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COLUMBIA JEWISH CONGREGATION
Winter/Spring 2013 Program
If you truly wish your children to study Torah,
study it yourself in their presence. They will
follow your example. Otherwise, they will
not themselves study Torah but will simply
instruct their children to do so.
- Rabbi Menahem Mendel of Kotzk
For CJC members, there is no charge for classes, except when a materials fee is noted.
Non-members are welcome to enroll in classes for a fee of $54 per course, per semester;
or $15 per session for classes of one or two sessions.
It is essential that participants register no later than one week before the class begins
because some classes require a minimum of 5 participants to run.
Except where noted, classes will be held at the Meeting House, Oakland Mills Interfaith Center,
5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045
OR at the Columbia Jewish Community School (CJCS) held on Sundays at the
Oakland Mills High School (OMHS) on Kilimanjaro Road, in Columbia.
To register by phone and for further information call the CJC office at 410-730-6044.
New Class Offerings
The Purim Megillah – R-rated
Rabbi Sonya Starr
February 24
10:00 a.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Purim’s not only for kids! On
this Purim morning come join
in reading Megillat Esther, with
Rabbi Starr pointing
out the R-rated highlights in this
adults only gathering. Bagels and
cream cheese will be served. Contact Rabbi Starr
for more information.
Make Your Own Knitted Kippah
Tauna Caffey
March 3
9:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Create a lovely beaded kippah as a unique handcrafted family
heirloom for yourself or someone who would appreciate a lovely gift.
Talented CJC member Tauna Caffey will teach you, but you’ll need
to register at least one week in advance and to come with some
easily obtained supplies. When you register by calling the office at
410-730-6044 you’ll be told the items you need to bring.
Jews, The South, And The Civil War
Michael Bloom
March 3
12 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Michael Bloom is currently a chaplain with the Jewish War Veterans
and a docent at the 6th and I Historic Synagogue in Washington, as
well as a teacher, cantor, Torah reader and service leader throughout
the Washington community. He is a graduate of Yeshiva University.,
Harvard, and the Boston University Law School, and served as
director of planning and management analysis at the U.S. Treasury
Dept. As the son of an Air Force Lt. Colonel, an interest in Jews and
the military comes naturally to him. He’ll speak to us about Jews in
the Confederacy with a particular focus on the fascinating story of
how Jewish Southern soldiers managed to observe Passover, and to
reconcile its message with their loyalty to the South.
Beginning A New Series On Jews In
Distant Lands –The Jews Of Lithuania Past And Present
Ellen Cassedy
April 14
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Ellen Cassedy is the author of the new book We Are Here:
A Lithuanian Encounter, signed copies of which will be available at
her talk. She is a journalist and former speechwriter for the Clinton
administration.
In this talk she will introduce us to Jewish life in Lithuania. Many
American Jews trace their European origins to this community.
In her talk, Ms. Cassedy will discuss Lithuanian Jewish life from
its beginnings in the 13th century through its flowering as the
“Jerusalem of the North,” with its riches of theological, cultural,
and political activity, and then on through the Holocaust and the
Soviet years. She’ll conclude by exploring how the current small
Jewish community and the memory of Jewish culture are faring in
Lithuania today. She asks participants to be prepared to grapple with
some substantive moral issues: Can we honor our heritage without
perpetuating hatred? How do people move forward after a history of
genocide?
The Dead Sea Scrolls – Their Relevance To
Christians And Jews
Professor Maxine Grossman, Assistant Professor of Jewish
Studies and Religious Studies, Jewish Studies Program,
University of Maryland
May 5
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Dr. Grossman teaches courses on ancient Judaism, the Hebrew
Bible, and the Dead Sea Scrolls. She also teaches about religion in
popular culture, gender in contemporary religious culture, and nonmainstream religious movements. Her primary research focus is on
the literature of ancient Judaism and early Christianity, especially
the Dead Sea Scrolls. She’ll help us understand the importance of
the headline grabbing discovery of these scrolls and the continuing
excitement around them. They offer a window into Judaism and
Christianity as Judaism reshaped itself and Christianity came into
being during the time when Rome ruled ancient Judea. Who wrote
the scrolls and why, who hid them and why, and most importantly
what do they say and why do we care?
Elijah – Here, There And Everywhere
Rabbi Jon Cohen
Rabbi, Mishkan Torah Congregation, Greenbelt
March 10, 2013
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
In just a couple of weeks we’ll be inviting Elijah to drink a cup of
wine at our seders. We also traditionally set a chair for him at a bris
and sing a song in his honor on Saturday nights during havdalah.
Why is that? How does it happen that this one prophet shows up
everywhere? Rabbi Cohen, on a most welcome return visit to CJC,
will take us on a tour of the historical reality and legendary career
of this unique and much-loved personality.
Parshat Hashavua – The Weekly Torah Portion –
Review And Discussion
Rabbi Martin Siegel, Rabbi Emeritus, CJC
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., ongoing
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC Library
Tough Texts: Learning About The “Other,”
Learning About “Ourselves”
Take A Peek At The Chesapeake – A Trip With
The Green Team
Rabbi Ilyse Kramer
April 25
11:15 a.m.
Caravan departing from Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
$5 per participant – all ages
April 29, May 6, 13, 20
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
Rabbi Ilyse Kramer is the Educator at the Institute for Christian
and Jewish Studies (ICJS) in Baltimore and is the Project Director of
“Reclaiming the Center,” a new adult initiative that brings Jews and
Christians together for text study, discussion and conversation.
This class will look at polemical texts within Jewish, Christian and
Moslem scriptures and liturgy. These are texts that are often seen as
hostile toward other faiths. In this class we’ll try to understand the
texts and their contexts, what they say and why, and how they’re
used and understood today.
The Green Team invites young and old to join in a trip to the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s environmental education center,
designed and built to “green specifications” and reliant on
renewable energy sources. The trip will include lunch in Annapolis ,
followed by a 1:00 p.m. tour of 1 – 1 ½ hours. For further details and
to sign up, contact Del Stanfield at 410-730-4466 or the CJC office
410-730-6044.
Learn To Read Hebrew
Cantor Jan Morrison
An Introduction to the Apocrypha
March 21, 28 and April 4, 11, and 18
7:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.
Rabbi Bob Saks
The Jewish Outreach Institute has produced materials that make
learning to read Hebrew remarkably manageable. If you’re a
beginner and wish to learn how to read, this class is right for you.
April 10, 17
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
The what? Apocry –who? If it’s Greek to you, you’re right. The
Apocrypha consists of mostly short books written during the crucial
period of the Maccabees and Roman rule of Judea. They were in the
earliest versions of our Bible, but not in the final version we have
today. They come from the world that gave birth to Christianity and
to the Judaism that grew out of the ashes of the Temple’s destruction.
They include our best guide to the background of Chanukah, the
story of how Judith beheaded a Greek general, how Daniel destroyed
a Babylonian dragon god, and the wonderful wisdom of Ben Sira.
We’ll use our three hours together to dip into this literature, to enjoy
it, and to learn from it. Texts will be provided.
Special Guest – Rabbi Shefa Gold
The Magic Of Hebrew Chant: Healing
The Spirit, Transforming The Mind,
Deepening Love
May 8
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House
Chanting, the repetition of a sacred phrase, is a way of transforming words of liturgy and Torah into doorways of expanded states
of consciousness. The chant can attune us to ever-deepening
levels of meaning, unlock the treasures of the heart, and give us
an opportunity to generously serve each other. By entering into
silence after a chant we can receive both the Divine influx and the
gifts that bubble up from the soul.
Rabbi Shefa Gold is a leader in Aleph: the Alliance for Jewish
Renewal. Ordained both from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical
College and from Renewal leader Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi, she is director of C-DEEP, The Center for Devotional,
Energy and Ecstatic Practice in Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
Well-versed in a variety of spiritual traditions while grounded in
Judaism, she is uniquely qualified as a Jewish spiritual guide. She
is the author of 3 published books on the spiritual wisdom of the
Torah, on the Song of Songs, and on “The Magic of Hebrew Chant.”
Ecclesiastes And Daniel
Tom Laufer
Weekly, ongoing
11:00 a.m. – 12 noon
Oakland Mills Meeting House/ CJC Library
CJC member Tom Laufer is from Israel. For two years he studied in
the Jewish Studies program at the Jewish Theological Seminary in
New York and has maintained a deep interest in the Bible ever since.
In this class Tom will lead participants through the texts and
teachings of two of the most interesting and surprising books of
the Bible – Ecclesiastes, that reveals the deep intellectual currents
of the ancient world and is full of ideas that you might not expect
in a book of the Bible, and Daniel, that has had deep influence on
Evangelical Christian thought in ways which reverberate throughout
America today. This is a rare chance to join others in studying two
fascinating not often studied parts of the Bible.
The Book Of Exodus
Rabbi Sonya Starr
Weekly, ongoing, excluding the second Friday of each month.
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC Library
This ongoing class continues study of the Book of Exodus.
Participants will delve deeply into the powerful narratives and
formal ceremonial and civil laws found in Exodus, and its ethical
teachings which have impacted the world. Please drop in. New
voices are always welcome. No background is necessary.
Winter/Spring 2013
Friday The Rabbi Discussed Books
Meditation And Chanting
February 8
April 26
7:30 p.m., as part of services
Cantor Jan Morrison
Rabbi Starr has been reading some terrific books and would like to
discuss them with you. Join her at an abbreviated Shabbat service for
a discussion of these books which she hopes you’ll read in advance.
February 8 – Rashi’s Daughters by Maggie Anton
April 26 – The Attack by Yasmina Khadra
The Songs We Sing: Jewish Music Of The
Diaspora – Yiddish, Ladino, English
Cantor Linda Baer
March 23,
After Shabbat Morning services
Join us for lunch at noon
$5.00 with registration in advance by calling the office at
410-730-6044. Otherwise, the charge for lunch will be $7.50.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cantor Baer, a long-time member and friend of CJC who has
participated with us often, will bring the gift of her warm spirit and
lovely voice to us in a program featuring songs of Passover and of
freedom in the languages of Jewish life from many lands.
Priority seating for lunch will be offered to those who have reserved
in advance. Our ability to offer lunch to others will be limited,
so please call and reserve your space. Your CJC account will be
charged $5 for each participant who registers, $7.50 is the charge
for others if food is available.
January 19, February 16, March 9 (2nd Sat.), April 20, May 18,
June 15
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
After services, when quiet has returned, Cantor Morrison invites you
to join her for a peaceful Shabbat afternoon interlude of meditation
and chanting.
Finding a way to meet that still small voice within you, lower your
blood pressure, and to ease the stress that walks with you are only
some of the benefits of meditation and chanting. You’ll envision,
engage and internalize the Sabbath during this peaceful time
together.
Wear loose clothing, bring a pillow if you need it. A smoothie will
be provided.
Pre-registration is required. Call the office at 410-730-6044.
Interfaith Discussion Group
Led by Gabrielle Blackman and Bob Schweiss
Life Cycle Events
Thursday February 7
7:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
How Do You Raise Children to Know and Respect
Both Parents’ Religions?
Sunday April 14
9:15 a.m.
Oakland Mills High School/CJCS
Continued on back
Detach here and mail with your check
Pre-registration and pre-payment for classes are essential to ensure teacher availability and classroom space.
Call the CJC office at (410) 730-6044 for more information.
Please complete and return this form with appropriate course fees, if applicable, to:
Robin Rosenfeld, Columbia Jewish Congregation, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045
Checks should be made out to Columbia Jewish Congregation.
Name
Daytime Phone
Course Name
Participant(s)
Total Fee
Address
Evening Phone
Course Name
Participant(s)
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City, State, Zip
Course Name
Participant(s)
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CJC Member? (Yes or No)
Total amount enclosed for all courses
Challenging Issues for Interfaith Couples and
Families
Joint programming with other Meeting House
Groups –
Thursday June 6
7:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House/CJC
Gabri Blackman and Bob Schweiss are both CJC members who have
interfaith marriages and children who attend CJCS.
“God in A Box”
These discussions will provide opportunities for members of interfaith
relationships and families (partners, parents, grandparents, etc.) to
build a supportive network with other individuals/couples. Learn
that you aren’t alone, be exposed to a wide variety of approaches to
dealing with interfaith issues, and gain a growing understanding of
the challenges faced by Jewish and non-Jewish members in interfaith
relationships/families. Share and learn from each other in a safe,
respectful, and non-judgmental setting.
Judaism Through a Reconstructionist Lens –
An Online Learning Opportunity
Learn about the Reconstructionist approach to Judaism – on your
own time, at your own pace.
This course was created by Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, PhD as a selfguided introduction to Reconstructionism as articulated by the rabbis
and lay leaders you’ll meet online. There’s a small fee, only $4.95
The course is found at http:// www.rrc.edu/distancelearning/reconlens.
April 21
7:00 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House
This film challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of God and
of God’s role in our lives.
Reclaiming the Center
May 2, 9
7:30 p.m.
Oakland Mills Meeting House
Continuing our exploration of how different religious traditions
approach worship, and of how we understand sacred space
and time.
Self-Help: Translating the Torah
Rabbi Sonya Starr
Translation by definition is interpretation. Have you ever wanted
to translate the Bible and/or many of our prayers? This friendly,
one room classroom, will slowly approach Biblical Hebrew from a
grammatical point of view giving the students a fun way to learn
how to translate our most sacred books themselves. This class allows
for later admission for those with some background. Please contact
Rabbi Starr for more information.
CJC Winter/Spring Adult Education Program
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
COLUMBIA, MD
PERMIT NO. 1101
5885 Robert Oliver Place
Columbia, MD 21045