Sign In Forgot Password

Special Fall Classes

 

The Fragility of Democracy: The rise of the Nazis and Its Lessons for the Jewish Community Today

Wednesdays starting October 19
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm, Zoom

How does a democratic society evolve into a dictatorship? What are the choices individuals make that enable this to happen? This course will explore how people who were thought to be the moral barometers of society became participants in dictatorship and genocide and how we can work to prevent this from happening again. The class will be taught by Jan Darsa, former Director of Jewish Education at Facing History and Ourselves for over 20 years.

For more information about the course, view the flyer.

Sign up now! Members of Isaiah and Emunah will have priority registration until September 12. Register here.

This course is part of our long-standing partnership with Temple Emunah Lexington Institute of Jewish Studies (LIJS) course, and is sponsored by Hebrew College’s Open Circle Social Justice program.

Hebrew College offers generous scholarships, so do not let cost be a barrier. For scholarship information, contact Ahava Rosenthal arosenthal@hebrewcollege.edu

Me'ah Select: The Diverse Cultures of Contemporary Israel: Exploring a Multiplicity of Identities Through Story and Film

With Instructor Dr. Jacob Meskin
Tuesdays starting October 25
9:30 am - 11:30 am, Zoom

Many different identifies thrive in contemporary Israeli society: religious and secular, Jews from many different Arab countries, Arabs of different religions, and more. This course will explore how that plays out in the daily life of a sprawling, vibrant, deeply multicultural and multi-religious society. We will draw on popular media in translation, (film, stories, TV, songs), and some scholarly literature, to explore many facets of the contemporary Israeli experience.

Most American Jews know something about the history of modern Israel, but far less about the full complexity of cultures that make up contemporary Israeli society.  This course will help participants grasp how that history actually gets lived out in the day-to-day life of a sprawling, vibrant, deeply multicultural and multi-religious society. We will draw on popular and elite media, such as film, short stories, TV, and popular song videos (all in translation),and some helpful scholarly literature, to explore many facets of the contemporary Israeli experience. In particular, we will focus on the different identities that thrive in contemporary Israeli society,  their histories and politics, and the relationships between them.   

Some of the identities and topics we will be exploring include:  

-Religious and secular Jews   

-Different Kinds of Jewish culture (Ashkenazi, Mizrachi, Russian, Ethiopian, etc.)  

-Israeli Arab Identities (Muslim, Christian, Druze, etc.)  

-Palestinian intellectual and cultural perspectives on Palestinian identity   

-How Changing Conceptions of Gender Affect Identity   

-The multiplicity of LGBTQ identities in Israel  

We will also be looking at popular culture and, in particular, at the growth of satire and humor as responses to and critiques of Israeli society. Students will be asked to watch a few films at home, prior to class. This may require access to free and paid streaming services. 

Cost: $380. Generous financial aid is available; do not let cost be a barrier. To request aid, contact meah@hebrewcollege.edu.

Register here.

Learn more here.
 

Me'ah Classic: Online and In-Person Classes This Fall

Do you sometimes feel that your Jewish knowledge has too many gaps? Or perhaps your Jewish education stopped when you were a teen-ager? Would you like a comprehensive, engaging, and in-depth exploration of Judaism, taught by some of the best local instructors? If so, Me’ah Classic two-year progam might be for you. The program is taught by outstanding faculty and focuses on core texts from biblical, rabbinic, medieval, and modern times. Classes start in late October.

To learn more about both the in-person and online options, visit the Hebrew College website and click on the course title.

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784