Temple Anshe Amunim is dedicated to encouraging our members and friends to continue their religious studies. We offer programs which breed learning and interaction throughout the entire life span.
One of our major ongoing adult education programs is our halacha class, offered every Thursday morning from September through June. Taught for the last 30 years by Rabbi Emeritus Harold I. Salzmann, our halacha class focuses on the interpretation of Jewish law in a Reform setting. Rabbi Salzmann utilizes both ancient and modern texts when exploring this interpretation.
Temple Anshe Amunim is blessed each year to be the host to the Hilda Vallin Feigenbaum Memorial Foundation Lecture. Established by Drs. Armand and Donald Feigenbaum as a tribute to their late mother, the Feigenbaum Lecture is designed to encourage furthering the educational experience in the community. Previous Feigenbaum lecturers include Steve Emerson, Julian Bond, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Mara Liasson, and Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr.
This year at the 42nd Annual Feigenbaum Lecture in October, Howard Fineman, Newsweek’s Chief Political Correspondent was our featured speaker.
For more information on our ongoing and upcoming adult education programs, please contact the Temple office at (413) 442-5910, or e-mail us at templeoffice@rnetworx.com.
Education Updates
I’ve been delighted by the enthusiasm with which our community has embraced the past year’s adult education opportunities! From weekly Torah study to standalone programs, from Jewish Journeys to Adult B’nai Mitzvah classes, many have participated in these offerings. If you have not yet been able to join us, you are welcome to do so at any time!
In the month of July, Jewish Journeys will meet for the last time in its current format. Thursday, 7/1 (at 7:00 pm) offers a conversation around Judaism and nature. By drawing on texts from the biblical to the modern, we will explore how Judaism encourages us to relate to the world around us. On Sunday, 7/18 (at 10:00 am), we will read the Book of Lamentations, a text associated with Tesha B’Av - a day commemorating the destruction of the ancient Temple. Together, we will learn about the historical roots of this event and the manner in which the day evolved in Jewish thought and practice.
As you may recall, our Jewish Journeys series was designed as a survey to cover a broad range of themes. Based on the feedback that I have received from these classes, I am in the process of refining this program for the New Year. After the High Holidays, Jewish Journeys will have a new format to allow for a more in-depth exploration of our topics. Several sessions will be spent on each of the following subjects: Jewish mysticism (heaven and hell, the soul and Kabbalah, angels and demons), Jewish philosophy (ethics, personal identity, theology) and Jewish folklore (Elijah the Prophet, Lilith and the Golem). Scheduling information will be forthcoming.
In the meantime, I look forward to seeing you at weekly Torah study and our other educational events (such as our second science fiction night, Return of the Jews, on Sunday, 7/10 at 7:00 pm) throughout the summer!
Rabbi Josh
TAA Book Club
FUTURE DISCUSSIONS:
On Thursday, August 26th,
All Other Nights by Dara Horn will be on the agenda.
"A Civil War spy page-turner meets an exploration of race and religion in 19th century America in Horn's enthralling latest... Horn propels the story at a thriller's pace; the mix of love and loyalty played out in a divided America is sublime" - Publisher's Weekly
For upcoming meetings:
Isaac B. Singer: A Life
by Florence Noiville on Thursday, October 7th.
On December 9th,
Call it Sleep by Henry Roth will be on the agenda.
The TAA Book Club meets at 11:45 a.m. in the Temple library. You are welcome to bring lunch and a drink to enjoy during the discussion.
Please join us!
Kelm Scholarships
Generously established by Isabella Kelm as her family’s legacy to the congregation and the religious school, the Kelm Scholarship Fund is designed to support college students who were confirmed and completed our religious education program. Recipients are chosen each academic year by the Temple's rabbi. As conditions of their scholarship grants, students are required to maintain a passing grade point average, remain enrolled in a full-time college program, and address the congregation at services once annually, sharing their life experiences and the impact of Judaism and their religious education on their lives.
Click the name of the Kelm Scholar for their presentation:
Generously established by Isabella Kelm as her family’s legacy to the congregation and the religious school, the Kelm Scholarship Fund is designed to support college students who were confirmed and completed our religious education program. Recipients are chosen each academic year by the Temple's rabbi. As conditions of their scholarship grants, students are required to maintain a passing grade point average, remain enrolled in a full-time college program, and address the congregation at services once annually, sharing their life experiences and the impact of Judaism and their religious education on their lives. 