | Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD. | Mondays, 7:15-8:45pm | September 14; October 5, 19; November 2, 16, 30; and December 14 | $189 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Service of the Heart: Wrestling with Prayer | Rabbi Mona Strick | Thursdays, 7-8:30 pm | October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; November 5, 12 and 19 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Did Our Biblical Ancestors Practice Mussar? | Rabbi Carol Glass | Tuesdays, 10-11:30am | October 6, 20; November 3, 17; December 1, 15; January 5, 19 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Parenting Through a Jewish Lens through Mussar | Rabbi Marcia Plumb | Wednesdays, 9:15-10:45 am | October 7, 21; November 11; December 2, 16; January 13, 27; and February 17 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Jewish Contemporary Life and Living | Rabbi Lila Kagedan | Wednesdays, 11am-12:30pm | October 7, November 4, December 2 , January 13, February 10, March 10, and April 14; makeup date May 12 | $189 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Not for Artists Only - Creative Responses to Jewish Texts for Our Times | Rabbi Carol Glass and Julie Leavitt | Thursdays, 3:30-5pm | October 8, 15, 22, 29; November 5 and 12 | $162 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Watch and Learn | Layah Lipsker | Tuesdays, 10:30am to 12 pm | October 13, 27; November 10, 24; December 1, 8, 22; and January 5 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | An Introduction to Talmudic and Hasidic Stories | Rabbi Lev Friedman | Tuesdays, 2-3:30pm | October 13, 20, 27; November 10, 17; and December 1 | $162 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Advanced Mussar Study Group Shir Tikvah Winchester | Rabbi Marcia Plumb | Tuesdays 7:30-9pm | October 13, 27; November 10; December 8; January 12, 26; February 9 and 23 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | The Kaballah of Family | Layah Lipsker | Wednesdays, 12-1:30pm | October 14, 28; November 4, 18; December 2, 16; January 6 and 20 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Exploring God: An Intro for Seekers and Skeptics | Akiva Nelson | Sundays, 5-6:30pm | October 18, 25; November 1, 8, 15, 22; December 6, 13 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Exploring Our Soul Curriculum-An Exploration of Mussar | Laila Goodman | Sundays, 10-11:30am | October 18, November 15, December 13, January 24, February 21, March 21, April 18 and May 23 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | The Torah of Dreams: Understanding Our Dreams Through the Lens of the Pardes | Linda Schiller, MSW, LICSW | Mondays, 6:30-8pm | October 19, 26; November 2, 9, 16 and 23 | $162 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | The Feminine Scrolls and Social Transformation—From Biblical Times to Today | Rabbi Natan Margalit, PhD. | Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm | October 20, 27; November 10, 17, 24; and December 1 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Israel: Then and Now | Maya Dalzell | Tuesdays, 11:30am-1:00pm | October 20, 27; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1 and 8 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Women Wrote: Biblical Beginnings to Late Medieval Times | Rachel Greenblatt, PhD. | Tuesdays, 7:30-9pm | October 20, 27; November 3, 10, 24; December 1, 8, 15; *makeup date - December 22 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Advanced Mussar Beth El Sudbury | Rabbi Eric Gurvis | Wednesdays, 7:15-8:45pm | October 21; November 4, 18; December 2, 9; January 13, 27; and February 10 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Mussar for Everyone | Merry Arnold | Thursdays, 7:15-8:45pm | October 22; November 5, 19; December 3, 17; January 7 and 21 | $189 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | The Jewish Road to Character: A First Trip Down the Mussar Path - Temple Emanuel | Rabbi Eric Gurvis | Thursdays, 7:45-9:15pm | Meets bi-weekly October 22; November 5, 19; December 3, 17; January 7, 21; February 4 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Jewish Mindfulness Meditation on One Foot | Shoshana Cetlin, PhD. | Thursdays, 7-8:30pm | October 22, 29; November 5, 12, 19; December 3, 10 and 17 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Intermediate Mussar- Temple Beth Shalom-Needham | Rabbi Eric Gurvis | Tuesdays, 7:30-9pm | October 27, November 10; Dec 1, 15; January 12, 26; February 2 and 16 | $216 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Qaballah Qafe | Rabbi David Curiel | Wednesdays, 7:30-9pm | October 28; November 11, 18; Dec 2, 9 and 16 | $162 | Register |
| OCJL Classic | Biblical Gems-The Stories Behind the Famous Verses | Jamie Stolper | Mondays, 7:30-9pm | November 9, 16, 23, 30; December 7 and 14 | $162 | Register |
We have recently moved to a new online payment system. If you encounter any problems, including not receiving a registration confirmation via email for your class, please email Anna Katsevman (akatsevman@hebrewcollege.edu). Please be sure to log out of the system and refresh your history once you have paid for your class, even if you are registering for more than one class or for a second person in the same household. Please note that we only accept payment via credit card or e-check, and all are subject to a 4% administrative fee.
Please note when registering and paying: we cannot accept American Express. Many thanks.
The financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a need to increase our student fees slightly. Thank you for your understanding.
Please note: Those who withdraw from a course before the first session will be given a full refund. If you choose to withdraw from a course after the first session, a $50 administrative fee will be deducted from your refund.
Want to learn more about Open Circle Jewish Learning?
If you need additional information or want to create your own course, please email Linna Ettinger, Director of Open Circle Jewish Learning, at lettinger@hebrewcollege.edu. Linna can also be reached at 617.559.8813.
If you are a teacher and wish to submit a proposal for consideration for the Spring of 2021, we will begin accepting Spring 2021 proposals in the Fall of 2020.