Torah 101 for Parents and Caregivers

Join Rabbinical Intern Emma Dubin and other parents/caregivers of religious school students for Torah 101, in which we’ll study Parashat HaShavua (the weekly Torah portion) and explore Judaism’s ancient wisdom. Over five sessions this spring, adults will learn some Torah while their kids are in religious school! Everyone is welcome, regardless of level of Hebrew or Jewish knowledge—parents, grandparents, nannies, or anyone else who cares for our religious school students. Sessions will be from 11am-12pm, the last hour of religious school.

Session 1 (January 26): Torah 101: Navigating the Tanakh & the Talmud. We’ll talk about Biblical authorship and explore how Reform Jews engage with these holy texts even as we acknowledge modern source criticism.

Session 2 (Febuary 9): Parashat Yitro: In this Torah portion, Moses’s father-in-law advises he appoint judges to alleviate the weight of leadership—themes include burnout, inter-religious family relationships, and requirements for leadership.

Session 3 (March 2): Parashat T’tzaveh: Priests are instructed to wear opulent garments. We’ll discuss hiddur mitzvah, the notion of beautifying ritual observance, asking: how much do aesthetics matter?

Session 4 (April 6): Pesach 101: Pesach begins this week! We’ll look at the Biblical origins of the holiday, how it was observed during the Temple and Rabbinic periods, and contemporary reflections and rituals to bring to family seders.

Session 5 (May 11): Parashat Emor: A baffling and troubling episode concludes this week’s Torah portion: a man who is half-Israelite and half-Egyptian blasphemes, leading to his death. We’ll explore this passage and its implications for the question of who’s in the tribe.