Taking the Mist out of Mysticism
Explores the fact and fancy of Kabbala, probing such concepts as reality, superstition,
amulets, holy people, astrology, predestination and futurology. The relevance
of mysticism to everyday life is discussed.
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To the Source
Delves into different sources of Jewish law and philosophy to understand such
elemental matters as: Whose life comes first, the precedence of certain mitzvot
(commandments) over others, giving the benefit of the doubt, and the meaning
of emet (truth).
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Contemporary Issues
Covers "hot topics" of Judaism, including: Who is a Jew; relative morality;
Judaism and Christianity; pluralism in Judaism; free will; Zionism; and the
Messianic concept.
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Prayer
Begins with an overview of prayer that addresses such questions as: why do
we pray, what is prayer, does G-d need our prayers, and how do prayers make
a difference. This is followed by an in-depth examination of the daily prayers,
focusing mostly on the Shema and Shmone Esrei.
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Person to Person
Discusses the Jewish view of giving and different aspects of love (self-love,
love of others, love of spouse and love of G-d) as the foundation for Jewish
interpersonal relationships.
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Medical Ethics
Explores how halacha (Jewish law) interfaces with modern-day medicine. Topics
include: doctor-assisted suicide; withdrawing life support; surrogate motherhood;
human cloning; organ transplants; and confidentiality and Jewish law.
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Wisdom from Sinai
Analyzes the first ten mishnayot of Ethics of the Fathers/Pirkei Avot, the
classic Jewish ethical work dealing with self-improvement and interpersonal
relationships. In addition, students learn how to develop the necessary skills
to research independently and present their own material.
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Jewish Cycles
Teaches an overview of the Jewish calendar, as well as an in-depth analysis
of the major holidays, featuring Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah,
Purim, Pesach, and Shavuot. Also discussed are different rituals of observance
and the deeper meanings behind the holidays, their customs and traditions.
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One on One Tutorials
Allows the JEWEL student to pursue any topic of interest or discuss a particular
issue with a private learning partner once a week. This time may also be
used to supplement the learning of texts or topics not covered in the standard
JEWEL curriculum.
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A Day in the Life
Explores practical mitzvot (commandments) by way of conceptual analysis. Covers
the mitzvot of Shabbat, kashrut, blessings, charity, honoring one's parents,
and modesty/dignity.
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Women in Tanach
Studies some of the women that highlight Tanach: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Miriam,
Yocheved, Ruth, Esther, Rachav, and Chana, teaching about the contribution
of women to Jewish history and heritage.
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From the Ritual to the
Meaningful
Deals with the deeper meanings behind the basic rituals performed on Shabbat,
such as candle lighting, Kiddush, hand-washing before meals, and blessing after
meals, teaching the significance of these interesting and meaningful practices.
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Crash Course in Jewish
History
Spans the entire period from Abraham to the present day, by means of a comprehensive
historical overview. Topics include: the rise of Jewish nationhood; the Temple
periods; Jewish exile; Jewish contact with Rome, Byzantium, Christianity and
Islam; Renaissance and Reformation; the Holocaust; and Zionism. An extension
of Aish HaTorah's Crash Course in Jewish History.
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Hebrew Ulpan
Introduces the student to conversational Hebrew. More advanced text or conversational
Ivrit (Hebrew) classes are available for students who are beyond the introductory
level.
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Weekly Torah Portion
Gives an overview of the weekly parsha (Torah portion) and covers basic Jewish
issues using insights from the text and highlighting the practical lessons
to be learned from the Biblical personages.
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