Lifelong Learning

Every time we say the Sh’ma, at the central moment of the service, we have prayers just before and just after that speak of the value of learning. Before the Sh’ma is the Ahava Raba in the morning, and the Ahavat Olam in the evening, both of which describe how God manifests love for us through the gift of Torah (which in this case means teaching writ large). And after the Sh’ma we continue with the V’ahavta which reminds us of all the ways that we express our love for God by repeating the words of Torah twice daily, everywhere we go and in every place we enter.

Every time we study a text, hear a lecture, watch a movie, discuss or share an idea, listen to a sermon, react to a lesson, or especially ask a question we are engaged in the business of learning: la-asok b’divrei Torah. This institution and our Lifelong Learning program exist to provide as many opportunities as possible for people to engage in that business.

Just as the liturgy shows us loving is a two-way street (God loves us, and we have to love God back), so too is learning in community a two-way street. We can provide as many opportunities as possible, but you have to take us up on the offer. So please, put aside whatever may be obstructing your path to learning and sign up. Whether it is a busy schedule, a feeling of inferiority, a sense of confusion about where to start, or a concern about being lonely or left out, we can do our best address any of these things. But you have to take the first step.

If you do not know where to begin, contact ShowClick Here to View Contact Information, ShowClick Here to View Contact Information, or any member of the staff, and tell us and we will help you find your way to a life enriched by the power of Torah. Join us and enjoy the fruits of learning.

It is a tree of life to them that hold fast to it, and all its supporters are happy.

Torah Service, adapted from Proverbs 3:18

Catalog of Courses

Introduction to Judaism

ON ZOOM

Do you want to learn about Judaism or increase your Jewish knowledge? Then the Introduction to Judaism class is for you. This course is perfect for interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, spiritual seekers, individuals considering conversion, and Jews who want a meaningful adult Jewish learning experience. This 18 week course will give you a solid foundation in Jewish holidays, theology and core beliefs, life cycle celebrations, the Hebrew Bible and other sacred texts, history, antisemitism, Zionism and Israel, even Jewish food.

The class will be held on Zoom (plus one in-person Shabbat dinner and service here at NVHC, and possibly 1-2 other in-person meetings). It will meet on Thursday evenings, 7-9pm and runs from September 23, 2021-February 3, 2022. It will be taught by Rabbi Susan Warshaw.

Cost for the class is $360 which can include one partner. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Rabbi Susan Warshaw at ShowClick Here to View Contact Information.

B’nai Mitzvah Parents Class

ON ZOOM

B’nai Mitzvah Parents Class
Judy Naiman
Mondays, 10/18, 10/25, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22
7:00 pm-8:00 pm 

This class, taught by Judy Naiman, is for parents of students who are becoming Bar or Bat Mitzvah in the near future. It is designed to help you learn more about the entire B’nai Mitzvah process, what your role looks like, offer practical advice, and more.

Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

The Talmud of Parenting

ON ZOOM

The Talmud of Parenting, Rabbi Holzman, Wednesdays, 11/10, 12/8, 1/5, 2/2, 3/2, 4/6, 5/4, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

One of the most fascinating sections of Talmud is the in depth discussion about the 5th commandment: “Honor Thy Father and Mother.” In this passage our tradition explores the obligations between children and parents (and grandparents). It is also a relatively accessible section of Talmud. This class is open to all, newcomers included, and will provide an entry way to the textual foundation of Judaism, and a basis for relevant and colorful conversation.

Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Mussar, Understanding Jewish ethical character traits in the unfolding of daily life

IN PERSON

Mussar, Understanding Jewish ethical character traits in the unfolding of daily life, Cantor Caro, Wednesdays, 10/20, 11/17, 12/15, 1/19, 2/16, 3/16, 4/27, 5/18, June TBD, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Through conversation, study and practice, we will explore middot – character measures. By cultivating these virtue-based measures, this practice helps us to reflect upon the challenges of daily living and grow toward who we hope to be.

Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

P’tach Libi, Open My Heart: A monthly Jewish mindfulness practice

ON ZOOM

P’tach Libi, Open My Heart: A monthly Jewish mindfulness practice, Cantor Caro, Thursdays, 10/28, 11/11, 12/9, 1/27, 2/10, 3/17, 4/7, 5/12, June TBD, 10:00 a.m. 

Practicing mindfulness helps develop a spaciousness of heart and mind that supports compassionate awakening to the truth of one’s own experience. We will gather for inspiration, teaching, and a time to sit together in practice, supported by one another.

Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Jewish Ideas of the Messiah

ON ZOOM

Jewish Ideas of the Messiah, Rabbi Gold, Tuesdays, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

We will look at both ancient and contemporary texts exploring messianism in traditional and progressive Jewish thought.

Registration is limited to 25 households, Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Fifty Years of Women in the Rabbinate

ON ZOOM

Fifty Years of Women in the Rabbinate, Rabbi Gold, Tuesdays, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 

The year 2022 marks 50 years since Rabbi Sally Priesand was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. We will celebrate by looking at the history of women in the rabbinate and the impact women rabbis have had on Jewish communal life.

(Did you know that NVHC was among the first congregations to welcome a woman rabbi to a solo position?!)

Registration is limited to 25 households. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

The Jewish Calendar as a Tool for Spiritual Growth

ON ZOOM

The Jewish Calendar as a Tool for Spiritual Growth, Adam Cohn, Thursdays, 10/28, 11/18, 12/23, 1/27, 2/24, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth. But before he created the Heavens and the Earth, He created the beginning. Time was the first and most important creation. It is the foundation for everything that has happened since. This class will look at Jewish tradition through the lens of the various cycles of Jewish time. The day, week, month, year, and multi-year cycles. Why are each of these important and what is the spiritual root of each. How can we use this knowledge to realize our own spiritual potential and position ourselves for growth. Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend

IN PERSON

Scholar-in-Residence Weekend, Fred Lazin, November 12-14

Friday, November 12 – Dr. Lazin will teach during Erev Shabbat services, 7:00pm

Saturday, November 13 – Dr. Lazin will teach during Shabbat Sustenance (9:00am), then will host a discussion over lunch later in the day

Sunday, November 14 – Dr. Lazin and Rabbi Holzman will be in conversation over lunch, 12:30pm

More details to be announced. You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class. You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class. 

Israel’s Changing Collective Identity

ON ZOOM

Israel’s Changing Collective Identity, Fred Lazin, Thursdays, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

12/2 – Sabra culture and Israeli society of 1948

1/6 – Mizrachim (adot hamizrach), Jews from Arab Lands

2/3 – Orthodoxy – the Charidim (ultra-Orthodox) versus the religious Zionists (Modern Orthodox) focusing on messianism and redemption after 1967

3/3 – Palestinian citizens of Israel from 1949 through 2021

4/7 – Russians, Ethiopians, and the Americanization of Israel

Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

This five-part series surveys the transition of Israeli society from the Sabra culture of the pre-state Yishuv to the present multi-cultural Israeli society.

The Gift of Boundaries

ON ZOOM

The Gift of Boundaries, Rabbi Bass, Sundays, 10/17, 11/21, 12/12, 1/9, 2/13, 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 

The Talmudic rabbis understood quite well that human beings have desires that cannot be negated. Instead of labeling these desires as sins, or forbid them altogether, the Talmudic rabbis created a system to limit our impulses, through which we can live a more productive (and guilt-free) life.

Class 1: The idea of Mitzvot as boundaries, and rabbinic authority.

Class 2: Work

Class 3: Money

Class 4: Sex

Class 5: Food

Registration is highly recommended. Click here to register! You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Strange Women of the Hebrew Bible

ON ZOOM

Strange Women of the Hebrew Bible, Rabbi Bass, Sundays, 3/13, 4/10, 5/15, June (TBD), 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 

Class 1: Rahav (Book of Joshua, chapter 2)

Class 2: Jezebel (Selected texts from the Book of First Kings)

Class 3: Gomer, daughter of Diblayim (Book of Hosea, chapters 1-2)

Class 4: The image of a stranger/alien woman in the Book of Proverbs.

Registration is highly recommended. Please click here to register. You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Jewish Short Stories

ON ZOOM

Jewish Short Stories, October 11, 2021, then the first Monday of every month beginning in November, 7:30 p.m. 

“Last year some of us Lifelong Learners so enjoyed Rabbi Wainer’s class on Jewish short stories that we decided to extend it as a lay-led discussion group this year.” Join us for our first session on October 11, when Ellen Rugel will lead a discussion of Joan Leegant’s “Beautiful Souls.” Then, on November 1, Michele Probst will introduce “The Abandoning” by Zeeva Bukai. From November through May or June, all our sessions will take place on the first Monday of the month, and all will be held on Zoom at 7:30 p.m. for 45 minutes to an hour. All the stories will be available online. To participate and receive links for the stories in advance, email shortstories@nvhcreston.org. You will receive the Zoom link prior to the beginning of class.

Fees & Registration

Many of our Lifelong Learning programs are free and require no registration. Any applicable fees for members and non-members are indicated in the program description. For programs that require registration we ask that you register early; we will cancel classes with insufficient enrollment.

Lifelong Learning at NVHC is supported by donations to the Seldon and Ruth Kruger Fund for Adult Learning and registration fees. Your continued donations to the Seldon and Ruth Kruger Fund for Adult Learning are appreciated.

Click here to register!

Participation Open to ALL

All of our Lifelong Learning programs are open to anyone who is interested. We strive to offer a variety of learning experiences which will meet the needs and interests of our members. All programs are free for students registered in our Tamid program.