The Beit Midrash of Yeshivat Hadar is open again for in-person learning. Join our learning community and study Torah in all of its depth and splendor.
We will not be requiring masks or testing as a prerequisite to attending classes. We encourage each participant to make the best decision for their own health and safety. If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or are feeling otherwise ill, we ask that you not attend the class
Summer Classes
Skill-Building Talmud: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
R. Avi Strausberg, Dena Weiss, R. Jason Rogoff, R. Ethan Tucker
When? Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9:15 AM - 12:45 PM Eastern | June 26 - August 3
Fee: Sliding scale of $36-$360
The third chapter of Sanhedrin discusses various aspects of courts and justice. Our first unit will deal with arbitration. What was the function and scope of arbitration courts? How did the rabbinic judicial institution relate to these courts? What can these texts teach us about navigating interpersonal conflict? Our second unit will delve into the complex issue of the legitimacy of witnesses. Who is considered a valid witness and why? Can a person deemed invalid change their status? What do these categories of invalidation tell us about how the rabbis define trustworthiness and community?
Registration is closed for this class.
Tumultuous Journeys of Faith and Prayer in the Sefat Emet
R. Aviva Richman
When? Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 PM Eastern | June 27 - August 1
Fee: Suggested Donation of $36
We might assume that faith and prayer require a clear and stable notion of God. What do we do when we don’t feel we can relate to the “God of our ancestors” and when we have questions or doubts about what it means to be in relationship with God? In this class we will re-meet the God of our ancestors through hassidic teachings of the Sefat Emet (R. Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the second rebbe of the Gerrer hasidim). Through his nuanced interpretations of Torah, we’ll come to know unexpected twists and turns in the religious journeys of both our more well known and more obscure biblical forebears. Their stories invite us to carve our own authentic path as we pray to the “God of our ancestors.”
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Praying Anew: Unlocking Meaning in the Words of the Siddur
R. Elie Kaunfer
When? Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:00 PM Eastern | June 27 - August 1
Fee: Suggested Donation of $36
The Jewish prayerbook is a collage of texts that reflect our deepest emotions, longings and experiences. But sometimes it takes some work to unlock this meaning. Together we will interpret the texts of our prayers, uncovering new insights and learning a method of understanding the prayerbook in a new way.
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King Solomon: The Power and Peril of Genius
R. David Kasher
When? Mondays, 7:30-8:45 PM Eastern | July 10, 17, 24, & 31
Fee: Free
A list of the most celebrated kings of Ancient Israel would likely begin with David and then proceed immediately to his son Solomon. But Solomon was a very different man from his father, and his legacy is far more complicated. His reign begins in terror, bloats into staggering opulence, and descends finally into unbridled sin. Yet for all that, the trait King Solomon is most remembered for is his unparalleled wisdom. It may be, however, that this legendary Solomonic quality serves not as an irony, but an explanation. For sometimes a beautiful mind can become a dangerous one.
In this series we will study the story of King Solomon as recorded in Melakhim Aleph (Kings 1), reflected on by Kohelet (Ecclesiastes), and interpreted by the rabbis of Talmud, and see what lessons can be mined from the life of a great genius with great power.
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Sustenance: A Talmudic and Culinary Exploration of Women in Judaism
Thursday, June 1 at 6:00 - 8:45 PM Eastern
In-Person at Yeshivat Hadar (190 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY)
Join us for an evening of learning and food-tasting as we explore stories and recipes from Feeding Women of the Talmud, Feeding Ourselves, recipient of the Natan Notable Book Award, in partnership with the Jewish Book Council. This book creatively winds together Talmudic narrative, modern thought, and culinary interpretation as it pays homage to the women represented in the Talmud. The evening will include food made from the book’s recipes, an exploration of texts about Jewish women with Hadar faculty, and an opportunity to hear from the book’s editor, Kenden Alfond, along with book contributors Sarah Chandler, Professor Sarit Kattan Gribetz, and Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish.
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