NVHC

Intermediate Hebrew
2025-02-04 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Taught by: Neta Litvin
Textbook: Hebrew – A Language Course, Level 2
Tuesdays, 12 weeks beginning October 29, 6:30-7:30pm
Online only
$136/members, $160/non-members
Prerequisites: Beginning Hebrew 1 or equivalent. Knowledge of the Aleph-Bet and beginning proficiency with reading Hebrew.
Class participants will have the opportunity to hone their Hebrew reading skills using a modern Hebrew textbook, learning Hebrew from simple stories.
Features include: Varied reading selections that range from contemporary stories to Hasidic tales, midrashim, and biblical narratives. Lessons that train students to read confidently both with and without vowels. Grammatical concepts explored through comparison to English structure.
This class is for anyone who would like further practice in their Hebrew reading skills and who would like to expand their Hebrew vocabulary and understanding of Hebrew grammar.
Click here to register!

History of Zionism
2025-02-04 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Taught by Rabbi Michael Holzman
Tuesdays, December 3, January 7, February 4, March 4, April 8, May 6
7:00-8:30pm, in person and on Zoom
The idea of Jewish autonomy and self-determination in the land of Israel pervades and structures Jewish thought for most of our history as a people. In the modern era this concept gets turbo-charged, leads to the formation of the State of Israel, and continues to evolve through our present day. This course will trace the major ideas of Zionism and explore how over time, the emphasis of Zionism has shifted between different aspects of this line of thought. No prior knowledge required.
Click here to register.

Oy Vey I’m Getting Older: Aging in a Jewish Context
2025-02-05 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Taught by Libby Robbins & Rabbi Rosalind Gold
Wednesdays, January 22, January 29, February 5, February 26, March 5
Thursday, March 13
12:00-1:30pm, in person only
Registration is now closed.
1/22 Deciding to Retire
Ritualizing retirement. Who am I without my job? Being vs doing. How will I reinvent myself? Letting go of who I used to be/discovering who I can become. My body – yikes! Finding purpose and joy in the face of diminishing capacities.
1/29 What do I want to do with the rest of my life?
Do I want to downsize? When is it time to move to Ashby Ponds? How I want to use my resources: have fun? repair the world? Navigating changing family relationships.
2/5 Preparing for the end (one of these days)
What if I become my partner’s caretaker? What if I need care? Where do I want to be planted? What would I like on my gravestone? Medical/legal preparations.
2/26 Losing a Partner/Finding your new self
Navigating grief. Recreating yourself as a solo. What do I with the wedding rings? Learning to do the things your partner used to do. Navigating changing family relationships, again! Could I ever imagine dating again?
3/5 Writing my Ethical Will
What values do I want to leave for my children/grandchildren/community? How can I work to see that my cherished values live on?
3/13 Class Wrap-Up

Advanced Hebrew
2025-02-05 18:45 - 19:45 (America/New_York)
Taught by Neta Litvin
Textbook: Brandeis Modern Hebrew
Wednesdays, 12 weeks beginning October 30, 6:45-7:45pm
Online only
$136/members, $160/non-members
Prerequisites: Intermediate Hebrew II, Prayer Hebrew II, or equivalent. Comfort with reading Hebrew fluently and intermediate knowledge of Hebrew grammar.
In this course you will continue to expand your vocabulary, advanced grammar, adjectives, and verb tenses. The textbook reflects some of the main principles that have shaped the Brandeis Hebrew curriculum during the past decade. These include: an emphasis on the learner’s ability to use the target language in all four skills areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing; an effort to contextualize each unit within a specific subject or theme; exposing the student to authentic and semi-authentic materials (texts written by native speakers); and exploring different elements from Israeli and Jewish culture in the language drills, reading passages, and in selections of sources from the Hebrew literary canon. The text in this edition comprises 11 units, supplementary Hebrew proficiency guidelines, and a vocabulary list. Audio-visual components for all reading passages are available online for download.
Click here to register!

Journeys Conversation Series: Conversion
2025-02-05 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for a series of four conversations that will bring us together in the sacred act of listening to the stories of our people. Panels of NVHC members from communities within our larger NVHC community will speak about their personal Jewish Journeys around four different topics. Through hearing these stories, we discover what connects us and strengthen our ties to each other.

Join us for the following evenings of sacred storytelling:

Tuesday, October 29 – Immigration journey
Thursday, December 12 – Interfaith households
February 5 – Conversion
April 1 – Queer Jews

Judaism Is About Love
2025-02-06 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-02-20 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Taught Rabbi Holzman
Thursdays, February 6, 20; March 6, 27; April 10, 17; May 1, 15; June 5
*We’ll pick up again in late August!
12:00-1:00pm, On Zoom Only
This lunch ‘n learn is named after Shai Held’s recent, masterful volume of Jewish thinking, Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life. Together we will seek to understand how Held’s ideas manifest in our lives and contemporary Jewish practice. Independent purchase of the book is required, and e-book copies should be paginated like the print edition. (No handouts will be provided.)
Click here to purchase the book and Click here to register.

Introduction to Reform Responsa
2025-02-06 19:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York)
Taught by Rabbi Barrett
Thursdays, November 14*, December 19, January 9, February 6, April 24, May 15
7:00-8:15pm, in person and on Zoom
*Class on November 14 will take place from 6:00-7:00pm
Responsa is a genre of Jewish literature focused on legal decisions and rulings made by rabbinic authorities. These texts typically present questions and answers regarding various aspects of Jewish practice and cover nearly every facet of Jewish life. Each monthly session will explore a specific theme in Jewish tradition, accompanied by a relevant responsum on the topic. This class merges Jewish learning with practical application, encouraging participants to reflect on their own relationship to Jewish observance. Join us as we dive into a new legal topic each session, enhancing both your textual skills and your understanding of Jewish knowledge along the way.
Click here to register.

Erev Shabbat Service - Shabbat Shirah
2025-02-07 19:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York)
Join us this Friday at 7:00pm for this special Shabbat! As we read the Song of the Sea in this week’s parashah (Torah Portion), we will be celebrating Shabbat Shirah – 50 years of women in the Cantorate, honoring women cantors, composers, and the flourishing of Jewish musical creativity.
Our Shabbat services are joyous, musical, spiritual, and welcoming. And make sure you stick around afterwards for oneg Shabbat.
All services are in person and streamed on YouTube.

Shabbat Sustenance: American Scripture Project
2025-02-08 09:00 - 10:15 (America/New_York)
Join us in person for Shabbat Sustenance: American Scripture Project to discuss “Hatikvah.”
As part of American Scripture Project: Israel Edition, we will discuss the poem that became Israel’s national anthem and the implications of this text for Israel’s national identity.

Comparative Diaspora
2025-02-09 09:15 - 10:30 (America/New_York)
Taught by Andrew Stein
Sundays, October 20, 27; November 10, 17; December 8, 15; January 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9, 23; March 2, 9, 16, 23; April 6, 27; May 4, 18
9:15-10:30am, in person and on Zoom
Synopsis: Many American Jews, though not all, trace their roots to ancestors who came to the United
States of America before 1945, with subsequent waves of Jews from the former Soviet Union and
Islamic world, Holocaust survivors, Israelis and others. This course will take a new look at the experience
and evolution of the Jews in America over time and topically with a different lens. We’ll compare and
contrast the American Jewish experience with that of other English-speaking Diaspora communities like
the UK, Canada, and Australia, as well as France, Argentina, and Brazil. We will explore a series of
themes such as efforts to achieve civic equality and Jewish participation in each country’s politics and
the military, the history of immigration and ghetto life from the 19th century up to the present, Jewish
demography, and the history of Judaism in its varieties. The course will also address the experiences in
diverse communities with Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, and different communities’ ties to Zionism
and Israel.
Click here to register!

Kehillat Limmud (Religious School)
2025-02-09 09:30 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
Kehillat Limmud (Community of Learners) is our religious school program for children ages 0-7th grade. Click here to learn more!

Handcrafting Social Hour
2025-02-09 10:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York)
January 12, 26; February 9, 23; March 9, 23; April 6, 27
10:00am-12:00pm, in person only
Calling all knitting, crochet, and handcrafting friends! Join fellow congregants in a handcrafting social hour from 10:00am-12:00pm in the Adult Lounge at NVHC. Bring your own project to work on and let’s craft together.
Please contact Ruth Ann Whalen at ShowClick Here to View Contact Information to RSVP or with any questions.

Tamid (Sundays)
2025-02-09 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)

Confirmation Class
2025-02-09 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York)

Planning Your Legacy
2025-02-09 12:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)

Tamid (8th-12th Grade)
2025-02-11 17:45 - 20:00, 2025-02-18 17:45 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Tamid is our religious school/youth group program for students in 8th-12th grade. Click here to learn more!

Strengthening the Self (Mussar) Through the Psalms
2025-02-12 12:00 - 13:15 (America/New_York)
Taught by Cantor Caro
Wednesdays, 12:00-1:15pm, in person and on Zoom
November 13, December 18, January 15, February 12, March 12, April 23, May 14
Mussar is a virtues-based approach to Jewish ethics and character development, giving us how to live a most meaningful and ethical life.
The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 prayers, hymns, and meditations from Israel that are addressed to God, whose content expresses the breadth of the human experience of emotions.
In this monthly session, we will examine selections from the Book of Psalms that raise up various character traits (middot), offering us opportunities for personal growth and transformation through this Jewish lens.
Click here to register.

Executive Committee Meeting
2025-02-12 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)

Tu B'shevat
2025-02-13

Silver Line: Kugel Cafe
2025-02-14 17:45 - 19:00 (America/New_York)

Erev Shabbat Service
2025-02-14 19:00 - 20:15, 2025-02-21 19:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York)
Join us every Friday at 7:00pm to welcome Shabbat! Our Shabbat services are joyous, musical, spiritual, and welcoming. And make sure you stick around afterwards for oneg Shabbat.
All services are in person and streamed on YouTube.

Shabbat Sustenance: For the Body, Soul, and Mind
2025-02-15 09:00 - 10:15 (Africa/Abidjan)
Join us in person for a Shabbat morning full of soul-filled sustenance – bagels and coffee for the body, Torah study for the soul, and conversation for the mind!

Beginning Hebrew II
2025-02-17 19:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York)
Taught by: Neta Litvin
Textbook: Hebrew – A Language Course, Level 1
Mondays, 12 weeks beginning February 17, 7:00-8:00pm
Online only
$136/members, $160/non-members
You’re ready to take the next step in your Hebrew learning journey! This course builds on the basics, helping you expand your vocabulary, strengthen your grammar, and gain more confidence in reading, speaking, and writing. We will reinforce foundational skills while introducing essential verbs, sentence structures, and everyday conversations. With an Israeli flavor, our engaging approach makes learning Hebrew both enjoyable and rewarding!
Click here to register!

Intermediate Hebrew II
2025-02-18 18:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Taught by: Neta Litvin
Textbook: Hebrew – A Language Course, Level 2
Tuesdays, 12 weeks beginning February 18, 6:30-7:30pm
Online only
$136/members, $160/non-members
Prerequisites: Beginning Hebrew II/Intermediate Hebrew I. Knowledge of the Aleph-Bet and beginning proficiency with reading Hebrew.
Class participants will have the opportunity to hone their Hebrew reading skills using a modern Hebrew textbook, learning Hebrew from simple stories.
Features include: Varied reading selections that range from contemporary stories to Hasidic tales, midrashim, and biblical narratives. Lessons that train students to read confidently both with and without vowels. Grammatical concepts explored through comparison to English structure.
This class is for anyone who would like further practice in their Hebrew reading skills and who would like to expand their Hebrew vocabulary and understanding of Hebrew grammar.
Click here to register!

Advanced Hebrew II
2025-02-19 18:45 - 19:45 (America/New_York)
Taught by Neta Litvin
Textbook: Brandeis Modern Hebrew
Wednesdays, 12 weeks beginning February 19, 6:45-7:45pm
**Class on April 30 has been moved to May 1
Online only
$136/members, $160/non-members
Prerequisites: Intermediate Hebrew II, Prayer Hebrew II, or equivalent. Comfort with reading Hebrew fluently and intermediate knowledge of Hebrew grammar.
In this course you will continue to expand your vocabulary, advanced grammar, adjectives, and verb tenses. The textbook reflects some of the main principles that have shaped the Brandeis Hebrew curriculum during the past decade. These include: an emphasis on the learner’s ability to use the target language in all four skills areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing; an effort to contextualize each unit within a specific subject or theme; exposing the student to authentic and semi-authentic materials (texts written by native speakers); and exploring different elements from Israeli and Jewish culture in the language drills, reading passages, and in selections of sources from the Hebrew literary canon. The text in this edition comprises 11 units, supplementary Hebrew proficiency guidelines, and a vocabulary list. Audio-visual components for all reading passages are available online for download.
Click here to register!

Coaching Session for Being a Chaver (Volunteer Visitor)
2025-02-20 17:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York)
Taught by: Cantor Caro
November 14, 12:00pm
February 20, 5:00pm
We will prepare you to become part of our group of volunteers who are available to make ‘friendly visits’ to other NVHC members in need of companionship and friendship – perhaps following loss, during illness, or in other difficult moments of life. Please come if you have the time or ability to volunteer to be this supportive presence to come to one of our members.
Click here to register.

Game Night
2025-02-21 20:30 - 23:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for Erev Shabbat services followed by Game night! Game night is open to everyone, whether you’re a casual board gamer, serious hobbyist, or just want to hang out with your NVHC friends. We’ll have plenty of games and snacks, but please feel free to bring your own!
