intro class syllabus

Introduction To Judaism

From time to time some­one might ask a ques­tion that we did not have time to dis­cuss in class. I post mate­ri­als about these ques­tions here. This is not an aca­d­e­m­ic course. Some of the texts men­tioned may be out of print. Some of the links may have rot­ted. The dates refer to the last time the course was taught (2006).

Ses­sion Date Jew­ish Date Top­ic Prepa­ra­tion / Fol­low-up Assignment
1. 910 17 Elul Wel­come
to a New Experience
2. 917 24 Elul Shab­bat
  • Read: Resource Sheet 76–78, 80, 84
  • Read: A Shab­bat Man­u­al pp. 5–6, 70–80
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 2–8
  • Before next Shab­bat, Com­plete: Resource Sheet 86
    (“Chart of Pos­si­bil­i­ties and Beginnings”)
  • Look over: Resource Sheet 87
  • On Shab­bat: Try the two things you’ve chosen
  • Jour­nal Entry
3. 108 16 Tishre Rosh haShan­nah
(Erev Rosh haShan­nah
7/22/06)
4. 1015 23 Tishre Yom Kip­pur
(Kol Nidre
10/01/06)
5. 1022 30 Tishre Sukkot
& Sim­chat Torah
(Erev Sukkot
10/06/06)
6. 115 (10:00 — 12:00) 14 Ḥesh­van Birth
  • Read: Resource Sheet 6
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 56–69
  • How to arrange for a Brit Milah
7. 115 (12:00 — 2:00) 14 Ḥesh­van Jew­ish Education
  • Jour­nal Entries
  • Read: Resource Sheets 37–39
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 69–74
  • For addi­tion­al read­ing see
    A Midrash on the Fire
  • Rab­bi Amy R. Schein­er­man has pre­pared a Vir­tu­al Tour of a Syn­a­gogue. In addi­tion to col­lect­ing pho­tos of syn­a­gogues all over the world, her site explains terms and activ­i­ties of the syangogue.
8. 1112 (10:00 — 12:00) 21 Ḥesh­van Mar­riage
9. 1112 (12:00 — 2:00) 21 Ḥesh­van Chanukkah
(1st Can­dle — 12/24/05)
10. 17 (10:00 — 12:00) 17 Tevet Death
11. 17 (12:00 — 2:00) 17 Tevet Purim
(Read Megillah in the evening 3/4/07)
  • Read: The Book of Esther
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 23–27
  • Read: Resource Sheet 63, 64
  • Look over: Resource Sheet 66
  • Jour­nal Entry
12. 128 9 She­vat Pesach
(1st Seder 4/2/07)
  • Read: Resource Sheet 57 & 59
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 9–18
  • Look Over: Resource Sheet 61
  • For addi­tion­al read­ing see
    A Grow­ing Hag­gadah
13. 24 16 She­vat Amer­i­can Jew­ish Community
14. 211 23 She­vat Erev Yom haShoa
(4÷15÷07)
15. 34 14 Adar (Purim) Erev Yom haAtz­maut
(4÷23÷07)
  • Read: Resource Sheets: 115–119
  • For addi­tion­al read­ing see
    Tour Israel
    Read: Resource Sheets: 120, 122
16. 311 21 Adar Con­ver­sion
17. 318 28 Adar Shavuot
Erev Shavuot
(5÷22÷07)
  • Read: Resource Sheets 94
  • Read: The Jew­ish Home, pages 43–45
  • Read: Resource Sheets 91
18. 325 6 Nisan Review
  • bring your ques­tions

The Final Take-Home Exam

 

Union for Reform Judaism

Pacif­ic South­west Council


First post­ed cir­ca: Sep­tem­ber, 1997
Last updat­ed Sep­tem­ber 10, 2006
Web 2.0 ver­sion pre­pared Octo­ber 12, 2010

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