Temple Reyim's adult education program aims to provide Jewish learning in a "user-friendly environment" through the annual Kallah and a variety of courses, lectures and holiday-based programs.

Limmud Reyim May 2013                                    

Tikkun Leil Shavuot, Tuesday May 14th

Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an evening of study and discussion, is on Tuesday, May 14th starting at 7:45 pm with the Mincha prayer service. The title of the evening’s presentations will be “Its Complicated: if You are not Confused, You are not Thinking Clearly”. Our teachers will show us the clarity of Jewish values that are set forth in the Aseret Ha’dibrot (The Ten Commandments) and in the blessing made before we study words of Torah. Then they will show the complexity and the confusion when we attempt to use Jewish values as a guide to our behavior in our modern day world. They will use examples from today’s contemporary and provocative writers such as Nathan Englander and Etgar Keret to illustrate how these Jewish values are exemplified in their writings, or not. There will be plenty of time for discussion of this challenging topic.

Our instructors will be Rabbi Suzanne Offit, Chaplain, Hebrew Senior Life, post-acute and palliative care, and Rabbi Benjamin Shalva.   (Delectable dairy desserts will be served as is customary on Shavuot.)

Embodied Judaism: The Torah of Food

Tuesdays, May 7 and 21 at 7:30 pm

Part 1: Feeding Ourselves & Our Families: If feeding ourselves and our families well were simple we would all just do it, and a whole industry of quick-fix food advice would be out of business. People, especially Jews, have complicated relationships with food. We yearn for creative ways to explore that relationship. In this interactive workshop we will draw from Jewish wisdom and modern insights to make eating a healthier and holier experience for you and your family.

Part 2: Connecting Communities and Sustaining the Earth. Besides walking, eating is probably the most direct connection we all have with the earth every day, but we don’t always realize it. Our food choices have an impact on not only our own health, but the health of our land, water and air. Our food choices have moral and ethical implications for the humane treatment of animals and the human rights of workers. Judaism has much to say about these issues and modern thinkers and activists have addressed them in our own day. We integrate wisdom and knowledge from both. From the practical to the mystical, please join us on this journey into the Torah of food. Taught by Rabbi Natan & Ilana Margalit.

Biblical Hebrew class

Monday, May 6 at 7:30 pm

The main goal of the class is to help improve our understanding of the plain meaning of the Biblical text, its vocabulary and grammar, using study guides. Participants need to be able to read Hebrew. New students welcomed. Taught by Dr. Bruce Rosen, former Biblical Hebrew Instructor at Brandeis University.

Hebrew Conversation Club

Wednesdays, May 8 and 22 at 7:30 p.m.

Aya Schlair convenes a Chug Ivrit, (a Conversational Hebrew class) for those able to speak sufficient Hebrew to discuss a variety of interesting subjects.

Temple Reyim Book Club

Thursday, May 23 at 7:30 p.m.

The Reyim Book Club welcomes all members (and friends) interested in reading and discussing books with Jewish themes. The books to be discussed this year are A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss, The Prime Ministers by Yehuda Avner, In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson, and The 188th Crybaby Brigade by Joel Chasnoff. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Gita Foster ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ).

Torah Study: Text and Context

Tuesday, May 7 at 2:30 p.m.

A close reading of the text and selected commentaries prompt lively discussion. The group is led by Rabbi Ben Shalva.