Every time you go to Amazon from our website, The Jewish Center earns up to 15% of each sale. Click the Amazon logo (below) to order the books authored by our speakers and teachers.


 

ADULT EDUCATION

AT THE JEWISH CENTER

The Adult Education Committee is pleased to present its selection of Fall-Winter programs which offers the community a wide range of classes, films, special events including the annual Egger Shabbaton and Jewish Center Reads. There is also programming in honor of the 60th Anniversary of The Jewish Center, founded in 1949.

Unless otherwise noted, programs are provided free to members of The Jewish Center. Some programs may request a donation from non-members.

TJC members have the opportunity to communicate with fellow members on topics related to Adult Education through the TJC Adult Education Listserv. Please contact the committee co-chairs to sign up for this convenient e-mail service and to get involved. You may also click here for more information on this networking tool.

PROGRAMS and COURSES

FINDING A JEWISH SPIRITUAL HOME  with Rabbi Annie Tucker

How can I make prayer feel more meaningful? What might I do to deepen my sense of connection to God? Is it possible to cultivate a greater sense of wonder and appreciation in my everyday living? While Judaism often emphasizes matters of mind and behavior, it also cares deeply for matters of the spirit, offering resources to give our lives meaning and purpose.  In this workshop we will draw upon our own questions and experiences (as well as the writings of great Jewish thinkers) to explore ways in which to deepen and enhance our spiritual lives.

7:30-8:30  May 6 and 13, 2010

A  COURSE ON DEUTERONOMY  with Rabbi Bob Freedman
7:15- 8:45  Thursdays, April 22, 29, May 6, 13, 27

BEIT MIDRASH ELUL at TJC facilitated by Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg
Join us for a voyage, where we will meet "Chazal"- our sages, from a close and personal perspective. We will try to understand "Chazal" figures as real people, men and women, real faces, with weaknesses, strengths and a story that resonates with our lives till this very day. The study is based on dialogue - either in chevrutah (small study group) or in facilitated discussion. The sources we use include classical and modern Jewish sources: Bible, Midrash, Talmud, Kabbalah, Hassidut, philosophy, and modern Israeli literature.

20 Tuesdays, beginning December 1st, 7:30 pm                                                  
Contact Gila Levin for registration information.
Tuition: $150 + ~ $35 materials fee for 20 sessions


Me’ah Graduate Institute

THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS with Gary A. Rendsburg, Rutgers University 
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls during the late 1940s and early 1950s, along with the on-going research into their contents, has created nothing less than a revolution in the study of ancient Judaism.  This course will situate the Qumran community within the context of Jewish sectarianism in late antiquity; we will focus most of all on reading the individual major scrolls; and we will compare and contrast Qumran beliefs with those of other ancient Jewish groups, most importantly the Pharisees/Rabbis, the Sadducees, and the early Christians.  Since no other subject of scholarly inquiry is so linked to the discovery and publication of the texts, we also will narrate the tortuous history of sixty years of DSS scholarship, with constant delays in the publication of the scrolls (even into the 21st century!).

Dates: Mondays, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/22.
Venue: Classes to be conducted in students’ homes
Tuition: $495
Registration Deadline: Monday, January 4, 2010
Details and Registration: Please call 646-472-5390

Note: This course is designed for graduates of the two-year Me'ah program.  Those with an equivalent Jewish educational background are encouraged to take this course. 

 

Feldenkrais Method® Awareness Through Movement® -

taught by certified practitioner and congregant Barbara Abramson

In these lessons you will learn to use gentle movement, sensation, imagination, and attention to improve your quality of movement and let go of tension.

Rather than strengthening muscles, you retrain your brain, developing awareness of unconscious habits that may be hindering you. You discover new options for more flexible, comfortable movement, better breathing and posture.

Feldenkrais gives you the means to take charge of your own care and improvement. This is especially valuable following an injury or surgery or in the presence of any chronic pain or  neurological, muscular or skeletal problem. It is not exercise but enhances any form of exercise you do. For people who already perform at a high level, Feldenkrais helps maximize their ability.

In general, everyone can improve, regardless of age or physical condition. For  this series of classes, the instructor asks that students lie on the floor, so the ability to get down and up is a prerequisite.

4:15-5:15 pm   Thursdays in February 4, 11, 18 & 25, 2010

Bring a mat if you have one

Sundays at TJC: FILM SERIES
Join us as we screen Jewish‐themed films and discuss them with noted speakers. Many of the films will be followed by a talk and Q&A. Many of the presenters were involved in the film’s production while others are experts in the subject matter focused upon in the film. All programs are on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm in the Social Hall.


March 7, 2010 —Dear Mr. Waldman (Holocaust movie)
May 2, 2010 — Arranged  (speaker to discuss afterwards)


LUNCH and LEARN  organized by Bob Garber

The series has been on-going for many years featuring well-known artists, writers, politicians, educators and other scholars who impart their insight and learning.  Talks are scheduled for the third Wednesday of the month. Preceded by a dairy lunch brought by learners. The program includes a Q&A period following the talk. The lectures are open to the public.

3rd Wednesday of the month at noon

March 17 with Prof. James McPhearson
April 21 TBA
May 26 with Professor Alan Mann

“BIBLE BABOKER” ON SHABBAT MORNING
with Rabbi Annie Tucker
This weekly Shabbat morning discussion of Parashat HaShavua (the weekly Torah portion) offers lively exploration and debate of the Torahʹs many wonderful (and often challenging) stories and themes. The Bible BaBoker group has been meeting for three years and always welcomes new participants regardless of background. Open to regulars and drop‐ins interested in learning together.
Shabbat mornings 8:45 am to 9:45 am

B’NAI MITZVAH ADULT PROGRAM  with Rabbi Adam Feldman (Torah study)and Rabbi Annie Tucker (Hebrew)

A two‐year program culminating in leading a Shabbat morning service, preparation involves weekly sessions with TJC clergy, Hebrew instruction, Torah cantillation training, and more. Most importantly, the program offers participants the opportunity to develop close relationships with one another and to reflect on the role Judaism plays in their lives today.

Members from all backgrounds are welcome.

For more information, contact Rabbi Tucker, atucker@thejewishcenter.org or (609) 921‐0100 x213

TALMUD ON SHABBAT AFTERNOON
with Rabbi David Wolf Silverman
Come explore the minor tractates of the Babylonian Talmud to discover their fascinating insights into the manners and mores of the ancient rabbis. Some of the texts have direct relevance to our own times-either in agreement, opposition or qualification.
Shabbat, 3:30-5:00  pm, Twice monthly 

Consult the weekly e-mail or Shabbat Bulletin for upcoming dates.

RABBI  DIAMOND’S TALMUD  CLASS
Thursdays, 12-1:15

JEWISH CENTER WOMEN LIMUD— SUNDAY MORNING STUDY 
The Jewish Center Women are offering a monthly series of Sunday morning (11:00 am— 12:00 noon) study sessions led by a different teacher each month.

Consult the weekly e-mail or Shabbat Bulletin for upcoming dates.

 

ONGOING HEBREW STUDY  

BEGINNING AND INTERMEDIATE HEBREW
with Edna Noiman
Remember what you learned all those years ago or start anew. Beginning class is for those who can read the letters and want to learn contemporary Hebrew. Intermediate is for those who have taken the TJC beginning class or who have previous knowledge of Hebrew vocabulary and grammar.
Sundays, with Religious School schedule
Beginners 1 (Matchilim 1 &2)     9:30-10:30 am
Intermediate (Mamshichim) 11:00-noon pm) 
Tuition: $300 for the year (not including books)

SPECIAL PROGRAMS:

TJC READS  

“Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security”
Professor Julian Zelizer, Princeton University


March 21, 2010, 7-10   Our own Julian Zelizer will lecture on his book “Arsenal of Democracy: The Politics of National Security” on Sunday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m. Order your book now! Or stop by the TJC office to purchase the book.

TJC Reads Book Order Form

 “Arsenal of Democracy” provides a provocative, timely and compulsively readable account of the vexed relationship between foreign and domestic policy and the tangled politics of national security since World War II.”  -- Laura Kalman, Professor of History, University of California, Santa Barbara

TJC Reads Events:

  • Book Discussion: March 13 after Shabbat Luncheon
  • Lecture with Professor Zelizer, Sunday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m.

 

60th  ANNIVERSARY of TJC  

Holocaust Series

Dear  Mr. Waldman  Movie on the Holocaust
March 7, 2010 4pm

CONGREGATIONAL SPECIAL PROGRAMS:
Ellen M. Egger Shabbaton  
with Scholar in Residence Rabbi Steven Greenberg from CLAL
March 19-21, 2010

YOM HASHOAH PROGRAM  with Devorah Hilsenrath
Devorah Hilsenrath will be our guest speaker. She is a survivor who tells and incredible story.
Sunday, April 11, 2010

 

 

updated: 09-Mar-2010


 

FACULTY

Rabbi Adam Feldman, a graduate of Rutgers University, was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary in 1999. He served for six years as a Rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights, NY before coming to The Jewish Center in 2005. Rabbi Feldman is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly, the UJC Rabbinic Cabinet, the Board of the American Jewish Committee, and the Board of the Solomon Schechter Day School of the Raritan Valley.

Rabbi Annie Tucker graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Pennsylvania. She received an MA in Jewsish Education from The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2001, continuing on in the Seminary's rabbinical program where she was ordained in May 2006. She came to The Jewish Center in July.

Cantor Murray E. Simon joined TJC in 1996. In 2001, he was recognized with an honorary degree from Hebrew Union College for his contributions to the Cantorate. He is also the producer of "Great Cantors of the Golden Age" and "Great Cantors in Cinema" with Brandeis University's National Center for Jewish Film.

Rabbi David Wolf Silverman is a former professor and past president of the Spertus Institute of Judaica. He also served as chairman of the Department of Jewish Philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Rabbi Adrian Skydell received his BA from NYU in Greek Philosophy. He simultaneously received his Semichas Harabbonus from Yeshiva University. He then entered Columbia University in pursuit of a Ph.D. in English and Latin Literature and was a pulpit rabbi for several years. Rabbi Skydell resides in Manhattan where, upon retirement, he has devoted his days and nights to Torah and classical erudition.

Edna Noiman, who was born in Israel, holds several degrees in philosophy including an MA from Johns Hopkins University. She has lectured at Princeton University and the College of New Jersey and is currently teaching at Rutgers.

Rabbi Bob Freedman became student cantor at the Jewish Center of Princeton, NJ in 1982, while attending the Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music. Upon his investiture in 1985, The Jewish Center appointed him its first fulltime hazzan. Wishing to expand his ability to serve the Jewish community and to deepen his own understanding, he resigned from the Jewish Center in 1996 and enrolled in the rabbinical program at the Academy for Jewish Religion. As a student he served as rabbi and cantor of the String of Pearls congregation in Princeton, and after receiving rabbinic ordination in 2000 he served for seven years as rabbi and cantor of Israel Congregation in Manchester, Vermont. Rabbi Freedman currently lives with his wife Sally in Princeton, NJ, teaching, studying, and writing.

Shira Ben Sasson Furstenberg, Born and raised in a liberal Orthodox family in Jerusalem, Shira was an officer in the IDF and received her BA and MA in cultural anthropology from the Hebrew University. Shira first joined "Elul's" Pluralistic Beit Midrash in Jerusalem as a participant in 2002, and has stayed in the 'Elul family' since. She worked for five years in the Knesset Research and Information Center, Since 2005 Shira has been the Religious Pluralism Project coordinator at Shatil/The New Israel Fund. Shira is married to her childhood sweetheart, Yair, who is working on his doctorate in Talmud in Hebrew University, and visiting Princeton as a Tikvah fellow for the 2009-10 academic year. Yair and Shira have two sons and a daughter.