The Temple Aliyah Adult Education Committee is pleased to present highlights of its calendar for 2005-2006. The programs have been designed to meet a variety of needs, from helping congregants gain basic skills and Judaic knowledge to providing topics of general Jewish interest. We hope you will be able to join us throughout the year as we strive to continue to be a learning congregation for all.
Registration forms for specific courses will appear in our newsletter and on our web site a few weeks before the start of each course. If you have any questions about our Adult Education program, or wish to discuss your ideas for future courses, please contact our Adult Ed chairs, Lynn Baum, 781-449-3361 and David Breitbart Frischling 781-455-7979.

Say not, " when I have leisure I will study."
Perhaps you will have no leisure.
Hillel, in Ethics of the Fathers, Ch. 2

CLASSES

Walking in the Valley: Jewish Laws and Traditions Surrounding Illness, Death, Mourning and Consolation

In this class led by Rabbi Perkins, we will try to understand the theory underlying Jewish approaches to loss and bereavement. We'll examine: how and when to visit the sick; how to say "good-bye" to a loved one; how funerals and burials are preformed in accordance with Jewish laws and tradition; how to mourn; and how to comfort mourners. The goal is to help everyone learn, well in advance, the guideposts that the Jewish tradition can provide for all of us.
Tues. Evenings Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Dec. 6, 2005 7:45 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
Registration is $54/person or $72/couple for Temple members
($72 per person for non-members)
Registration deadline is Monday October 24, 2005

An Exploration of Israeli Art by Marion Gribetz, Bureau of Jewish Education of Greater Boston

How do artists reflect the political, social and cultural environments in which they create their works? Looking at examples of work by Israeli artists over the course of the 20th century, Marion will help us explore the influences and movements that shaped the State of Israel, the land of Israel and the People of Israel. We hope you can join us for this fascinating journey and then stay for the rest of Jewish Arts Day.
In conjunction with Jewish Arts Day
Sunday, November 6th, 2005, from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
Registration for the entire Jewish Arts day is $5.00/person or $18.00/family.

A Hebrew Reading Marathon -- Give us 8 hours… and we'll give you 4000 years!
Learn read Hebrew in just 2 days!!! Hasia Richman will lead this nationally famous program that enables adult beginners to learn to read Hebrew and master basic prayers and blessings in just 8 hours. Everyone is eligible: People with no Hebrew background and those who want a refresher course; people contemplating a conversion or adult bar/bat mitzvah; anyone in the greater Needham community. A minimum of 10 students is needed for this course to take place.
Sunday, December 4 and December 11, 2005 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration is $80.00 for Temple members ($90 for non-members). There maybe an additional charge for the textbook.
Click here to register!

So, you know your Aleph-Bet - now what?
Continue your study of Hebrew with Hasia Richman. This course is for all those adults who can read Hebrew letters and vowels but need more reading review and drill before moving on. Texts used for reading review and drill will be taken from the Siddur and other Hebrew sources. A minimum of 8 students is needed for this course to take place.
Sunday, December 18,, 2005, January 8, 15, and 22, 2006 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration is $80.00 for Temple members ($90 for non-members). There maybe an additional charge for the textbook
Click here to register! .

Hebrew from Celebration to Celebration
Advance your ability to read, speak, and understand Hebrew from Tu B'Shevat to Yom HaAtzmaut. This course is for all those adults who have a basic ability to read Hebrew, but want to continue their studies. Using conversation, videos, CDs, and the Brandeis Modern Hebrew Textbook, students with gain confidence in their ability to read and speak Hebrew. This is a dynamic class that will be adapted to the level of the students. Students can take either session, or both sessions for a maximum learning experience. A minimum of 8 students in each session is needed.

Session I - Wednesday, February 8 and 15, March 1, 8, and 15, 2006 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Session II - Wednesday, March 22 and 29, April 5 and 26, and May 3, 2006 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Registration is $125.00 for Temple Members ($140 for non-members). There maybe an additional charge for the textbook.

ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Breakfast with Alan D. Abbey, Editor and Managing Director of Ynetnews.com
As the Editor of the leading Israeli news website, Alan will engage us in conversation around current issues facing Israel today.
Sunday, January 22, 2006.
Registration and Fees to be determined

Sunday Morning Breakfast Seminars
Sunday morning breakfasts are planned with guest speakers addressing various topics of interest. Breakfast seminars are scheduled by various groups throughout the year. Watch the Pulse and 'Coming Up at Temple Aliyah' for details and for additional Adult Education opportunities.

SHABBATON
"The Magic and Spirit of Jewish Music"
January 6 & 7, 2006
This year we welcome Professor Joshua R. Jacobson as our Scholar-in-Residence. During his stay with us, Professor Jacobson will share his passion for Jewish music through an entertaining, inspirational, and informative series of lectures and presentations.

Joshua R. Jacobson holds a Bachelors degree in Music from Harvard College, a Masters in Choral Conducting from the New England Conservatory, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Jacobson is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Northeastern University, where he served nine years as Music Department Chairman and six years as the Bernard Stotsky Professor of Jewish Cultural Studies. He is Visiting Professor of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He is also the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, a world-renowned ensemble, specializing in Hebrew music. He has conducted workshops on choral music for various groups, including the American Choral Directors Association, and has guest conducted a number of ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Bulgarian National Symphony and Chorus, the New England Conservatory Orchestra and the Boston Lyric Opera Company. In 1994 he was awarded the Benjamin Shevach Award for Distinguished Achievement in Jewish Educational Leadership from Hebrew College. Prof. Jacobson is past President of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. He is the conductor and host of the PBS film, Zamir: Jewish Voices Return to Poland. His book, Chanting the Hebrew Bible: The Art of Cantillation, published by the Jewish Publication Society in 2002, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. In 2004 the Cantors Assembly presented Prof. Jacobson with its prestigious "Kavod Award."

Shabbaton at Temple Aliyah is always a great opportunity for our community to learn together while enjoying and experiencing Shabbat. Shabbaton will begin with Kabbalat Shabbat services, followed by a traditional Friday evening dinner. After services on Saturday morning, there will be a special Kiddush luncheon provided by the Men's club. Shabbaton will culminate with Havdalah followed by a special presentation by Professor Jacobson on Saturday evening.

Continuing Adult Education Programs:

ADULT BAR/BAT MITZVAH PROGRAM
Temple Aliyah offers an Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah program for men and women who did not have the opportunity to study towards a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as adolescents. Over the course of a year and a half, students will study a variety of subject areas, such as Hebrew, Jewish history, and Jewish customs, and learn to participate in a traditional Shabbat or Yom Tov service. The study will culminate with a communal celebration in the spring of the second year.

Adult Bar/t Mitzvah classes are formed periodically. Please contact Jan Zidle for more information.

THE ME'AH PROGRAM
Me 'ah is an intensive two-year program designed to provide a framework and foundation for adult Jewish learning. The program provides a thorough grounding in Jewish history, philosophy, classical texts, liturgy and the rhythms of Jewish holiday and life cycles.

The first year of study covers the Biblical and Rabbinical periods. The second year focuses on the study of Jewish philosophy, mysticism, Hasidism and the Enlightenment from Medieval times to the present. Me'ah is an adult Jewish learning program of Hebrew College and Combined Jewish Philanthropies' Commission on Jewish Continuity made possible with funding from CJP.

Temple Aliyah participates in Me 'ah as a Needham site together with Temple Beth Shalom. We are in the second year of study with our current Me'ah Class. A new Me'ah class will begin in the Fall of 2006. If you are interested in participating in Me'ah in the future and would like to add your name to the waiting list, please contact Terri Swartz Russell, Me'ah Liaison.