CJLL Fall Brochure 2012

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ON THE COVER:RED BEARDED MANBY SHRAGA WEIL

Interested in either our Core Curriculum or our Scholar’s Courses? Find out if the program is right for you. Join us for a Taste of Melton at one of the following sample classes:

C U R I O U S A B O U T T H E M E LT O N M I N I - S C H O O L?

Thursday, September 13 • 9:30 AM

Thursday, October 4 • 7:00 PM

Thursday, October 11 • 9:30 AM

To RSVP, contact Nomi Barancik at [email protected]

or by phone at 713.729.3200, ext. 3288. All Sample classes to

take place at the ERJCC.

TASTE A WHOLE NEW

MELTON MINI-SCHOOL

FOR THE FIRST TIME MELTON SCHOLARS COURSES WILL BE OPEN TO

EVERYONE WITHOUT THE PRE-REQUISITE OF COMPLETING THE CORE

COURSES. IN ADDITION, PARTICIPANTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO

REGISTER FOR A SINGLE SCHOLARS COURSE. WE HOPE THAT THIS

WILL ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO JOIN OUR PROGRAM AND JUMPSTART

THEIR JEWISH JOURNEY.

Melton Core Curriculum The Melton Core Program is an integrated, sequential, course of Jewish study. Partici-pants attend 30 two-hour sessions a year for two years.

First Year Students Take Two Courses: Rhythms of Jewish Living, which covers the Jewish life cycle and calendar and Purposes of Jewish Living which explores essential Jewish ideas.

Second Year Students Take Two Courses: Ethics of Jewish Living, which explores numerous ethical issues with case studies from talmudic, rabbinic, and contemporary literature and Dramas of Jewish Living which explores dramatic developments from different periods in Jewish history.

Scholars Curriculum Courses The Scholars Curriculum Courses are topi-cal courses on many subjects in Jewish life. We highly recommend taking the Core Program first, although it is not obliga-tory. The Scholar classes include courses developed by Melton as well as courses developed “in house” by our own faculty.

For more information about Melton programs, visit www.erjcchouston.org/melton or call Nomi Barancik at 713.729.3200, ext. 3288.

What are the Jewish Values you want your child to know?Foundations of Jewish Family Living is a new learning opportunity for parents that provides a thought-provoking encounter with the core values of Judaism. At a time in a family’s life when a child is experiencing his or her own Jewish education, this rich learning experience provides you with the learning, the language, and the confidence to be a teacher to your own children and support Jewish learning at home.

The program is sponsored by the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center and will be facilitated by Rabbi Adrienne Scott of Congregation Beth Israel.

Foundations of Jewish Family Living was developed by the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, a Project of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in cooperation with the PJ Library and Shalom Sesame.

The program is generously underwritten in our community by

Saranne and Livingston Kosberg.

A N E W P R O G R A M F O R F A M I L I E S W I T H Y O U N G C H I L D R E N

F O U N D A T I O N So f J e w i s h F a m i l y L i v i n g

Genesis 1: From Adam to Abraham

Exodus 1: From Slavery to Sinai

Israeli Literature as a Window

into Israeli Society

Stalking the Dead Sea Scrolls

Traveling Tribes

What Should a Modern Jew Believe?

Fall Melton Scholars Courses Include:

LEA

RN

ING

Foundations begins Thursday, November 8 at 12:00 PM. Classes meet for 20 sessions of 1.5 hours each. The only cost to participants is a materials fee of $54.

Sukkot Family Fun

Sunday, October 7 • 2:00 – 4:00 PM

Join us for free Sukkot crafts and fun in the

ERJCC Lobby.

Hazon’s Community Supported Agriculture Program at the ERJCC

Locally grown, organic, and very fresh vegetables. The fall season enrollment is now underway, with the first delivery scheduled for October 18. The season will go for 12 weeks with breaks for Thanksgiving and winter break. Based on past performance you can expect tomatoes, squash, turnips, sweet potatoes, cabbage (standard and Chinese), radishes, and an assortment of greens (kale, collards, chard). Of

course, what we get depends on all of the elements that go into growing veggies in Texas! The season cost is $384 for the 12 weeks. And if a full share is too much for you, find a friend and split a share! There is also an ERJCC fee of $23 for members and $33 for public.

To register contact Nomi Barancik at 713.729.3200, ext. 3288 or [email protected].

Three Views of Philip Roth:

Portnoy’s Complaint, The Ghost Writer, and

The Plot Against America

Lecture offered by Dr. Terrence Doody

Wednesday, October 3 • 8:00 PM

These three novels, from the beginning, the

early middle, and the later phase of Philip

Roth’s long career, give us three different

looks at his depiction of anti-Semitism.

Portnoy’s Complaint was a scandalous book

that prompted charges of anti-Semitism

against Roth himself. The Plot Against America

imagines the consequences to American Jews

if Charles Lindbergh, a Nazi sympathizer, had

defeated Roosevelt for the Presidency. The

Ghost Writer tackles the question of just how

much actual influence literary fiction can have

in a free society.

Terrence Doody received his Ph.D. from Cornell

University and is now a Professor in the Department

of English at Rice, where he teaches courses in mod-

ernism, the novel, and contemporary literature. He

has taught for many years at The Women’s Institute

of Houston, The Houston Seminar, and in Rice’s

Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.

Neither Here Nor There:

Gender in Modern Hebrew and Yiddish

Literature

Lecture Offered by Dr. Melissa Weininger


From the Rabbinic Period, gender has been

understood as an unstable category in Jewish

culture, and in constructing a modern litera-

ture Jewish writers have had to grapple with

female characters and the place of women in

Jewish society. Displacement has typically

been understood as a condition of modernity,

but to what extent does the sense of disloca-

tion described by modern Jewish literature

overlap with issues of gender and gender

relations?

Dr. Melissa Weininger is currently a post-doctoral

fellow in Jewish Studies at Rice University. She

received her Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of

Chicago. Her areas of scholarly interest include

Modern Hebrew and Yiddish literature, gender

studies, and Jewish nationalism.

Biographies of Moses in German Exile

Literature

Lecture offered by Dr. Klaus Weissenberger


Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann and Martin

Buber, all three wrote biographies of Moses

during their exile period. The purpose of this

lecture is to discuss the different intentions

for their endeavors and the varying literary

devices which they used to convey them.

Dr. Weissenberger has been a professor of German

language and literature at Rice University since 1971.

His major areas of research are lyric poetry, exile

literature and non-fictional prose. In these areas

he has published or edited 7 books and written 75

articles.

These lectures will be held at the Evelyn

Rubenstein Jewish Community Center.

This series is made possible by the

Maurice Amado Foundation.

THIS SERIES IS FREE TO PATRONS OF THE ARTS WHO SELECT THIS AS ONE OF THEIR BENEFITS.

FREE EVENT

FAM

ILY

WATCH THESE PROGRAMS STREAMED LIVE AT houstonjewishlive.com

READING BETWEEN THE LINES IN MODERN JEWISH LITERATURE

OCTOBER 3, 17, 24 AT 8:00 PM $10 Member/$15 Public (per lecture)

$25 Member/$36 Public (series pass)

4TH ANNUAL RICE UNIVERSITY JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM LECTURE SERIES

Join us as Rabbi Ethan Tucker, Co-Founder and Rosh Yeshiva of Mechon Hadar, the only egalitarian yeshiva in the United States, visits our community from September 2012 through February 2013. Rabbi Tucker will offer an in-person residency in September and February and lead four interactive webinars in October through January. Rabbi Tucker was ordained by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and earned a PhD in Talmud and Rabbinics from the Jewish

Theological Seminary. He was named one of Newsweek’s Top Fifty Rabbis in America in 2011 and 2012.

WEBINAR LECTURES AT THE ERJCC OCTOBER 15 — JANUARY 15, 2012

Shabbat: Creating A Meaningful Atmosphere with Ancient Ritual LawsMonday, October 15 •7:00 PM—8:30 PM

This session will look at the overarching themes that undergird Biblical and Rabbinic thinking about Shabbat and explore how the details of practice aim to advance a larger vision.

Kashrut: Toward Sensible, Meaningful, Contemporary Jewish Food ChoicesMonday, November 26 • 7:00 PM—8:30 PM

This session will seek to understand the broad picture of motivations and frameworks for eating differently than we might otherwise without the Jewish tradition.

Inclusion: The Halakhic Case for EgalitarianismMonday, December 10 • 7:00 PM—8:30 PM

If much of the Jewish past assumed that many supporting roles were delegated to women in order to allow men to be fully present, how can an egalitarian world ensure full presence for some without dividing roles along gender lines alone? We will attempt to address this difficult and contentious topic with sensitivity and honesty.

What is a Jew?Monday, January 14 • 7:00 PM—8:30 PM

In this session, we will look at sources that grapple with the precise definition of Jewish-ness. What are the ramifications for contemporary policy in the Jewish community?

SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE AT THE ERJCC FEBRUARY 24 — 27, 2013

Between Wisdom and Honor: When Divine Commands Threaten Human DignitySunday, February 24 • 7:30 PM

Ethical Norms as the Foundation of the TorahMonday, February 25 • 7:30 PM

Was Abraham Asked to Sacrifice His Ethics?Tuesday, February 26 • 7:30 PM

Can Jewish Texts Be Unethical? Grappling with Difficult Sources Wednesday, February 27 • 7:30 PM

In partnership with Congregation Brith Shalom, Congregation Beth Yeshurun, and Congregation Or Ami.

Mechon Hadar Houston

To register for any of these

programs contact Nomi Barancik

at 713.729.3200 ext. 3288 or

[email protected]

Center for JewishLiving and Learning

Level 1 Beginning Hebrew Instructor: Karen GreenspanTen Wednesdays, Oct. 10 – Dec. 197:00 – 8:30 PM $190 member / $240 public

This introductory course is a program of letter recognition, reading proficiency, build-ing vocabulary, and learning basic phrases using the Hebrew textbook series Aleph Isn’t Tough.

Level 2 Beginning Hebrew Instructor: Karen GreenspanTen Thursdays, Oct. 11 – Dec.207:00 – 8:30 PM $190 member / $240 public

This class builds on the reading skills estab-lished in the level one class. The focus will be on building reading fluency and a basic vocabulary to increase understanding. The course uses the Hebrew textbook Aleph isn’t Enough.

Level 4 Biblical HebrewInstructor: Karen GreenspanTen Mondays, Oct. 15 – Dec. 277:00 – 8:30 PM $190 member / $240 public

In this course we will continue to practice reading skills and vocabulary building with a focus on reading Torah.

Beginner Conversational HebrewInstructor: Nomi BarancikTen Tuesdays, Oct. 16 – Dec. 189:30 – 10:30 AM $130 member / $165 public

This course will teach the foundations of everyday spoken Hebrew. You will learn to build simple sentences and have a basic conversation. Acquaintance with Hebrew alphabet required.

Advanced Conversational HebrewInstructor: Nomi BarancikTen Tuesdays, Oct. 16 – Dec. 1810:45 – 11:45 AM $130 member / $165 public

This course is suitable for those who read and comprehend Hebrew at a more advanced level but wish to expand their vocabulary and develop their fluency.

L A N G UAG E

Cuba, A Jewish Mission

Nov 5-13, 2012 Dec 3-11, 2012 • Jan 14-22, 2013

$3049* per person double occu-pancy single supplement add $475

Cuba, a Caribbean gem, is a cultural oasis of warm, generous people. Be inspired by Cuba’s soulful art, musical rhythms and vibrant dance. Join us on this extraordinary mission to Cuba and bring support and aid to the Cuban Jewish community. Meet the chil-dren of the ORT Sunday School and advance Jewish practices, ideals and education. Learn first-hand about today’s Jewish community and share their dreams for the future. The spirit of the Jewish community will open your eyes, heart and mind. Includes round trip airfare from Miami/Havana.

Israel @ 64: Understanding Our Land and Our People

Nov 25-Dec 9, 2012

$3799* per person double occupancy single supplement add $1100

It’s an Israel trip like no other; the chance to experience Israel together with Israelis. Encounter and explore its richness and complexity as you travel the land with your Israeli peers for firsthand, shared experi-ence through food, fashion, the arts, and social issues. Understand the challenges of the modern state; hunger, poverty, defense, environment and compare them to today’s issues facing American Jews. Includes round trip airfare Chicago/Tel Aviv.

Turn it and Turn itInstructors: Jonathan Fass, Rabbi Samantha Safran BodnerFridays: Ongoing12:00 – 1:00 PM • FREE

Join us for a weekly discussion of the Torah portion using both classic and modern commentaries. No knowledge of Hebrew required.

J E W I S H T R AV E L

L E A R N I N G

Morocco, A Jewish Heritage Tour

Oct 21-Nov 2, 2012

$3499* per person double occupancy single supplement add $1015

Morocco is a country where the colors are vivid, the contrasts are intense and views are picturesque. Landscapes range from snow-capped peaks to rolling sand dunes dotted with Kasbahs and mystical Berber villages. Experience our travels of Jewish Morocco as we visit the Imperial cities of Casablanca, Fez, Rabat and Marrakech. Includes airfare from New York.

Blue Danube Discovery: A Jewish Heritage Cruise

Oct 25 - Nov 7, 2012

Prices starting at $3620* per person double occupancy

This exclusive Jewish Heritage Cruise includes 2 nights hotel in Budapest plus a 7 night cruise onboard the Ama Waterways AmaDolce. Sail to Slovakia, Vienna, Melk, Linz, Passau, Regenburg and arrive in Buda-pest for a 3 night hotel stay. The specially-crafted itinerary highlights centuries old traditions, as well as modern day museums and monuments dedicated to conserving the rich Jewish legacy of the region. Our cruise features complimentary Jewish Heritage tours that include synagogue visits, Jewish district tours and sightseeing of landmarks of significance to Jewish History.

ARTS, CULTURE, EDUCATION | ADULTS | SENIORS | KIDS & FAMILY | HEALTH & WELLNESS

BEGINNING THIS FALL,

SELECTED PROGRAMS

OF THE CENTER FOR

JEWISH LIVING AND

LEARNING WILL BE

STREAMED LIVE.

LOOK FOR THIS

LOGO AND GO TO

houstonjewishlive.com

TO WATCH THESE

PROGRAMS FROM

YOUR COMPUTER

OR MOBILE DEVICE.

STREAMED PROGRAMS

ARE PROVIDED FREE

TO THE PUBLIC.

For more information about our travel

programs, contact Nomi Barancik

at [email protected] or

713.729.3200 ext. 3288

*plus airline taxes

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. Postage

P A I DHouston, Texas

Permit No. 6217

EVELYN RUBENSTEIN JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER5601 S. Braeswood | Houston, TX 77096erjcchouston.org

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CO M M U N I T Y R E A D : The book that binds.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>Eight new stories from the celebrated novelist and short-story writer

Pre-Book & Arts Fair Program • Sunday, Oct. 21, 4:00 PM

To sign up, visit erjcchouston.org/bookfair. Purchase the book now at Essence, the ERJCC Gift Shop before the presentation and receive a free ticket to Nathan Englander’s talk.

Certifiable masterpieces of

contemporary short-story art.

—MICHAEL CHABON

This exhibit includes the work of more than 20 artists, and is composed primarily of paintings, etchings, photographs and lithographs. The 30 images are of Jews, both men and women, at prayer or at study, contemplating the words of Torah. The work is from the permanent collection of Hebrew Union College Museum

Gallery HoursMonday – Thursday • 10:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday & Sunday • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

E X A LTAT I O N O F P R AY E R Sept 6 – Oct 19, 2012

ON T

HE C

OVER

Documents

CJLL Fall Brochure 2012