Adult Education
Learning enriches Jewish life and grows Jewish identity. The rabbis also teach us that when two people sit together to study Torah, the presence of God rests between them (Pirke Avot 3:3). At Har HaShem, whether you seek more knowledge, a connection to community or spiritual growth, we believe that these opportunities should exist at every age. We offer both formal and informal learning opportunities for our young people and adults.
For information about Adult Jewish Enrichment offerings, contact Rabbi Fred Greene at fg@harhashem.org.
Hebrew
Level One: Learn to Read Hebrew for Adults
Cohorts beginning on a rolling basis; 10 one-hour sessions, $180
Familiarity with Hebrew can be a key to feeling at home in the Jewish community. Ten live online class sessions with our experienced Hebrew educators and a community of learners, coupled with independent practice between sessions, will enable students to master the alef-bet and recognize and understand common Hebrew words and phrases that are often heard in Reform congregational life.
This course assumes no prior Hebrew experience. A true beginner's course! After registration, students are given the Zoom link for our live classes, a link to purchase the workbook, and access to our extensive online course materials. Tuition is $180 and scholarships are available upon request.
Art as Prayer
Art as Prayer - Spiritually Focused Art Making with Leah Friedman
Dates: 2/26, 3/5 and 4/9 at 9:45am-11:45am
Cost: $18 for the whole series
Location: Community Room/South Building
Art making can be used for self expression, to explore a question, or create a wordless prayer. Working in community, we will seek creative outlets for communicating visually and allowing the process to unfold. Bring an idea or just and open mind and some curiosity- NO prior experience or skill required! This is a three session experience.
About Leah Friedman: Leah is an artist, therapist, and professor currently serving as faculty and Chair of the art therapy program at Naropa University. She has been training therapists and helping people utilize creative expression and healing for nearly 20 years. She enjoys making art, dancing, and tracking the phases of the moon. Leah is a foodie with lots of allergies, fundamentally pragmatic, yet deeply superstitious. She fiercely loves the blended biological and logical family she has cultivated with care and agony. She finds herself deep in the sandwich of middle-age with a partner, a freshly b’nai mitzvah-ed teenager, and a mother living with dementia in her home. She is a voracious reader, a very good listener, and a passionate advocate for equality.
Book Study
One Congregation, One Book
Books are precious in Jewish history and culture. Ideas, curiosities, stories, memories – they are all captured in our books. Here are a few contemporary books to help us engage in dialogue, share ideas, learn, and help activate our Jewish community’s consciousness. You buy the book, read it, and join us for lively discussion!
- People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn
- Facilitated by Rabbi Fred Greene
- March 30, 2022 in the North Building and on Zoom
Medical Aid in Dying: Jewish Perspectives
Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD): Jewish Perspectives with Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb
Dates: Wednesdays, 4/26, 5/3, and 5/10 from 12:30-2:00pm
Location: South Building
What does a good death look like? What does Judaism have to say about “a good death?"
MAID, also known as Physician Assisted death, is now legal in Colorado and 8 additional states-California, Hawai’i, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. It is also legal in the District of Columbia and Canada.
While traditionally Reform, Conservative and Orthodox streams forbid "assisted suicide," both the Reform and Conservative Movements, in recent years, have changed their positions. In this 3 session class we will read and discuss the Reform Movements 2022 Teshuvah on MAID and the Conservative Movements' 2020 (Rabbinic Rulings) on MAID. We will also have the opportunity to hear from a Jewish Hospital Chaplain with first hand knowledge and experience of MAID.
Participants will be asked to read materials prior to each session.
Engaging with our Sacred Texts
Torah Study
Saturdays; 9:00am
Looking for a bit of learning, a bit of casual conversation, a chance to build your skills and comfort with traditional texts in English? Join a friendly group of members and volunteers for an exploration of a Jewish story, a portion of Torah, a bit of Talmud, or perhaps a contemporary text. Bring your curiosity. Take a break. Have some fun with our tradition. Torah study is meeting in our tent and also available on Zoom.
Kabbalah Reading Group
Wednesdays, 6:30-8:00pm
The Har HaShem Kabbalah Reading Group focuses on Jewish mysticism generally and as applied in everyday life. We will read the following;
- Ehyeh, A Kabbalah For Tomorrow by Arthur Green
- Thirty-Two Gates, into the Heart of Kabbalah & Chassidus by Rav Dovber Pinson
- The Tree of Life Volume One The Palace of Adam Kadmon by Chayim Vital translation by E. Colle and H. Colle
Ehyeh and Thirty Two Gates both deal with/proceed from basic Kabbalah concepts and are approachable by those with less background. The Tree of Life is a primary Kabbalah text originally written in the 16th century.
Check dates and get the Zoom link on our calendar
Taste of Talmud
First Thursday of every month with some exceptions so please check the calendar; 12:30pm
New tastes offer novel flavors and surprises. New learning is just as delicious! Sample classic Jewish sources from the Talmud* to expand your palate. We’ll nibble on Jewish ideas and values as we savor the company of the folks around the table or online.
*Talmud is the incredible, massive collection of sources written in the 5th-6th centuries in Babylonia. Much of Judaism today is built upon the ideas of the Hebrew Bible (Written Torah) and Talmud (Oral Torah).
Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion Courses
College Commons
HUC-JIR is the Reform movement’s seminary and graduate school. They now offer free online courses for adults and teens investigating a central Jewish theme through conversations with HUC-JIR scholars and academic experts.
Learn more here.
Fall Library Series
Learn more here.
Past or In-Progress Offerings
The Basics
- Intro to Judaism
- Jewish and New-ish: A Supportive Online Space for Those Who Have Recently (0-5 years) Converted to Judaism
Hebrew
- Level 2: Learn Prayer Hebrew
Israel
- Why Have a Relationship with Israel?
Jewish Thought
- Olam Ha'Ba: Jewish View of the Afterlife
Character Development
- Becoming Our Better Selves Together: An Introduction to Participating in Tikkun Middot 1.0
- Tikkun Middot 1.0
- Introduction to Jewish Meditation Workshop
- Awakening the Soul: Jewish Meditation Course
One Congregation, One Book
- Can We Talk about Israel?: A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted by Daniel Sokatch
- Moral Resistance and Spiritual Authority by Seth Limmer and Jonah Pesner
Arts and Culture
- Wanna Write a Jewish Poem?
- Prayer as an ArtForm podcast discussion