Four weeks ago I reported on trends in Hebrew School schedules, but we all know that Jewish studies classes are not limited to elementary and middle school children. Most congregations and JCCs have adult education programing. Today I will list classes worth a subway ride or longer journey.

This evening (October 6, 2009) at 7:30 PM Melinda Ribner's Beit Miriam will hold a free Sukkot meditation gathering at The Carlbach Shul's sukkah, 305 West 79th Street in Manhattan. From the flyer: Men and women, singles and couples are all invited. Please feel free to bring a kosher snack or beverage to share with others. But most importantly, bring yourself. The main mitzvah of this holiday of Succot is to sit and eat in the succah. The succah is also a very special place for meditation. Simply sitting in the succah is to learn about faith directly. It is to learn about joy, love and simplicity. The succah is a place where it is easy to feel connected to other people and to the Land of Israel. 

The Manhattan JCC is also offering Jewish meditation classes. For prospective students with a strong command of Hebrew Smadar Taub will teach Conscious Awareness: Teachings of Yemima Avital, z'l on four Tuesday mornings from 9:30-10:45 A.M. from October 13th to November 3rd, 2009. $80, $75 members. The Manhattan JCC is located on Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street in Manhattan.

Shir Fun, a music program for kids ages 0-5 and their parents or care-givers, will have 9-10 week classes in two Upper West Side locations, and Park Slope, Brooklyn. The program was developed by Israeli music therapist Dafna Israel-Kotok and uses Israeli, Jewish and Hebrew music to foster a love of Jewish tradition and the Hebrew language through fun and interactive musical experiences. Participants receive a CD of Hebrew music. The classes start next week; check the schedule (and download a registration form) for your location.

To celebrate the opening of its year-long learning (and to entice prospective students to enroll) Yeshivat Hadar, the first full-time egalitarian yeshiva in North America, will offer a celebratory lecture which will explore the relationship between our commitment to Torah and our work in the world on Wednesday October 21, 2009 from 7:30-9:30 P.M. at The Schafler Forum at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, 7 West 83rd Street in Manhattan. Yeshivat Hadar is a project of Machon Hadar, an educational institution affiliated with Kehilat Hadar, an independent minyan which I described in an article last April. 

Limmud, the annual intensive Jewish adult education conference held locally in the Catskills for a week every winter, offers A Taste of Limmud, one evening where students can sample Limmud classes. A Taste of Limmud will meet in Park Slope on October 28th, Washington Heights on November 17th, and the Upper West Side on December 10th. The first of these will meet at Congregation Beth Elohim at the intersection of Garfield Place and 8th Avenue in Brooklyn from 7:00-9:00 P.M. on October 28, 2009.  The annual conference is not inexpensive, and while their website does not mention the cost of A Taste of Limmud you might want to contact them and ask before showing up.

Similarly Jerusalem's Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies will offer A Winter Taste of the Pardes Institute, a week of classes in New York from Sunday December 27th, 2009 to Friday January 1st, 2010 which will allow participants to experience Pardes' "unique combination of deep text learning and contemporary relevance." The topic will be “A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER,” JEWISH PERSPECTIVES ON THE AESTHETIC: What role does beauty play in Jewish life? To register please contact arlene@pardes.org.il by November 15th, 2009. Cost - $250 for the week, $200 for students, $50 per day, $35 discount for people who register November 1st. For more information, please contact dlk@pardes.org.il or visit http://www.pardes.org.il/programs/winter/index.php.

College students wishing to sharpen their Israel advocacy skills may want to consider a trip to California to attend Israel in Focus Student Conference 2009 at the Tower Hotel in Beverly Hills from November 13-15. The registration deadline is October 15. Flight Subsidies are available for a limited time only. Conference Cost: $120. From the website: "Learn the skills and facts that will help you clarify Israel’s image on campus and network with student leaders from all over the U.S. and Canada!"

 For more info: David Cooper