Make what’s next matter. AJRCA’s Virtual Open House. Register today. - Sponsored Content

Explore our Rabbinical, Cantorial, and Chaplaincy Schools, and our Master of Jewish Studies Program. Choose from two virtual sessions, plus the option to observe a class.

Your next professional chapter begins now!

Two Virtual Sessions

Choose the one that works best for you

SundayNovember 11:00 PM to 2:30 PM
PST

OR

ThursdayNovember 54:00 PM to 5:30 PM
PST

Observe a Class

Attendees of both Open House sessions are invited to experience a class:
Sunday, November 1, 9:45 AM to 11:45 AM PST

World of the Biblewith Rabbi Philip Graubart

This course introduces students to the literature, history, and religious concepts of ancient Israel and Judah within the broader context of the ancient Near East. Particular attention will be given to the basic theological and spiritual ideas embedded in the biblical texts. Students will engage in the critical study of these texts and their formation, while considering both the continuities and differences between the core ideologies of ancient Israel and modern Judaism. Through exposure to critical methods of textual and historical analysis, students will gain a deeper appreciation of ancient Israel’s master story and its enduring place in Jewish spiritual and cultural life. We will also explore the importance of studying Jewish history, including the distinctions and overlaps between historical memory and religious memory. Finally, we will consider how a critical understanding of ancient Jewish history and canonical texts can influence and deepen our own personal theologies.Topics for discussion on November 1: Exodus and Conquest; David; Judah and Joseph; Tamar and Judah; Samuel; the Rise, Fall, and Rise of David; and Rabbinic interpretations of David’s story.

Talmud Iwith Rabbi Igael Gurin-Malous

This class seeks to answer: What does this ancient text have to do with me? Does it actually move me, or simply inform me? How do I translate it into my life and into my work as a Jewish leader? We will explore these questions while developing the skills necessary to facilitate thoughtful interpretation. Through the study of varied sugyot (Talmudic discussions) from tractate Sanhedrin of the Babylonian Talmud, this course builds students’ understanding of the Talmud as a body of wisdom through sustained, close study of the text, the page, and the commentators. Texts will be encountered in the original Hebrew and Aramaic, with English scaffolding provided as needed. The course is structured to help students grow in their ability to independently read, comprehend, and analyze a sugya, with attention to the nuances (both technical and philosophical) present in the text. Throughout our study, we will remain attentive to historical context, moral values and the tensions that arise when those values collide, and the concrete guidance each sugya might offer us in the present.Topic for discussion on November 1: The Structure of Machloket (Disagreement).

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Discover for yourself why AJRCA is at the forefront of cultivating visionary Jewish leaders and innovative thinkers.

Full- and Part-time Options · Supportive Community · Built for Busy Lives · Accredited

Degree programs approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).