Project Zug Elul Cycle
When? August 20th - September 16th
Register by August 14th
For the first time ever, Project Zug will have a special Elul Cycle, in which everyone will learn the same course at the same time. We will kick off with a live virtual lecture with Rabbi Elie Kaunfer, and then dive into four crucial High Holiday prayers with your havruta, or learning partner, over four weeks. Our learning will conclude with another live virtual lecture just two days before Rosh Hashanah.
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Executive Seminar
When? JULY 12-16, 2020
Learn with Hadar and like minded peers for four days of engaging virtual Jewish study as we probe our textual heritage for meaning and purpose in our lives. Hadar's virtual Executive Seminar is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Torah study that is rigorous, nuanced and sensitive to the full range of human experience and emotion. Modeled as an 'Executive Summary' of our full-time learning fellowships, the Executive Seminar opens up the world of Jewish wisdom through substantive text-based learning and conversation.
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Summer Lecture Series: Grief and Mourning in a Time of Tragedy
When? Monday Nights 7/13, 7/20, 7/27 from 8-9 PM
Experiences of tragedy have one thing in common: They force us to grapple with questions of loss, grief, and how to live in a world that contains so much of both. Grieving under normal circumstances can be crushing, and all the more so when that grief can only take place in isolation. Further, our sense of loss is compounded by the lack of public language and ritual that typically supports our mourning process.
In this 3-part virtual learning series we will study Jewish texts and aim to recapture some of what has been lost in that forced private grieving. We will address and discuss questions such as: What exactly do we mourn and why? How do we live with God in the midst of grief? What does it look like to exit active grieving without surrendering our sense of loss?
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Introduction to Talmud: Are Some Laws More Important Than Others? With Rabbi Alvan Kaunfer
When? Mondays, 11:00-12:15 PM
This Event is at Capacity
Description: This short course will deal with several Talmudic and Rabbinic passages that explore the following issues: Can Rabbinic laws uproot Torah laws? Are there overarching ethical principles that supersede some Torah commandments? Are some Jewish laws more important than others? How did the ancient rabbis see their own authority? We will also look at some modern implications related to Halakhah and homosexuality, marriage and divorce, and the Agunah crisis.
All texts will be from original sources but in English. This course is appropriate both for those who are new to Talmud, and for those who have studied Talmud before, but wish to delve deeper into these topics. We will take a step by step approach through each of the primary sources leaving opportunities for participation, questions and comments.
This class will be limited to 20 participants.
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Intermediate Talmud with Dena Weiss
When? Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00am - 12:15pm
This Event is at Capacity
How many times have we asked a stranger to watch our bag or our laptop for a brief while? What would happen if someone stole the purse or spilled coffee on the computer? Is your new friend in Starbucks liable for the damage or loss?
In this class we'll study the third chapter of Bava Metzia which deals with the laws of custodianship: borrowing, renting, guarding and more! What are our financial obligations to one another? This class will be text-based and we will focus not only on the legal concepts at play, but also acquaint ourselves with Talmudic methodology and the mechanics of the Talmud.
This class is designed for students with a basic background in Rabbinic texts and we will be studying in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Students in this class should be able to read and translate Mishnah somewhat independently. If you need the help of a dictionary or friend, that's fine too. If you have some exposure to Talmud, that's great and this class is still for you! However, if you can read and translate the Talmud completely independently, the class may not be advanced enough for someone with your background.
No independent preparation is expected, though there may be some in-class chevruta learning. In order to maintain an active and participatory learning environment, students will be expected to learn with their cameras on and the class will be limited to 20 participants.
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Advanced Talmud: Thinking Through Consent with the Talmud
Rabbi Aviva Richman
When? Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00am-12pm
This advanced seminar will focus on selected sugyot that highlight core features of the Talmud's engagement with the topic of consent and sex. Through the method of close reading and drawing on a wide toolkit that engages Rishonim, academic talmud scholarship and feminist theory, we will engage a deep process of Talmud Torah around difficult questions. Monday's reading shiur will focus on working through a specific text and Wednesday's shiur will aim for synthesis and discussion. Participation will require preparation independently or with your own havruta, (2-6 hrs), with the expectation that students can grasp the meaning of sugyot and Rishonim with minimal dictionary use. Note: Some material will explicitly relate to sexual assault and may be triggering.
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Summer High School Talmud Course with Rabbi Tali Adler
When? Monday/Tuesday/Thursday 9:30am-4:00pm
This course is a unique opportunity for a select group of highly motivated, committed, and curious high school students from across the country to experience a taste of the excitement and rigor of yeshiva life from their own homes. Take a leap forward in your learning and connect with a dynamic group of peers. The course offers:
A three-morning-a-week course in gemara, focusing on boosting Talmud text skills and advancing students’ ability to engage independently with the Talmud through havruta study with a fellow participant and guidance from the instructor. An opportunity to connect with other high school students eager to dive into Jewish text and ideas. Afternoon sessions with a rotation of Hadar rabbis and faculty members, such as Ethan Tucker, Aviva Richman, Shai Held, and Elie Kaunfer, around Torah and its contemporary applications to morality, justice, gender, politics and Jewish peoplehood.
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When? Wednesdays, 5:00-5:30 PM (Starting July 1st)
Where? ONLINE
Each week, we will explore a short section of tefilah with questions, conversation, and song, then make art to illuminate that phrase or section of the davening. I will provide a PDF with each week's text, which you can tuck into your siddur or bind together to make a simple siddur. Over the course of the summer, we will touch on components of psukei dzimra and shma and its brachot. This class is envisioned to be a boost to your at-home family davening with kids ages 4-6. To that end, we encourage children to attend with a parent, so parents will feel equipped to integrate what we learn together into your family practice. RSVP to get a PDF of the text to print in advance, and recommendations of which art supplies to have on hand each week, though any art supplies will do. Hannah is a member of Hadar's Advanced Kollel.
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Bite Sized Amidah Study
When? Monday - Friday, 7:45-8am (Starting June 29th)
Where? ONLINE
Prepare for your daily Shaharit practice with Hadar! In this 15 minute slot, Rabbi Elie Kaunfer and Rabbi Aviva Richman will offer some brief text learning related to the blessings of the Amidah; each morning will open with some song.
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When? Monday - Friday, 1:00-1:30PM (Starting June 29th)
Where? ONLINE
Ground your days by learning Mishnah Avodah Zara with Hadar. Classes will be led by Jamie Weisbach, a member of Hadar's Advanced Kollel.
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When? Monday-Thursday; 4:30-5:00 PM
Tractate Ta’anit, for ages 7-11 (and the young and old at heart)
As we approach the summer fast days, we are covering Mishnah Ta’anit, which focuses on how we respond as a community to a lack of rain, contemporary crises and the commemoration of historical events. We will get through 1-2 mishnayot each day. Kids are encouraged to read along with us as we lead the session. There are polls, breakout rooms, lessons in עברית and other fun interactive pieces. See what all the hype is about! Register here for Kids Mishnah Club!
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When? Monday and Thursday; 8:30-9am; (Starting June 29th)
In this class we will look at different insights on the Parashah. Our main focus will be on Midrash, but we will occasionally bring in other types of interpretations to add new vantage points to familiar stories.
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When? Tuesdays; 3-4PM; (Starting June 29th)
How do we find expression in a time of upheaval? How do we navigate a difficult reality without access to regular anchors of religious practice and communal gathering? What are ongoing sources of comfort and inspiration? Our early rabbis engaged with these kinds of questions in the form of midrash on the book of Lamentations. As we face great loss and uncertainty and enter the Jewish rhythm leading up to Tisha b'Av we will study this poetic and poignant rabbinic masterpiece.
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When? Tuesday; 8:00-9:15 PM
Where? ONLINE
For the past few years, we have had a lovely neighborhood Talmud class in our living room, studying the 3rd chapter of Sanhedrin. We are now opening the virtual walls. Would love for you to join. The old hands will be happy to welcome you in to our learning space. Sadly, you have to bring your own coffee and tea.
We will learn the fourth chapter of Sanhedrin (אחד דיני ממונות, beginning on 32a) as we explore issues around civil and criminal procedure in rabbinic law. We will focus on the original text and Rashi, with occasional reference to a Tosafot and outside commentaries, both medieval and modern. A perfect class both for people with a background in Talmud as well as adventurous learners ready to jump in to the original text with guide. Recommended to bring your own text, and I will be screensharing as well.
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When? Monday and Friday; 5:00-5:30 PM (Starting June 29th)
Where? ONLINE
Become familiar with the content and sound of the Parashah each week and psyched about Torah as a lens to engage real life questions! Parashah club will feature a close look at meaningful sections of each week's Parashah through leyning in the original, mixed media story-telling, questions and discussion, and culminate with a Parashah celebration slideshow that integrates our learning from the week. We are excited to draw on all the zoom features that can enhance our learning. Join for one or both days to frame your weekly Parashah learning! Perfect for kids as caretakers get dinner ready.
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When? Tuesday; 9:00-9:15 PM;
Join Deborah Sacks Mintz for a weekly exploration of verses from the book of Psalms. Each week, we'll spend some time unpacking the text together, followed by a deep dive into a correlating nigun.
Join us on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/risingsonginstitute
When? Thursday; 9:00-9:15 PM;
You can also join our classes in Hebrew from our Beit Midrash in Israel. Check out their offerings here
Jewish Wisdom Fellowship: A Collective Learning and Thought Leadership Project for Jewish Professionals
When? July-August 2020
This Event is at Capacity
With support from the Lippman Kanfer Foundation, the Hadar Institute invites you to participate in a new kind of collective learning project. Designed for Jewish Professionals, Hadar’s Jewish Wisdom Fellowship will empower thoughtful, passionate, and engaged Jewish professionals to embark on a virtual 2-month learning and thought development project dedicated to wrestling with the questions currently confronting the Jewish community and the world.
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PoP Summer Online Training For Educators
When? July 26th, 3:00 - 6:00pm
July 27-28, 1:00-5:00 pm
This Event is at Capacity
Are you looking for a way to support your students to develop sharp critical thinking skills as well as deep social-emotional capacities? Pedagogy of Partnership can help you. Its approach joins these educational aspirations together into a seamless whole. Pedagogy of Partnership’s Jewish model of learning, rooted in relationship-building, enables students to engage meaningfully with both text and with one another. During this time of uncertainty and physical distancing, relationship building is more critical than ever. PoP provides core principles, activities, language, and routines for teachers to build caring relationships with students and to empower students to do this with their peers and their content—online or in person.
Join Dr. Orit Kent and Allison Cook, developers of this research-based pedagogy for an online introductory training. Experience and focus on teaching techniques that support your students to thrive as whole people through the intentional design of havruta, small group, and even full group learning—online and in person. Translate your learning into practice and meet the upcoming school year with renewed energy and new tools and materials. Participants will have access to follow up webinars in the coming year. School leaders and teams of 2-3 teachers of 3rd grade and up are encouraged to participate! This program is suited to both Jewish studies and general studies teachers. In order to make PoP teaching and learning widely accessible in these challenging times, the program fee is only $280! If you are interested in participating and cost is an obstacle, please contact us at [email protected]
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Teen Davening Fellowship with Deborah Sacks Mintz
When? Weekly in July and August
This Event is at Capacity
As communal davening spaces across the country are put on pause, we encounter the tremendous opportunity of time to hone and elevate our skills as leaders while we wait to return to praying together once more. In this 8-week program, a select group of talented teen shelichei tzibbur (prayer leaders) will gather virtually with the Rising Song Institute’s Deborah Sacks Mintz to build out their toolkits of leadership skills for the future. Text study, melody sharing, and training in technical skills will comprise this unique cohort-based fellowship.
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