Adult Education

At Sha’ar Zahav, you will find adult education opportunities as diverse as our membership. Whether you are looking for basic Hebrew reading classes, guest lecturers speaking about LGBTQ Jews in Israel, or higher level Jewish learning presented by Lehrhaus Judaica, there is something at Sha’ar Zahav that will excite the learner in you. Some of our own members are our most respected teachers and we are always keeping an eye out for those instructors who can help us “transcend the ordinary.” If you have a request for a class topic, please contact heidy@shaarzahav.org Director of Engagement.

Fall 2018 Courses

To register for any of our courses, Click Here

Judaism 101
Classes begin Monday, October 15 and meet weekly for 10 sessions

The intro to Judaism course, will cover the basics of Jewish history, texts, liturgy, holidays, customs, theology, with plenty of room for you to ask your own questions.The intro class is designed for anyone from any background and any level of Jewish learning, and all are welcome to attend. The class will be facilitated by Director of Education, Sue Bojdak. Open to members and non-members of Sha’ar Zahav.

Practical Mussar

Classes begin Monday, October 15 and meet weekly for 10 sessions

Do you sometimes find it difficult to be good? To reach deep for compassion? While Jewish ideals and mitzvot are laid out fairly well, we often have trouble following them. Well, look no further. Join long-time member, Mark Pressler, as he leads us in Practical Mussar.

Mussar is a Jewish spiritual practice based on ethical and moral values. It’s an everyday hands-on guide to cultivating inner virtues to improve ourselves. We will meditate, study and improve all of our interactions and relationships. Open to members and non-members of Sha’ar Zahav.

Where do we go from here? Jewish thoughts on the afterlife

Classes begin Monday, October 15 and meet weekly for 6 sessions

We often know what other traditions have to say about the afterlife far better than our own. We will explore why this is an underdiscussed issue in Judaism and we’ll take a trip through our fascinating and often inconsistent history. Stops along the journey include messianism, the world to come, Kabbalistic levels of the soul, and reincarnation. Led by Rabbi Mychal Copeland. No previous experience with Jewish thought, Hebrew or text is necessary. Open to members and non-members of Sha’ar Zahav.