We offer a diverse range of Adult Education programs at Temple Beth El, including Shabbat morning Torah study, Breakfast lecture/discussion series, and a periodic Introduction to Judaism class. In addition, there is a book discussion group, and Adult Hebrew and cantillation classes. Text study programs are held on Shavuot, Tisha B'av and adult discussion takes place on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. We host a annual scholar-in-residence weekend in memory of our founding spiritual leader, Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky, in November. Earlier in the fall a local scholar is asked to speak on a topic related to the upcoming Swarsensky weekend. Check the Calendar section of our website for details about current offerings.

Rabbi Bonnie Margulis and Professor Barbara Miller Monday evenings October 11, 18, and 25, 7:00 to 8:30 pm in the adult lounge. Free to Beth El members, open to non-members. Pre-registration required: CLASS FULL

Breakfast series is open to the public and takes places on Sundays at 11 am with bagels and beverages. Speakers are introduced by chair Mil Lieberthal at 11:20 and Q/A concludes at 12:30 in the adult lounge rooms 108-109.

October 10 – Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
Accompanying the Dead: Jewish Death, Dying and Grieving Practices
What has been the tradition? What is available today? How do I make a decision about what I want?

October 17 – David Sorkin
Revisiting the Haskalah
The Haskalah, beginning with Moses Mendelssohn, used to be understood as the cause of Jewish modernity, including emancipation and assimilation. In light of recent scholarship, Professor Sorkin will take a fresh look at the Haskalah, defining more precisely its important yet limited roll in shaping the modern Jewish experience.

October 24 – Ken Mayer & Howard Schweber
Focusing on polling data and its implications for the outcome of races, the effects those outcomes will have on the political direction of the country, and the implications for Obama’s presidency.

November 7 – Bobbie Malone
South Jews or Jewish Southerners – Identity questions in the American South

November 21 – Ken Mayer & Howard Schweber
How well did Ken and Howard to with their predictions? Provide more detail about the consequences of the mid-term elections for the two years leading up to 2012.

December 5 – Robert Skloot
Bob worked as a volunteer for the American Jewish World Service in India. He will discuss the challenges of volunteering, the issues of social justice, The Jewish component to his assignment and his impressions about Indian society and culture today.

Swarsensky Scholar-in-Residence
November 12-14, 2010
Cantor Ellen Dreskin

Each year, Temple Beth El honors the memory of our founding Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky through the Swarsensky Scholar-in-Residence Program. This year, we are pleased to welcome Cantor Ellen Dreskin to Temple Beth El. Ellen Dreskin, Associate Cantor at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, is a teacher of liturgy, synagogue transformation, and Jewish mysticism. She has served for many years on the faculty of URJ Summer Kallot, Hava Nashira, and the URJ Kutz Camp Leadership Academy. Ellen has worked with Jews of all denominations from Houston to Chicago and Los Angeles to Boston, both as a scholar in residence and in her past capacity as Director of Programs for Synagogue 2000, a national, not-for-profit institute dedicated to revitalizing and re-energizing synagogue life in North America. She served as both Cantor and Educator at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York and at Anshe Chesed-Fairmount Temple in Cleveland, Ohio, and as the spiritual leader of Chavurat Tikvah in Westchester County, New York. Ellen also served as Associate Dean of HUC-JIR in New York, and sings with Beged Kefet, a musical tzedakah collective performing exclusively for the benefit of Myriam’s Dream, an organization devoted to maintaining the dignity of the elderly and inspiring others to do so as well. Ellen is a native Texan, a 1986 graduate of HUC-JIR School of Sacred Music, and has a Master’s Degree in Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.

Please join us for a Congregational Shabbat Dinner at 6:00 p.m. before services on Friday, November 13, as we welcome Cantor Ellen Dreskin to Temple Beth El. Reservation form will follow in the October and November Bulletin.

Friday, November 12
7:30 pm Services
“Can You Hear Me Now: What Really Makes Worship Work?”
Join us for a musical exploration of a modern Jewish perspective on the process of prayer, and how our words can help or hinder us on our journey.

Saturday, November 13
10:30 am—Saturday Morning Minyan
“Worship with the Wires Exposed”
A Shabbat morning service filled with explanation and inspiration, designed to give one spiritual tools for approaching meaningful worship in today’s world.

Saturday, November 13
Kiddush at 12:45ish/Lecture to follow Kiddush
“The Glamour in the Grammar: A Little Hebrew Can Go a Long Way”
An exploration of elementary Hebrew roots, prefixes and suffixes that can change the way we look at our entire service. No prior Hebrew knowledge necessary.

Saturday, November 13
“Shavua Tov: Stories and Songs for the Coming Week”
Join us as we big Shabbat farewell and usher in the new week with participatory story and song.

Sunday, November 14
11:00 am Brunch followed by Lecture
“A (very!) Brief Introduction to Jewish Mysticism”
A smattering of Kabbalistic and Chassidic text, designed to shed a small, mystical spotlight on creation, Torah, God, and Jewish living for today.