Taste of Torah Program

Taste of Torah is an introductory, full-term program for women curious about their Jewish heritage. The curriculum includes inspiring classes in Philosophy, Jewish Calendar, and Life Cycle for those new to traditional Jewish learning. The classes are kept small and one-to-one tutoring and mentoring are always available. Knowledge of Hebrew or previous Jewish Studies experience is not required.

Class Curriculum

· Exploring Torah - An introduction to the art of understanding the inner meaning of the Torah text, exploring the messages in every line, and often between the lines as well. Traditional commentaries, together with our own life experience, will help us find out what the Chumash says to us today and how we can make it relevant to our lives.
· Interpersonal Relationships - In this course we discuss the philosophic understanding and practical applications of laws regulating relationships between man and man. Students are encouraged to find practical application of the concepts in their lives.
· Introduction to Jewish Law (Halacha) - A practical introduction to Jewish Law, which reveals how it brings meaning and order to our lives.
· The Jewish Calendar - In this course we take a tour of the Jewish year, discussing the spiritual energies active in every month and discovering how the festivals are relevant to modern life
· Jewish Philosophy - A study of the fundamental aspects of Jewish theology, such as God, His relationship to His creation, the world to come, the Messiah and fate and destiny. Featuring selected readings from the works of the Rambam, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, Rabbi Judah Loewe of Prague, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, Rabbi Chaim from Volozhin.
· Jewish Thought - The Torah provides us with a broader world view to apply to everyday situations. This course addresses major philosophical issues and shows how our understanding of those issues enriches our lives.
· Messages from the Parsha – An overview of the weekly Torah reading focusing on the moral, ethical and philosophical issues raised by the text.
· Personal Growth Through Torah - Character improvement is a basic Torah ideal. This course presents practical methods of self-improvement, based on the works of Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler and Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe.
·The Power of Prayer - Why do we pray? Who are we praying to? What are we praying for? What do the prayers really mean? During this course, we will talk about the concept of prayer and highlight some significant parts of the Shabbat and daily prayer service.
· Book of Ruth – An in-depth study of the book of Ruth based on commentaries and Midrash. Major topics include monarchy in Israel, Ruth – mother of royalty, and leverite marriage.

· Timely Topics - Everything you ever wanted to know about Judaism but never got around to asking. This course takes a fresh look at foundational Jewish concepts, and their application to the modern world.
· Wisdom of the Ages - Drawing on the ancient wisdom of Jewish sources, largely from Ethics of the Fathers, this course looks at how we perceive the world. We will look at the ideas presented in texts that are read throughout the year to come to an understanding of what Judaism sees as the "meaning of life."
· Women in Tanach - Through looking at great Jewish women of the past - including Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Chana, Devorah and Esther - we will discuss how Judaism sees women's role in society and how this is relevant to our lives in the twentieth century.