Hear, O Israel: A Deep Dive into Biblical and Rabbinic Literature

Join us for a close look at the Shema, a text that forms the cornerstone of Jewish prayer, as we explore the diverse ways that it and its themes are understood within Rabbinic Literature.

Within the context of a discussion driven course, this class looks to facilitate what our ancient Rabbis called Iyyun, careful, slow, and deep reading of biblical and rabbinic texts. We will first explore the Shema within the context of Jewish prayer and practice while looking closely at the biblical context of Deuteronomy 6, the first paragraph of the Shema. In subsequent meetings, we will explore the meaning of the Shema through different modes of Rabbinic Literature. We will also look to modern scholarly sources to help provide additional context to both rabbinic and biblical texts.

This course is for individuals who wish to become more familiar with Jewish texts, and who are seeking a deeper dive into one of the central texts of our shared tradition. No prior knowledge or background necessary for the course. All are welcome.

This free, online class will meet on Monday evenings at 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. ET for 4 weeks in March. Class dates are March 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2022.

Registration coming soon. Contact Brigid Goggin at bgoggin@tisrael.org with questions.

Meet the teacher:

Moshe Webber is a fourth year rabbinical student at Hebrew College. Prior to that, he taught philosophy, religion, and history to high school students. Moshe is committed to Jewish learning that is both student-driven and discussion based, where we as a classroom community consider big, philosophical questions while making space for those big questions to have a deep impact on our lives.