BIB 323 Sex and the City In The Bible: Ruth, Esther, and Lady Jerusalem
Dr. Job Y. Jindo
This course offers a close critical reading of Ruth, Esther, and Lamentations, three biblical texts centered on female figures whose stories raise enduring questions about identity, belonging, and moral agency. Through these narratives, students will develop interpretive skills and be able to articulate the structure, purpose, and theological outlook of each text, as well as identify ways in which these works shed light on the human condition today. Topics of discussion include rights discourse vs. identity discourse, the eclipse of God and emergence of human agency, empathy and justice, enticement and manipulation, hatred and metonymic thinking, identity and violence, love and forgiveness, politics and strangers, primordial and multicultural identity, the sense of the transcendent, “kosher adultery,” and Lekha Dodi.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Bible
2 credits
new course
Required Textbooks:

  1. Jewish Study Bible [2d edition]. New York. Oxford University Press, 2015, ISBN: 019026389X 9780190263898
  2. Cohn Eskenazi, Tamara, and Tikva Frymer-Kensky. Ruth. JPS Commentary: Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 2011, ISBN: 9780827607446, 082760744X
  3. Berlin, Adele. Esther. JPS Commentary: Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia, 2001, ISBN: 9780827606999, 0827606990
  4. Berlin, Adele. Lamentations. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2002, ISBN: 9780664218492, 0664218490

BIB 347 Leviticus Reconsidered: The Reality Of the Holy and the Choreography of the Sacred
Dr. Job Y. Jindo
Many find the book of Leviticus too difficult to understand. Its cultic concerns seem obsolete and boring, and its rules of sacrifices and ritual purity appear to have no relevance to the social, existential, and normative issues of our time. And yet, we live in the “Golden Age of Parashat Hashavua (Weekly Torah portion),” and Jewish clergies are expected to know how to draw insight from this seemingly outmoded and arcane book. This course is a close critical reading of Leviticus, revolving around the contemporary relevance of this text. By the conclusion of this course, the student will learn: (1) the structure, purposes, and theological outlook of Leviticus; (2) the theology of holiness and the idea of biblical ecology as reflected in Leviticus; and (3) how to teach the book of Leviticus to the contemporaries with AJR values (i.e., critical rigor, inclusivity, commitment to the pluralistic, contemporary Jewish and broader communities).
Prerequisite: Introduction to Bible
2 credits
last offered Spring 2024
Required Textbooks:

  1. Jewish Study Bible [2d edition]. New York. Oxford University Press, 2015 [The book of Leviticus is annotated by Baruch J. Schwartz; the 1st edition is also fine] ISBN: 019026389X 9780190263898
  2. Milgrom, Jacob. Leviticus: A Book of Ritual and Ethics. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004. ISBN: 0800695143 9780800695149
  3. Levine, Baruch A. Leviticus: JPS Torah Commentary. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1989. ISBN: 9780827603288 0827603282

BIB 421 Book of Samuel
Dr. Jonathan Schmidt-Swartz
This course explores the Book of Samuel as a textured and often conflicted meditation on leadership, community, and power. Through close readings, we’ll examine how different models of authority—charismatic, dynastic, prophetic—are imagined, tested, and reimagined in moments of political transition. We’ll consider how the text reflects on the ethics of leadership: the obligations leaders owe to their people, the dangers of coercive power, and the role of dissent in shaping legitimate rule. We’ll also attend to how gender and sexuality function within these narratives—not only in how women act as political agents, but in how intimate relationships between men challenge or reinforce prevailing norms. Throughout, we’ll ask what this complex and often unsettling book can teach future leaders about responsibility, vulnerability, and the uses of power.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Bible or permission of an Academic Dean
This is an online Intersession Course.
2 credits
last offered Spring 2024
Required Textbooks: The Jewish Study Bible (Oxford University Press)

CAN 115 Introduction to Modes
Rabbbi Hazzan Jeremy Lipton
The Jewish prayer modes are central to the understanding of the performative skills of leading the davening in a service. With practical application, we will examine the various services throughout the year by evaluating how the modes are integrated into each liturgy.
1 credit
last offered Fall 2023
Required Textbooks: tbd

CAN 308 Introduction to Cantillation – Torah and Haftarah
Cantor Robin Joseph
This course provides a comprehensive presentation, study, and practical usage of Torah and Haftarah cantillation. Students will examine the history, structure, and musical notation and phrasing of common Ashkenazi trope/cantillation. Emphasis will be placed on learning the musical notation and phrasing of Torah and Haftarah cantillation and applying it to text.
Prerequisite: Students should be at or above the level of HEB 250: Hebrew 1A. This course is required of cantorial and kol-bo students and is an elective for rabbinical students.
2 credits
last offered Summer 2024
Required Textbooks:

  1. Chanting the Hebrew Bible – Student Edition by Joshua R. Jacobson. Jewish Publication Society, 2005
  2. Any Tikkun Kor’im OR TropeTrainer

Recommended textbooks:

  1. Biblical Chant by A.W. Binder. Sacred Music Press, NY 1959
  2. Chanting the Hebrew Bible by Joshua R. Jacobson. Jewish Publication Society, 2005

CAN 385 Introduction to Peace Studies
Rabbi Dr. Marc Gopin
An Introduction to Jewish Peace Studies will entail an in-depth interactive study of conflict resolution theory and practice through the prism of ancient Biblical, Talmudic and Halakhic ethical values. The course will engage an introduction to conflict analysis and conflict resolution theory and practice, and then launch into Jewish traditional peace values as they relate to treatment of (1) the self, (2) the Other, (3) the Estranged Other(s), (4) community/society, and (5) the earth and life itself.

This course is designed to analyze the ways in which world Judaism like many religions plays a role in conflict, war, peace making and conflict resolution. Every religion has a broad range of cultural resources and values that have formed the basis of personal and communal values that prevent or successfully manage conflict. On the other hand, conflict has been justified at one time or another by important representatives of every major religion. Understanding Judaism’s world view and, especially, the hermeneutics through which Judaism changes and evolves, are the keys to discovering conflict resolution methodologies that may be effective at the personal, communal and global level.
Analyzing the role of Judaism in these phenomena is particularly challenging due to the fact that human beings come to be engaged in conflict or peacemaking out of a host of complex motivating factors, only one of which may be their religious beliefs and practices. Furthermore, religious language is often used as a mask that hides other motivating factors that may be less noble or persuasive.

Key questions that should be kept in mind as we explore these issues include: What is the role of change and evolution in the religion’s practices and beliefs, and how does change occur? How would you attempt to disentangle multiple motivations for conflict or peace among religious people? Is religious motivation a mask for economic, ethnic, or psychological needs? Can you know what Judaism has truly meant to its adherents if you only speak to or study male representatives? Is self-described Jewish peacemaking that advocates for and relates to one side only to be considered peacemaking or conflict resolution, or is it something else? These are but a fraction of the questions that are raised by our subject matter. Some questions will be addressed in class. Other questions I would like you to ponder as you ponder each study session of the class, and as we prepare for informed and thoughtful reflection and growth.
This course counts toward the Peace Studies requirement for cantorial and kol-bo students, and as an elective for rabbinical students.
2 credits
last offered Spring 2022
Required Textbooks:

  1. Gopin, Marc. 2002. Between Eden and Armageddon. Oxford University Press, ISBN No. 0-19-513432-X

Recommended Textbooks:

  1. Roth, Daniel. 2021. Third-Party Peacemakers in Judaism. Oxford University Press.
  2. Kaminsky, Howard. 2017. Fundamentals of Jewish Conflict Resolution.
  3. Gopin, Marc. 2005. Holy War, Holy Peace: How Religion Can Bring Peace to the Middle East. Oxford University Press, ISBN No. 0-19-514650-6 (See especially chapter 6)
  4. Gopin, Marc. 2021. Compassionate Reasoning: Changing the Mind to Change the World. Oxford University Press.
  5. Gopin, Marc. 2017. Compassionate Judaism: The Life and Thought of Samuel David Luzzatto. 2017. ISBN 9781976549960
  6. Gopin, Marc. 2016. Healing the Heart of Conflict: Eight Crucial Steps to Making Peace with Yourself and with Others Revised and Updated. Createspace Independent
    Publishing Platform, ISBN-13 No. 9781536833423 . https://amzn.to/2SjTwRN
  7. Gopin, Marc. 2012. Bridges Across an Impossible Divide: The Inner Lives of Arab and Jewish Peacemakers. Oxford University Press, ISBN No. 987-0-19-991698

CAN 390 Maqam
Dr. Samuel Torjman-Thomas
This course explores maqam for the purposes of better understanding maqam-based music making in the Near East. Particular foci for the course include theoretical foundations of maqam, practical application of maqam, and the use of maqam in synagogue practice from the region.
This course fulfills the Sephardi/Mizrahi Maqamat requirement for cantorial students.
2 credits
last offered Summer 2023
Required Textbooks:

  1. Farraj, J. and Shumays, S.A., 2019. Inside Arabic Music: Arabic Maqam Performance and Theory in the 20th Century. Oxford University Press. (IAB)

CAN 425 Advanced Nusah Shabbat I
Cantors Sol Zim and Lisa Klinger-Kantor
This course gives an in depth and extensive study of the vast liturgy of the Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma’ariv LeShabbat services. Students will develop and master a deep understanding of the nusah and special motifs in the opening Kabbalat Shabbat Service. Students will learn, in depth, the many nushaot, motifs, and participatory melodies of the Lekha Dodi section and will master and attain a deep understanding of the Ma’ariv leShabbat service by learning and demonstrating strong competence in the nusah special motifs so as to lead a service.
4 credits
last offered Fall 2022
Required Textbooks:

  1. Siddurim & Musical Texts
  2. The Sol Zim Shabbat Anthology – Musical Siddur (Cantors Assembly)
  3. Siddur Sim Shalom for Shabbat & Festivals (Old or New Versions)
  4. Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat & Festivals (Rabbinical Assembly)

Recommended textbooks:

  1. Gates of Prayer / Shabbat Weekdays
  2. Gates of Prayer / Complete Edition 1975

HAL 402 Introduction to Codes II – 2 sessions, register for only 1, see course schedule
Rabbi Will Friedman
Continuation of Introduction to Codes I taught in the summer
Prerequisite: Introduction to Codes I or permission of an Academic Dean
2 credits
last offered Fall 2024; typically offered every 3-4 terms

HEB 251 Hebrew IB
Pelleg Halfin
This course will bring students to Chapter 8-9 of the second volume of Hebrew from Scratch עברית מן ההתחלה ב’
The focus of the course is on reading comprehension of adapted informative and narrative texts in Modern Hebrew, with an emphasis on vocabulary development and dictionary look-up skills. The grammatical component of the course mostly follows the textbook. It includes Pi’el, Hitpa’el in all tenses, passive verbs in Pa’al, and more prepositions. Written and oral assignments will enhance communicative skills while improving absorption and integration of vocabulary and grammar.
Prerequisite: Hebrew IA or the equivalent
4 credits
last offered Spring 2025
Required Textbooks:

  1. Hebrew from Scratch 2

HEB 320 Biblical Hebrew
Rabbi Peg Kershenbaum
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew: examination of and exercise in the grammar, syntax and vocabulary of Biblical Hebrew, for the development of competence in understanding and translating the classical Biblical texts (with some attention to major differences between BH, Rabbinic and Modern Hebrew). Objectives: by the end of this course, students will be able to identify all parts of speech, including all the major binyanim in all their forms as they occur in prose passages of the Tanakh. They will be able to use BDB efficiently and accurately to find unfamiliar vocabulary by applying information learned about the forms and structures of different parts of speech. Students will learn to use a biblical concordance and Sefaria.com to produce a word study. They will be able to translate connected biblical prose passages accurately with the help of BDB and give analyses of specified words and constructions. Students will be able to use major conjunctive and disjunctive cantillation signs to aid in correct phrasing of syntactic units of the texts examined. And, if all goes according to plan, will even enjoy the process!
Prerequisite: must be at or above the level of HEB 250: Hebrew 1A
2 credits
last offered Spring 2024; typically offered every 4-5 terms
Required Textbooks:

  1. A Guidebook for Learning Biblical Hebrew by R. Bryan Widbin & Peg Kershenbaum [provided by instructor]

Recommended Textbooks:

  1. *Alcalay, Reuben, The Complete Hebrew-English Dictionary (Hartford, Conn.: Prayer Book Press, Inc., 1965)
  2. *Brown, Francis, et al (“BDB”), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (London: Oxford, 1966)
  3. Cook, John A. and Holmstedt, Robert D., Beginning Biblical Hebrew: A Grammar & Illustrated Reader (Baker Academic, 2013)
  4. Cowley, A.E., Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar ed. E. Kautzsch (Oxford: Oxford, 1980).
  5. Elliger, K. and Rudolph, W., Eds. (1977). Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.
  6. *Frank, Yitzhak, Grammar for Gemara (Jerusalem: Ariel, 1975).
  7. *Frank, Yitzhak, The Practical Talmud Dictionary (Jerusalem: Ariel, 1992) Now available on DTL.
  8. Hoffman, Joel M., In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language (New York: NYU Press, 2004).
  9. *Jastrow, Marcus, A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud…and the Midrashic Literature (N.Y.: Pardes, 1950)
  10. Kutscher, E.Y., “Hebrew Language” in Encyclopædia Judaica (Jerusalem: Keter, 1972), Vol. 16: Supp. Entries. Also available at https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0008_0_08629.html
  11. Owens, J. J., Analytical Key to the Old Testament (4 volumes. Baker Book House 1989 and 1995) Mandelkern, Solomon, Sefer Hechal Hakodesh: Concordanzia Ivrit va-Aramit (Lipsiae: Veit et Comp., 1896) Very useful for language research.
  12. Robinson, Maurice, Indexes to All Editions of BDB Hebrew English Lexicon (Sovereign Grace Publishers, 2003).
  13. *Scott, William R., A Simplified Guide to BHS: Critical Apparatus, Masora, Accents, unusual Letters & Other Markings, [third or later editions] (Bibal Press: Texas, 1995)
  14. Segal, M.H., A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew (London: Oxford, 1970)
  15. Strack, H.L., & Stemberger, G., Intro. to the Talmud and Midrash, trans. M. Bockmuehl (Minn.: Fortress, 1996).
  16. Weingreen, J., A Practical Grammar for Classical Hebrew (London: Oxford, 1963).
    *=Highly recommended

HEB 350 Hebrew IIA
Ilana Davidov
This course will bring students to Chapter 12-13 of Hebrew from Scratch עברית מן ההתחלה ב’ The focus of the course is on reading comprehension of adapted informative and narrative texts in Modern Hebrew, with an emphasis on vocabulary development and dictionary look-up skills. The grammatical component of the course mostly follows the textbook. It includes future tense of Hif’il, Binyan Nif’al, noun declension, prepositions, concessive clauses. Written and oral assignments will enhance communicative skills while improving absorption and integration of vocabulary and grammar.
Prerequisite: Hebrew IB or the equivalent
4 credits
last offered Summer 2024
Required Textbooks:

  1. Hebrew from Scratch 2

HIS 350 American Jewish History and Culture
Rabbi David Fine, PhD
What has it meant to be Jewish in America in the modern era? It is a provocative question, and one that has many different answers depending on the time period, region and perspective. This course will explore some of these answers and the debates surrounding them by examining the history and culture of the Jewish community in North America, starting with the first Jewish immigrants in the seventeenth century, and working our way to the present day. Among the topics covered will be the different waves of Jewish immigration, the evolving role of women within American Judaism, relations with other immigrant and minority communities, and the complex relationship of the various denominations and the Zionist movement. Looking at these and other subjects will help us to understand how the community has arrived at the place it is today.
2 credits
last offered Fall 2024; typically offered every 3-4 terms
Required Textbooks:

  1. Jonathan D. Sarna, American Judaism: A History, second edition (2019)

LIT 305 Shabbat Liturgy
Rabbi Rob Scheinberg, PhD
Through analysis of the siddur and selected rabbinic and medieval primary sources, students will become familiar with the major components of the liturgy for Shabbat (both statutory liturgy and the best-known piyyutim), their themes, structure, theology, various theories regarding their historical development, and how they are expressed in a wide variety of siddurim across the Jewish spectrum. Students will have the opportunity to reflect deeply on the meaning and function of many passages from the Shabbat liturgy and how these ideas can be transmitted to a community.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Liturgy or permission of instructor
2 Credits
last offered Fall 2024; typically offered every 4 terms
Required Textbooks:

  1. A complete traditional Siddur with a literal English translation. The Koren-Sacks Siddur is most highly recommended, and page numbers in this syllabus follow the Koren-Sacks Siddur (“Koren Shalem Siddur, Lobel Edition, Ashkenazic”; other editions may have slightly different page numbers). Birnbaum, Metsudah, ArtScroll will also be
    appropriate. (For reasons we will discuss in class, I do not recommend Siddur Sim Shalom, Siddur Lev Shalem , or Miskhan Tefilah for this purpose, even though I am very
    fond of all of these. We will use them as comparative resources, but not as core texts for our course. We encourage each student to have access to at least one non-Orthodox
    siddur for us to compare texts and translations.)

Recommended Textbooks:
Many readings are drawn from Hammer, Reuven, Entering Jewish Prayer , and from the three Shabbat-relevant volumes of Hoffman, Lawrence, My People’s Prayer Book
(volumes 7, 8, and 10). I recommend these books for purchase if you are able to (though passages will be available for download). Also note that e-book versions of these books
are currently available to subscribers to http://www.everand.com/.

PHI 310 Medieval Jewish Philosophy
Rabbi Len Levin PhD, Rabbi Cantor Michael McCloskey
The classics of medieval Jewish philosophy will be considered as efforts in the ongoing project to articulate a coherent Jewish world-outlook. How did they seek to integrate the value-orientation of the Bible with the best (Greek) “science” of their age? How might their attempts at integration serve as models for us? Texts to be studied will include: Bible, Plato, Aristotle, Philo, Saadia, Halevi, and Maimonides (with intensive attention devoted to the Guide for the Perplexed).
2 credits
last offered Summer 2024; typically offered every 4 terms
Required Textbooks:

  1. 3 Jewish Philosophers: Philo, Saadia, Halevi (Toby Press, 2006, ISBN 9781592641475 or earlier JPS/Athenaeum edition Three Jewish Philosophers with different pagination)
  2. Maimonides: Guide for the Perplexed (any edition you have is OK but we will be using the Barnes & Noble edition ISBN 9780760757574 as standard)

Recommended textbooks:

  1. Eliezer Schweid, The Classic Jewish Philosophers
  2. Colette Sirat, A History of Jewish Philosophy in the Middle Ages
  3. Julius Guttmann, Philosophies of Judaism
  4. Daniel H. Frank & Oliver Leaman, editors, History of Jewish Philosophy from the Routledge History of World Philosophies series

PRO 002 Core Concepts II
Dr. Ora Horn Prouser
This is a multi-year sequence of seminars. The seminars cover some of the fundamental values, concepts and vocabulary of Jewish tradition. Students are expected to first gain a basic acquaintance with these terms and to then delve more deeply into them so as to appreciate their range of significance. The goal of the seminars is not simply to gather information, but to develop an integrated way of thinking about and expressing these value concepts, so that students may grow from having an appreciation of the tradition to actively and creatively participating in the discourse of Torah.
Every student is required to take two years of the seminars given in the sequence, but they need not be taken in order. Core Concepts I begins with the terms nefesh/neshamah.
These courses are for matriculated ordination students only.
No tuition is charged for these courses but students must also be registered for credit bearing courses simultaneously.
0 credits

PRO 315 Counseling I
Cantor Michael Kasper
This course is an introduction to the practice of pastoral counseling, offering the philosophical / religious / psychological underpinnings as well as developing actual practical skills. Emphasis is on acquiring the ability to actively listen and assess situations, and then respond appropriately, knowing when to offer various kinds of help, and when to recommend appropriate referrals.
Specific issues in this course involve counseling for life cycle events, pre-marital meetings, helping people cope with illness, losses and grief/bereavement, as well as crisis situations and the stresses of life. We explore ways to use Jewish texts, song, prayer and ritual for healing. Classes often have an experiential component.
2 credits
last offered Summer 2024; typically offered every 4 terms
Required textbooks:

  1. Friedman, Rabbi Dayle, Jewish Pastoral Care – A Practical Handbook, 2nd edition, Jewish Lights, 2008
  2. Sullivan, James E. The Good Listener. Ave Maria Press. 2000
  3. Remen, Rachel Naomi, MD. Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal. Riverhead Books. (2006 or later publishing date, if possible)

PRO 700 FWSS – 2 sessions, register for only 1, see course schedule
Rabbi Ariel Russo, Rabbi Scott Glass
This seminar group focuses upon issues that arise in the course of rabbinical and cantorial work. Students will explore the challenges that they face in their work and in their developing rabbinate/cantorate through the presentation of a case study. Participation is required of all students whose work is counting as a required internship experience.
All Fieldwork must be approved prior to the beginning of the trimester by Rabbi Jeffrey Segelman.
0 credits
typically offered every term
Required textbooks: none

RAB 210 Intermediate Midrash
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
The Talmud Bavli’s Masekhet Berakhot is not only the foundation of Jewish prayer and ritual practice but also a rich tapestry of aggadeta—stories, legends, and theological reflections that reveal the heart and soul of the rabbinic imagination. This course invites students to journey through the legendary material of Berakhot, encountering profound narratives that explore dreams, divine presence, suffering, human resilience, and the intimate relationship between God and the Jewish people. Through close textual study of the original text and guided discussion, students will uncover how these aggadot shape Jewish thought, spirituality, and identity. Special attention will be given to literary artistry and post-traumatic theology. Students will emerge from this course with a deeper appreciation for the power of Talmudic storytelling and its central place in the life of the Jewish tradition.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Midrash or permission of an Academic Dean
2 credits
new course
Required textbooks:

  1. The Noé Edition Koren Talmud Bavli (Berakhot). It is available either as a 1 volume Hardcover: (https://korenpub.com/products/berakhot-large) or in 4 paperback booklets (https://korenpub.com/collections/the-noe-edition-koren-talmud-bavli-paperback-edition/products/berakhot-pb).

RAB 230 Introduction to Talmudic Logic
Rabbi Jeff Hoffman, DHL
In this first trimester of Talmud study, the emphasis will be on learning the kind of talmudic logic employed in the legal arguments, especially the kushia-contradiction (objection) and the terutz (resolution). While the passages studied will be in parallel English/Hebrew-Aramaic columns from Sefaria, most of the passages will be studied in English in order to facilitate learning the challenging logic of talmudic discourse. Nevertheless, students will learn key technical terms in the original Aramaic. Once students learn the basics of talmudic logic in this first trimester of Introduction to Talmud, the second trimester will introduce additional elements of talmudic study and passages will be studied in their original Hebrew and Aramaic.
The supervised Ḥavruta session is required of all students.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Mishnah
2 credits
Required textbooks:

  1. Marcus Jastrow, A Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature. ISBN: 1565638603; Used copies are available in hardcover for $10.98 and up on Amazon.
  2. Yitzhak Frank, The Practical Talmud Dictionary. ISBN: 1592644511; It is available new on Amazon for $29.95.

Recommended books:

  1. Adin Steinsaltz, The Talmud: A Reference Guide
  2. Barry Scott Wimpfheimer, The Talmud: A Biography (Available immediately and for free in digital format on AJR’s DTL (Digital Theological Library).
  3. Hermann L. Strack, Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash
  4. Moses Mielziner, Introduction to the Talmud
  5. Aryeh Carmell, Aiding Talmud Study

RAB 330 Intermediate Talmud I
Rabbi Jeff Hoffman DHL
Students will continue to work on the skills necessary in decoding the talmudic sugya. These include extensive work on the logic and the literary layers. Students will also continue to learn increase their knowledge of talmudic terminology, vocabulary and grammar. The text will be Tractate Megillah.
Prerequisite: Introduction to Talmud 2 or the equivalent
2 credits
last offered Spring 2025; typically offered every 3 terms
Required textbooks:

  1. The Steinsaltz Talmud Bavli – Ta’anit & Megilla. ISBN: 9789653014107. $34.95 – order the large size available through Rabbi Yossi Pollak at Koren by emailing him directly at [email protected] They need to specify that they are students of mine and that they want the original Steinsaltz version, not the “Tzuras Hadaf” edition.
  2. A Dictionary of the Targumim, Talmud Bavli, Talmud Yerushalmi and Midrashic Literature. ISBN: 9781932443202. $44.95
  3. Aiding Talmud Study. ISBN: 9780873064286. $14.99
  4. Yitzhak Frank, The Practical Talmud Dictionary. ISBN: 1592644511; It is available new on Amazon for $29.95.

Recommended Readings:

  1. The Talmud: A Reference Guide. ISBN: 9781592643127. $39.95
  2. Hamafteach: A-Z Talmud Bavli Indexed Reference Guide. ISBN: 9789653013605. $34.95
  3. Introduction to the Talmud. ISBN: 9781372001499. $26.95

RAB 430 Intermediate/Advanced Talmud
Rabbi Matthew Goldstone PhD
This course will hone students’ abilities to critically read, parse, and understand Talmudic material that is relevant for understanding contemporary Judaism. This semester will focus on sugyot related to Shabbat practices and prohibitions, which will provide students with a historical and literary understanding of the underpinnings of contemporary Shabbat observances.
Prerequisite: Three trimesters of Talmud
2 credits
last offered Summer 2024: typically offered every 3 terms
Required textbooks: none

SPI 325 Spiritual Dialogue: Our Prayer and Our Learning
Rabbi Jef Segelman
This course is about a dialogue involving prayer and learning. We will explore the deep meaning of prayer as an expression of ourselves to God and learning as an act of embracing God’s expression of God’s self to us. Most importantly, we will focus on how we create meaningful prayer services and learning experiences for others, making sure that this work does not come at the expense of our own spiritual dialogue and spiritual growth.
This course counts as one credit Parashat Hashavua and one credit Tefillah and Seminar, or as a spirituality elective.
2 credits
Required textbooks: none

SPI 355 Judaism and the Far East
Dr. Job Jindo
This course offers a comparative study of Judaism and Buddhism, revolving around the themes of mindfulness and the cultivation of humanness. We will focus on distinct qualities of awareness that each tradition cultivates in its practitioners. Although historically unrelated, the two traditions share features and concerns that prove fruitful for a trans-cultural dialogue. The nature of discussions is both theoretical and practical (e.g., we will also consider if and how you can practice some of the mindfulness exercises with your family/shul members).
No prior knowledge of Judaism, Hebrew, or Buddhism is required.
This intersession course is taught only on-site in Yonkers.
2 credits
last offered Spring 2023
Required textbooks:

  1. Luzzatto, Moshe Chaim. The Path of the Just: Mesillas Yesharim. Trans. Yosef Leibler. New York: Feldheim, 2004. [on Amazon: $17.99] * Be sure to have your own copy
  2. Uchiyama Roshi, Kosho. Opening the Hand of Thought: Foundations of Zen Buddhist Practice. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2004.
  3. Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: 50th Anniversary Edition. Boulder: Shambhala, [1970] 2020.

SPI 362 Life After Death
Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD
In Genesis and Psalms, there’s She’ol. In the Talmud, there’s resurrection, the Garden of Eden, or the heavenly yeshiva. In kabbalistic times, reincarnation is in. And in modern times, no one agrees. In this course, we’ll learn about traditions of the afterlife that Jews have accepted in different eras, and we’ll begin to understand how and why Jews have shifted their beliefs across time. This class will help prepare participants to understand Jewish traditions concerning death and the afterlife, clarify their own approaches, and consider pastoral and ritual issues in the light of these traditions.
This course will count as a Spirituality elective or a general elective.
2 credits
last offered Fall 2022
Required textbooks:

  1. Neil Gillman, The Death of Death: Resurrection and Immortality in Jewish Thought. Jewish Lights Publishing, 1997.
  2. Simcha Paull Raphael, Jewish Views of the Afterlife (Second Edition). Rowman and Littlefield, 2009.

SPI 365 Dreamwork
Rabbi Jill Hammer, PhD
From Genesis to the Talmud, from the Zohar to folklore, Jews have used dreams as a means of self-understanding and a vehicle for divine revelation. This class will have two components: first, we will read and analyze a variety of Jewish texts, rituals, and prayers on dreaming to understand the role of dreaming in Jewish practice. We’ll also consider several contemporary Jewish dream practices. Second, we will work with our own dreams to understand dreamwork as a spiritual practice and as a pastoral resource. We will discuss and practice Jewish rituals related to dreaming, and hold dream circles to mine our own dreams for wisdom and spiritual growth. Students should bring a dream journal with at least four or five recorded dreams to the first session. This course counts as a Spirituality elective or as a general elective.
2 credits
last offered Fall 2023
Required textbooks:

  1. Undertorah: An Earth-Based Kabbalah of Dreams (Jill Hammer)
  2. Dreaming Against the Current (Haviva Ner-David)
  3. The History of Last Night’s Dream (Rodger Kamenetz)