Lifelong Learning

NOVEMBER
Thursday 11/10 – Lawyers, Guns and Money – But Mostly Guns (Self-Defense &
Defending the Community)
Gun ownership and 'sensible gun reform' have become part of our everyday dialogue, and you may
wonder: What does Jewish law, from ancient to modern, have to say about Jews owning and selling
weapons, where those weapons can be carried and when weapons can (and should) be used? Join
Rabbi Eric for a look into this complex and challenging topic that is front and center in our lives today.  

Wednesday 11/16: iEngage w/Rabbi Briskin
This innovative course explores the pivotal events of 1947 and 1967 as key moments when
Zionism unleashed new thinking about the meaning of Jewishness for generations to come. The
course is an open discussion about issues of Jewish identity, peoplehood, ethics, and theology,
as they relate to nationhood, land, sovereignty, Jerusalem, occupation, and moral red lines.
Through the consideration of major historic moments, this iEngage Project series grapples with
the different ideas and values that shape the meaning of modern Israel, Zionism, and Jewish
identity today.

DECEMBER
Thursday 12/1 – Israel: Jerusalem Masterclass #1: Love Stories of Modern Jerusalem   
Join Israeli Tour Guide and Philadelphia native Kobi Cooper on a journey through the lesser-
known but still fascinating secrets, sites, sapiens and stories of Jerusalem which tour guides
never get a chance to tell. As Kobi says: ‘The truth is there is so much to experience here in
Israel; this series looks to cover some of things which one would likely never encounter even if
they had been here numerous times, allowing for them to deepen their knowledge of the Holy
City.’

Love Stories of Jerusalem (Ancient and Modern) will be a new way to look at the city.  We will
visit sites associated with great love stories, both ancient and modern, famous and perhaps not so
famous.  Famous kings like David, Solomon and Herod will make appearances as will a Nobel
prize winner, Jewish underground fighters, hopeless romantics and star-crossed lovers.  These
stories, both heart-warming and heart-wrenching, will take us to places in the city both familiar
and totally unfamiliar and will be a new way to look at the city.  Jerusalem, I Love You.  

Thursday 12/8 – Israeli Book Club: Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor (w/Rabbi Briskin)
Attempting to break the agonizing impasse between Israelis and Palestinians, Yossi Klein
HaLevi directly addresses his Palestinian neighbors in this taut and provocative book,
empathizing with Palestinian suffering and longing for reconciliation as he explores how the
conflict looks through Israeli eyes.

Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor is one Israeli’s powerful attempt to reach beyond the wall
that separates Israelis and Palestinians. In a series of letters, Yossi Klein Halevi explains what
motivated him to leave his native New York in his twenties and move to Israel to participate in
the drama of the renewal of a Jewish homeland, which he is committed to see succeed as a
morally responsible, democratic state in the Middle East. (www.letterstomyneighbor.com) 

Thursday 12/15 – Dinner and a Movie: Maktub 
After surviving a bomb attack, two low-level mobsters in Jerusalem change their ways and set
about making strangers' Wailing Wall prayers come true. Starring Guy Amir, Hanan Savyon,
Itzik Cohen. Available on Netflix:

Wednesday 12/21 - iEngage w/Rabbi Briskin
 

JANUARY
Thursday 1/12 – Israel: Jerusalem Masterclass #2: Secrets of Jerusalem – Death and Burial 
Death and Burial will be an exploration of all the fascinating places which tourists almost never
get to visit - even on second and third trips - and likely have never even heard about. From
fascinating cemeteries with celebrity graves such as Oskar Schindler and even William
Shakespeare! Who will you meet? What stories will they tell? You’ll have to join us to find out! 

Wednesday 1/18 - iEngage

Thursday 1/26 – Dinner and a Movie: Abe 

From Amazon Prime: Twelve-year-old Abe has a complicated family: part Israeli, part
Palestinian, and constantly fighting. But when he meets chef Chico and his fusion cuisine, he's
inspired to unite his family through food. Abe wants to cook a meal that will bring everyone to
the table, but he's about to learn that the kitchen can heal some divides.

FEBRUARY
Thursday 2/2: Shir Ami Record Club: Kiss
 
Tuesday 2/7: Lunch and Learn – Tu B’Shevat

Thursday 2/16: Israeli Book Club: Where the Desert Meets the Sea (w/Cantor Rachel)

An illuminating and heart-stirring historical novel set in post-WWII Palestine, where the
boundaries of love and friendship are challenged by the intractable conflicts of war.
Jerusalem, 1947: Judith, a young Jewish survivor of the Dachau concentration camp, arrives in
Mandatory Palestine, seeking refuge with her only remaining relative, her uncle. When she
learns that he has died, she tries to take her own life in despair.
After awakening in the hospital, Judith learns that Hana, a Muslim Arab nurse, has saved her life
by donating her own blood. While the two women develop a fragile bond, each can’t help but be
drawn deeper into the political machinations tearing the country apart. After witnessing the
repeated attacks inflicted on the Jews, Judith makes the life-changing decision to join the Zionist
fight for Jerusalem. And Hana’s star-crossed love for Dr. David Cohen, an American Jew out of
his element and working only to save lives, will put her own life in danger.
Then the political situation worsens. When tensions erupt, a shocking act of violence threatens
Judith and Hana’s friendship—and the destinies of everyone they love. (From: Amazon.com) 

Wednesday 2/22 – iEngage w/Rabbi Briskin  

Sunday 2/26: Israel: Jerusalem Masterclass #3:  Secrets of the Old City
For our third Masterclass meeting, Kobi will join us live from Israel! What secrets does the Old
City of Jerusalem hide? Is it true that there is a religious tattoo shop run by the same family for
700 years within the ancient walls? A hotel where Mark Twain spent some time? A cave of the
Freemasons? Join us to learn about all of this and so much more!  

MARCH
Tuesday 3/7: Lunch and Learn - Purim

Wednesday 3/8 - iEngage w/Rabbi Briskin  

Thursday 3/23: Personal and Communal Responsibilities #3: My Body is My Sanctuary
(Bodily Autonomy) 

Thursday 3/30: Personal and Communal Responsibilities #4: Food and the Environment  
 
APRIL
Thursday 4/13: Shir Ami Record Club: Guns n Roses w/Rabbi Eric
Thursday 4/27: Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth
(w/Rabbi Eric)

Israel. The small strip of arid land is 5,700 miles away but remains a hot-button issue and a
thorny topic of debate. But while everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how
many people actually know the facts?
Here to fill in the information gap is Israeli American Noa Tishby…Through bite-sized chunks
of history and deeply personal stories, Tishby chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in
Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel’s creation to the
disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of
facts, Tishby provides critical context around headline-generating controversies and offers a
clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel (From: Amazon.com) 
 
MAY
Tuesday 5/9: Lunch and Learn – Lag B’Omer 

Thursday 5/18: Dinner and a Movie: Deli Man (w/Nick and Mike from the Borscht Belt)
In Houston, Texas, third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber has built arguably the finest
delicatessen restaurant in the U.S. His story - augmented by the stories of iconic delis such as
Kat's, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate 'n Al, Carnegie, and the Stage - embodies a tradition indelibly
linked to its savory, nostalgic foods. We will watch extended clips of this movie together as it is
only available for purchase online at this time.