Essentials of Judaism: An Introduction to Jewish Life & Thought
Give us 19 nights, and we’ll give you 4000 years
Or select the areas of Judaism you’d like to learn more about!
Using the nationally recognized Miller Intro to Judaism Program, Essentials of Judaism is a 19-week course that provides fundamental knowledge, practical skills, and clarifying insights into Judaism’s many rituals, values, and holidays.
Open to everyone — TBE member or non-member, Jewish, non-Jewish, Jewish-curious, or considering conversion — who wants a better understanding of Judaism. Explore Judaism’s past, present, and future in a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, taught by a rotating team of TBE clergy and educators.
The course is organized into six thematic mini-series. You can enroll for the entire course or individual mini-series of your choosing.
Tuition is $180 for the full course and $54 for each mini-series, which includes all materials. Attendees may bring their spouse/partner at no additional charge. Classes meet at Temple Beth El on Thursdays from 7pm – 9 pm.
Program Mini-series
Sacred Texts
Jan 8 — Torah & Tanakh
Jan 15 — Midrash & Talmud
Jan 22 — Halakhah & Mysticism
Jewish Holidays
Jan 29 — Holidays Overview
Feb 5 — High Holy Days
Feb 12 — Passover
Jewish History & Peoplehood
Feb 26 — World of the Bible
Mar 5 — Rabbinic Period
Mar 12 — The Middle Ages
Mar 19 — Modernity
Jewish Thought
Mar 26 — God: Encountering the Holy
Apr 16 — Torah, Covenant & Chosenness
Apr 23 — The Jewish Mission to Heal the World
Jewish Practice
Apr 30 — Shabbat: A Palace in Time
May 7 — When Do I Bow? (and other questions about prayer)
May 28 — Kashrut: The Original Soul Food
Jewish Lifecycle
Jun 4 — Birth to B’nei Mitzvah: Raising a Mensch
Jun 11 — Love, Marriage & Kosher Sex
Jun 18 — A Time to Mourn: Traditions for Death, Grief & Healing
To register, click here or go to https://bit.ly/tbe-miller.
Please call the TBE office at (203) 322-6901, ext. 301, or email Stan Friedman at adulted@tbe.org with any questions you have regarding the program.
Miller Introduction to Judaism is taught through an educational partnership with American Jewish University. Endorsed by the Rabbinical Assembly, it is the go-to Intro to Judaism program around.
