upcoming Adult Education Classes

Complete Class Descriptions

Sustain Studio: Creative Omer Study

Tuition: $75 Teacher: Lillie Benowitz; May 15th, May 22nd, and May 29th from 6:00 to 8:00pm, In Person; Co-sponsored by Hineni

In this series, we will count the Omer and explore what it means to "tend life" at this moment through the sefirot. As we move through the attributes of the Omer, we will surface what feels alive for each of us as a way of orienting to how we want to show up in the world. In each session, we'll engage in creative inquiry as spiritual practice using the Jewish Studio Process. This ritually held practice includes text study, then a guided creative process of art making and witnessing what came through. No prior experience with art or creative practice is needed to fully participate in this series.

Exploring the Jewish Wedding

Wednesdays May 21, 28 and June 11; 6:30 - 8:00 PM CST on Zoom; Teacher: Jayce Koester; $100 per couple

Are you planning a Jewish wedding or exploring Jewish marriage? We invite you to join us for a three  part class introducing Jewish wedding rituals, exploring building a Jewish home, and building connections with other people in a similar life stage. This class is for everyone who is actively planning a Jewish wedding ritual, or exploring what that might look like for you.

Longing and Belonging at Sinai: A Community Tikkun Leil Shavuot

Sunday June 1st 6:00pm - Monday, June 2nd, 8:00am

In person at Shir Tikvah and on zoom; Register here

The holiday of Shavuot invites us to imagine ourselves standing at Sinai with the entire Jewish people, past, present and future. It is an intense and vulnerable act of choosing the joys, messiness and potential of broad community and deep belonging. We’ll step into the holiday with a community tikkun, a long night of communal dreaming, learning, song, and ritual. Together, we’ll explore our longing for connection, our profound belonging to each other, and the challenges and beauty that arise from community.  

Weather permitting, our holiday will end with a sunrise Torah parade to Lake Harriet and a prayer service at the Lake. Between learning and song, we’ll snack on cheese cake and dance away sleep. Come for one session, or come all night. Learning sessions will occur both on zoom and in person. All are welcome. Masks are recommended for our in person learning.  

The Tikkun is held in partnership with:  Jewish Community Action, Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, Shir Tikvah, Mayim Rabim, J-Pride, Zuta, Your Jewish, and Twin Cities Jewish Renewal Community. 

Jewish Spiritual Directive for End of Life Wishes with Laurel Reidel 

Tuesday, June 10 6:30-8:00 pm in person Shir Tikvah Library 

No Cost; Register here

Laurel is an expert at guiding individuals through making important, sometimes difficult end of life decisions. Laurel’s belief is that we should consider these decisions and discuss them with our loved ones well before we get to the end of our lives. While she often runs workshops to assist individuals with health care directives, this class will be specifically focus on decision-making regarding caring for ourselves Jewishly after death.  Once you do fill out your form, it will be important to share your information with designated family and/or friends responsible for carrying out your wishes. This can be an addendum to your Health Care Directive or a stand alone document. 

Making these decisions and following up with conversations won’t cause us to die. Rather they will help us live more deeply now.  And they will save our loved ones a lot of stress.

Why do we Stand for the Shema and Other Mysteries of How Reform Jews Pray

$72; June 12, 19, 26 July 10 6PM with R’ Joey and guest teacher R’ Rafi Ellenson for our second session; All sessions offered hybrid

The Reform movement has innovated Jewish prayer for the last 200 years; from subtle changes (like standing for the Shema) to big evolutions, like musical instruments in shul. In this course, we’ll examine the theory of change that has motivated the development of prayer in the Reform movement.  We’ll delve into the thinking of leaders and everyday Jews as they navigate interreligious exchange, inner-communal conflict, and movements for liberation.  We’ll use this history as a springboard for dreaming about the continued evolution of Jewish prayer. 

The Basics of Torah Chanting

June 16, 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28, August 4, 11, 18, 25, September 8; 7-8PM; with Steve Greenberg

Tuition: $216

If you would like to learn to chant Torah or want a refresher course, please join us. Students should enter this class with a basic knowledge of how to decode and read the Hebrew Alphabet.  Knowledge of Torah trope and chanting is a prerequisite to celebrating an adult b’mitzvah at Shir Tikvah.  You must order and purchase your own text, The Art of Torah Cantillation Vol. 1 (available on Amazon and from Behrman House Publishers).

Mysticism for this Moment

Tuesdays, August 5, 12, 19th; 6:30 - 8:00 PM CST (On Zoom)

Tuition: $54/person

Description: Together we’ll explore mystical texts from a few key historical moments, place them in context, and explore what they might mean for our current lives. Whether you’ve deeply explored Jewish mystical thought, or are approaching it for the first time, this class is for you. All texts will be taught in English translation, no Hebrew skills required. If you have any questions please reach out to Jayce.

Free, Ongoing Offerings

Ongoing Torah Study: Our People's Journey

2nd & 4th Fridays of the month with Gayle Zoffer

12:15pm-1:30pm (Zoom)

Scholars believe that the Psalms were written by different people over several centuries; these prayer-poems express a range of feelings and motivations–including awe, gratitude, hope, a desire for comfort, grief, and despair. The group will consider different translations of the text as well as associated commentaries; this phase of study will also give us the chance to dip into musical settings of certain verses or entire psalms. We’ll also have a chance to think about the various metaphors for the Divine that are found in the text and see what resonates most for each of us. To be added to the email reminder list contact Gayle Zoffer. All are welcome to participate.

Torah for Tough Times – Nourishing our Souls

Monthly Torah Study with Rabbi Sharon Stiefel, MSW

6/26, 7/24, 8/28 at 12:00pm (Zoom)

Join me for a monthly Torah study group that provides support for individuals facing challenging ongoing hardship, grief and illness.(your own or someone you are caregiving for.) By coming together to look at the weekly Torah portion, we will nurture seeds of hope and resilience from our tradition as well as create space for support from our community.

Scholarship

Shir Tikvah is committed to finances never being a barrier to your ability to access our classes, events, or services. If you have interest in a scholarship, please use this form and we will follow up shortly. Thank you!