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Gesher Program

The Gesher Program is a dynamic, engaging and life-changing Jewish learning opportunity at the J! Gesher courses that are developed by the Dallas area Rabbis and Educators for JCC Dallas.

Questions about the courses or payment plans? Contact Rachelle Weiss Crane, Director Israel Engagement and Jewish Living. 214-239-7128 or rweisscrane@jccdallas.org.

Days of Awe, Days of Joy

The month of Tishrei is the richest month in the Hebrew calendar: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. But what relevance do these festivals have for us in the era of Covid-19? How can we find meaning in their messages as we shelter in place and face the new normal? This course will plumb the depths of these important Yamim Tovim and relate their timeless messages.

Dates: Wednesdays |  September 9, 16, 23, 30
Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Location: Zoom classroom
School: Gesher Program
Instructor:  Rabbi Peretz Shapiro
Tuition: $100 J member/ $125 public

Navigating the Challenges of a COVID-19 World

Over the last 5 months, we have witnessed seismic changes in the world on a whole variety of levels, both macro and micro, many of which will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for many years to come. Does Judaism have anything practical to offer when faced with enormous personal, economic, psychological, and health challenges? In this text-based course, we will examine some of the Torah’s timeless teachings on dealing with anxiety, adversity, and personal challenges.

Dates: Mondays | October 5 – December 14
Time: 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Location: Zoom classroom
School: Gesher Program
Instructor: Rabbi Peretz Shapiro
Tuition: $180 J member/ $220 public

Great Musical Partnerships: Their Stories & Their Songs II

Is it ironic that so many great songs we know and love as “standards” were written by Jewish songwriting teams?  For most of the 20th-century Jewish artists have teamed up to create some of the most memorable music the world has known. From Rodgers and Hart, Lerner & Loewe, Comden & Green, King & Goffin, Gershwin & Gershwin, and of course, Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Jewish influence is everywhere. Come join us each week for a musical sing-a-long and story about these incredible artists that truly created the American Musical Theater.  There are no pre-requisites except for an inquisitive mind and a love of music. Mark’s classes fill up fast, so let us know your plans.

Dates: Wednesdays | October 7 – December 16
Time: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Location: Zoom classroom
School: Gesher Program
Instructor: Mark Kreditor
Tuition: $180 J member/ $220 public

In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism
9:30 – 10:30 am | Rabbi Peretz Shapiro
Using Scott Shay’s book In Good Faith as a primary text, Rabbi Shapiro and his students will explore the following big questions in Part 1 of this exciting NEW course.

  • What is Idolatry and Who Cares?
  • Is the Bible Unjust and is Progress Secular?
  • Is there Something about Evil?

There are Jews There?
9:30 – 10:30 am | Cantor Don Croll
Join Cantor Croll on a virtual journey to hidden and little known Jewish communities in out of the way places around the globe. The material in this course ALL NEW and a multi-media approach is utilized to explore Jewish life near and far.

Jewish Medical Ethics: A 21st Century Discussion
10:45 am – 12:15 pm | Laura Seymour (Melton Scholars Curriculum)
Within the field of ethics, one of the most challenging frontiers is medical ethics. While contemporary medical knowledge preserves life, modern advances have raised moral and ethical dilemmas related to the sanctity and dignity of life – issues whose scope was unimaginable a generation ago. A new ten-lesson Melton course on Jewish Medical Ethics explores what Judaism has to say on a number of challenging issues, including human and animal cloning, surrogate motherhood and multiple parents, genetic identity, and assisted suicide/aid in dying. Author Rabbi Dr. Elliot Dorff is a world-renowned expert on medical ethics and Professor of Jewish Philosophy at American Jewish University.

In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism
9:30 – 10:30 am | Rabbi Peretz Shapiro
Using Scott Shay’s book In Good Faith as a primary text, Rabbi Shapiro and his students will explore the following big questions in Part 2 of this exciting NEW course.

  • Does Science Make Belief in God Irrational?
  • Is the Bible a Hoax?
  • Why Have Faith and Pray?

Great Jewish Musical Partnerships” Their stories and songs
9:30 – 10:30 am | Mark Kreditor
Is it ironic that so many great songs we know and love as “standards” were written by Jewish songwriting teams.  For most of the 20th century Jewish artists have teamed up to create some of the most memorable music the world has known. From Rodgers and Hart, Lerner & Loewe, Comden & Green, King & Goffin, Gershwin & Gershwin and of course Rodgers and Hammerstein the Jewish influence is everywhere. Come join us each week for a musical sing a long and story about these incredible artists that truly created the American Musical Theater. Funding for this course provided in part by the Sherry Lynn Roosth Memorial Fund.

Beyond Borders: The History of the Arab – Israeli Conflict Part 1
10:45 am – 12:15 pm | Gerri Patterson (Melton Scholars Curriculum)
This course provides students with a strong, text-based historical overview from the late nineteenth century through today. Course material is designed to encourage discussion and debate, and to challenge students to appreciate the basis of the conflicting historical claims made by all sides in the conflict. The complexity of the conflict forces students to grapple with issues of religion, culture, history, politics, economics, identity and survival—all reflected through primary sources, including newspaper articles, poetry, songs, government documents, speeches, photographs and memoirs. The first 10 lessons focus on the period prior to 1880 through The Six Day War.

Thugs who Knew Torah
10:45 – 11:45 am | Beri Kaplan Schwitzer
Lansky. Bugsy. Rothstein. Notorious American criminals that happened to be Jewish. In this interactive, multi-media course, we will break traditional Jewish stereotypes and view the Jewish immigration experience and its connection to organized crime.

Fish Heads and Black Cats – Superstition and the Jewish Tradition
9:30 – 10:30 am | Rabbi Peretz Shapiro
Men have​ forever​ clung to non-rational practices to ensure their safety and success. ​But ​the Torah ​requires ​faith in G-d and avoidance of divination and the like. Where is the line between prohibited and permissible divinations or superstitions? Does a Torah-true lifestyle include its own Omens, good signs and practices which are permitted and even encouraged? What ​is the background ​of many of our more well-known Segulos?

Jews in Hollywood
9:30 – 10:30 am | Cantor Don Croll
A close look at the Jewish Hollywood Moguls and why Jews are still prominent movers and shakers in the film industry. Based on the book An Empire of Their Own.

Beyond Borders: The History of the Arab – Israeli Conflict Part 2
10:45 am – 12:15 pm | Gerri Patterson (Melton Scholars Curriculum)
Lessons 11 – 20 focus on the War of Attrition in 1969 and brings us to the current day. Students will develop tools for understanding and critiquing texts and events as the conflict continues to unfold.

The Sephardic Political Tradition: How Political Philosophy Became Integral to Judaism
10:45 – 11:45 am | Reid Heller
A look at the role of classical philosophy in the medieval period and how it became integrated into a Sephardic political tradition.

Contact Rachelle Weiss Crane at rweisscrane@jccdallas.org for information about other courses and locations.

Classes

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