Here are eight local (and for now, virtual) Hebrew Bible classes you can join now | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Here are eight local (and for now, virtual) Hebrew Bible classes you can join now 

 

 

When widespread quarantine began back in March, several of the Milwaukee area’s long-running Hebrew Bible study groups hardly skipped a beat. They began connecting through video conferences on Zoom. 

The classes will likely remain online this fall. If you’re looking to expand your Jewish learning by studying the Hebrew Bible, or the Tanakh, tune in for one (or more!) of these offerings. This is not a complete list. If you don’t see your local and long-running study group here, email Chronicle@MilwaukeeJewish.org. 

  1. A Modern Rabbi’s Approach to the Bible 

When: Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 a.m. 

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Sinai) 

Cost: Free 

How to join: Contact Jen Friedman at jfriedman@congregationsinai.org. 

Rabbi Jay Brickman, rabbi emeritus at Congregation Sinai in Fox Point, has been leading this class since 1955. He said he believes it’s the longest-running Hebrew Bible class in the country. The class began by studying the book of Genesis, the first book of the Tanakh, and is currently nearing the end of Ecclesiastes, which is one of the last books. Each week, the class reads and discusses 10 to 12 lines, Brickman said. 

It’s an opportunity to learn, to become familiar with the Bible and to exchange ideas with other people about what the verses mean,” Brickman said. It’s sort of exploratory. 

  1. Shabbat Morning Torah Study

When: Saturdays, 9:00-10:30 a.m. 

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Sinai) 

Cost: Free 

How to join: Contact Jen Friedman at jfriedman@congregationsinai.org. 

Rabbi Jay Brickman of Congregation Sinai has also been leading this group since 1955. Almost every synagogue now has some sort of Shabbat morning Torah study, Rabbi Brickman said, but this is the oldest one as far as he knows. 

This group goes through the five books of the Torah line by line in both Hebrew and English and then discusses them.   

“We do our own commentary,” Rabbi Brickman said. 

The class’s readings don’t necessarily follow the weekly Torah portion, Brickman said. The class is currently reading the book of Genesis. 

  1. Navi Lunch & Learn

When: Tuesdays, 12:15-12:55 p.m. (with breaks during the summer and for High Holidays) 

Where: Zoom (previously at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center) 

Cost: Free 

How to join: Contact asktshul@gmail.com. 

Rabbi Wesley Kalmar of Congregation Anshe Sfard Kehillat Torah congregation in Glendale has been leading this study group since 2011.  

The class focuses on the books of the Prophets (Nevi’im). Each week, the group reads 10 verses in both Hebrew and English and then discusses them. The class began with Judges, which is the second book in Nevi’im, and has since made its way through the first book of Samuel and is now in the second book of Samuel.  

“It’s an amazing way to connect to stories in the Bible that a lot of people are not so familiar with,” Rabbi Kalmar said. 

The class this year will be called “King David Faces Rebellion” and it starts on Sept. 8. 

The class is open to anyone; not just members of Rabbi Kalmar’s Modern Orthodox congregation. In fact, most of the people who regularly attend are not members of ASKT, Rabbi Kalmar said. 

Recordings of past lunch & learn classes are available on the ASKT website. 

  1. Back to the Sources

When: Thursdays, 10:00-11:30 a.m., beginning October 15 

Where: Zoom (previously at the JCC) 

Cost: For JCC members: $120/semester (15 weeks) and $200/year (30 weeks). For non-members: $140/semester, $230/year. 

How to join: Contact Jody Hirsh at jhirsh@jccmilwaukee.org. 

This annual 30-week class is taught by Jody Hirsh, the JCC’s Judaic education director, and alternates between focusing on specific books of the Hebrew Bible and Jewish history. Last year’s Bible-focused class was “The Elijah the Prophet narrative,” and this year’s history-focused class will be “The Jews of England.” 

Hirsh, who described the course as academic without tests or papers, assigns short weekly readings of primary source material. Readings for the upcoming course will include William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice 

Back to the Sources began as a women’s Bible class and was started 40 years ago by Ateret Cohn, a legendary Milwaukee teacher, Hirsh said. It is now open to both men and women. 

  1. Shabbat Morning Study Minyan 

When: Saturdays, 9:00-11:00 a.m.  

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun) 

Cost: Free 

How to join: Contact Susan Cosden at scosden@ceebj.org to request the Zoom link. 

This ongoing study group is led by Rabbi Marc E. Berkson of Congregation Emanu-El Bne Jeshurun in River Hills. The group has been reading the Tanakh verse by verse since 1999 and is currently on the second book of Kings.  

“We engage with the text and with each other and we see what others before us have said,” Rabbi Berkson said.  

Participants use different English translations of the original Hebrew text, adding an extra layer of interest to the discussion. The studying typically starts around 10 a.m., following the congregation’s 9 a.m. Shabbat service, and concludes with a Kiddush. 

It’s open to congregants and non-congregants, Jews and non-Jews,” Berkson said. 

  1. Through the Eyes of Women

When: Fridays, 10:00-11:30 a.m. 

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Sinai in Fox Point) 

Cost: Free for members of Congregation Sinai. $54/year for non-members. 

How to join: Contact Jen Friedman at jfriedman@congregationsinai.org. Students must enroll each year. Open enrollment for the next session runs from September 25 until October 16.  

Taught by Dr. Sherry Blumberg and reserved for people who identify as female, this class has been going on since 2008. It uses The Torah: A Women’s Commentary and also brings in other commentaries, including those by Nechama Liebowitz and Avivah Zornberg, as well as some mystical literature. 

Our ancient texts still speak to us today if we know how to look at them,” Blumberg said. 

Blumberg has a Ph.D. in Jewish education from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She has been the director of education at Milwaukee-area synagogues including congregations Shalom, Sinai, and Beth Israel Ner Tamid. 

  1. Women’s Torah Study

When: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30 a.m. 

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun in River Hills) 

Cost: $10/class 

How to join: Contact Susan Cosden at scosden@ceebj.org to request the Zoom link or register online. 

This ongoing class, also taught by Dr. Sherry Blumberg and reserved for people who identify as female, uses The Torah: A Women’s Commentary and is currently in the book of Numbers. 

Blumberg said her approach to teaching is “making the words of the Biblical text or whatever we’re reading come alive for the women so they can identify with it.” 

Having a female-focused class helps to build community among women and gives them a chance to feel comfortable working with text and commentary, Blumberg said. 

  1. The Torah Sisters

When: Wednesdays, 10:00-11:00 a.m. 

Where: Zoom (previously at Congregation Beth Israel Ner Tamid in Glendale) 

Cost: $135/year or $50/semester (with 3 semesters per year) 

How to join: Contact Sherry Blumberg at theblumbergs@wi.rr.com 

Taught by Dr. Sherry Blumberg and reserved for people who identify as female, this class began with The Torah: A Women’s Commentary and is now working its way through the Haftarot. The class has been running for five or six years, Blumberg said. 

Blumberg wrote several of the poems included in The Torah: A Women’s Commentary and was involved in its organization and writing. 

Rabbi Jay Brickman, rabbi emeritus at Congregation Sinai in Fox Point, at his North Shore home in August. He has been leading a class since 1955. Photo by Rob Golub.