As part of the Transition Committee’s effort to welcome Rabbi Bair and to deepen relationships within the community, we will host a series of small gatherings by shared life experience.

On select Wednesday evenings throughout the year, we will hold opportunities for groups of temple members to gather in homes or at the synagogue to get to know one another’s values, perspectives and goals for communal Jewish life. The rabbi and a lay leader from the Transition Committee will facilitate.

Led by Rabbi Bair, this 5-session course invites congregants to learn, practice, and refine the skills needed to become effective creators of pluralistic community and participants in courageous conversations.

Over the course of five sessions, learners will encounter best practices for developing relationships across significant differences, and operate from articulated Jewish values and narratives to understand and empathize with those of diverse worldviews.

Together we will:

• Connect critical bridgebuilding methodologies to Jewish wisdom, text, and tradition

• Consider and articulate the personal values that bring us to this work

• Learn and practice essential bridgebuilding skills such as active listening, storytelling, and recognizing and managing strong emotions

• Build internal resilience and purpose for sustaining relationships across difference

The cohort will explore various controversial topics while practicing the above, including respectfully and empathetically supporting each others’ diverse experiences and viewpoints post-Oct. 7th.

Wednesdays 6:00 - 7:15pm

10/21, 11/11, 11/18, 12/2 and 12/9

Registration required

Join Rabbi Bair Sunday morning during Religious school at a local coffee shop with fellow parents to discuss the joys and challenges of raising Jewish children; and a discussion based on Good Enough Parenting: A Six Point Plan For a Stronger Relationship With Your Child by Timothy A. Cavell and Lauren B. Quetsch.

Zoom with Rabbi Bair for weekly Torah study on parshat hashavuah (the weekly portion) or relevant calendar-connected Jewish wisdom. As we learn together, forge friendships and build community by bringing life experience and wisdom to bear as we delve into the timeless wisdom of Written (Torah she’bichtav) and Oral Torah (Torah shelbe’al peh), together.

All Welcome - from Very Beginner to Seasoned Scholar!

Mondays starting 9/28 12:00 - 12:45 p.m. on Zoom

Beyond the Shtetl: Who Are the Jews of the Former Soviet Union?

Who are the Jews of the Former Soviet Union, and where do their stories begin? Join Rabbi Alex for a fascinating two-session journey through more than 2,500 years of Jewish history. Together, we will trace the origins of the diverse Jewish communities that came to live throughout the Russian Empire and the Former Soviet Union, including Ashkenazi, Bukharian, and Mountain (Gorsky) Jews. From the ancient Jewish communities of Babylonia and Persia to the shtetls of Eastern Europe, the Pale of Settlement, the Soviet era, and the remarkable revival of Jewish life in our own time, we will explore the customs, languages, traditions, and stories that reveal the extraordinary diversity, resilience, and enduring spirit of the Jewish communities of the Former Soviet Union.

Tuesday 6pm, Oct 20, 27

A class for adults who never had the opportunity to become B’nai Mitzvah, or those celebrating an upcoming milestone anniversary of their b’nai mitzvah, are all welcome!

To be part of our next Adult B’nai Mitzvah cohort, please contact Stephanie Luxenberg, Director of Congregational Life at sluxenberg@villgetemple.org

Classes Led by Rabbi Bair and Stephanie.