Shir Tikvah Lifelong Learning Programs for 5781 (2020-21)
Dear Shir Tikvah community,
As we enter January, we also begin the book of Shemot, reliving our collective story of enslavement, advocacy, and liberation. While we journey in our storytelling, our daily lives continue to be governed by physical distance as we grieve losses and hold space for what will unfold once we can be together again in physical spaces.
That is the context in which we offer this winter’s learning opportunities, in the hope that there is something for everyone. Laurel’s Speaking of Dying workshop - raved about by all who have participated - gives participants useful information and a process for thoughtfully articulating in writing and with loved ones your wishes for the end of your life. Ariella Tilson is co-creating space for white-bodied Jews to explore building toward an embodied anti-racist white-body Jewish culture, through the work of Resmaa Menakem’s book, My Grandmother’s Hands.
On a lighter note, we’re fortunate to be offering two workshops from Ryan S. Higgins, who is a lively and dynamic teacher. If you’re interested in skill-building, join Steve Greenberg’s prayer book Hebrew. The course beginning next month picks up from a rudimentary mastery of the letters and vowels, and participants will practice fluidity of reading and learn some key prayer vocabulary.
For those interested in contemporary politics, we recommend the programs with Micah Goodman January 31st and with Robbie Kaplan & Amy Spitalnick in conversation with Rabbi Michael Adam Latz on March 3rd.
Our drop-in learning moments continue, for learners of all backgrounds who want to explore what Jewish texts say about our lives today. And we’ve also included some of our favorite local and national resources for more Jewish engagement.
These lifelong learning opportunities are offered in the spirit of ahavat-olam - love of Torah for the sake of love of life. Shir Tikvah’s teaching team is committed to creating learning environments that invite in holiness in the encounter among our participants and our holy texts. Enjoy!
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Multi-Week Lifelong Learning Opportunities January - April 2021 / 5781 All offerings will take place via Zoom What follows are multi-week courses during which participants experience both deep learning and developing meaningful relationships. Please register in advance with your time and financial commitment; contact Alison Olig for questions about payment options. |
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Speaking of Dying: From a Jewish Perspective co-sponsored with Hineni With Laurel Riedel and Visiting Rabbis Five sessions, $118, includes course materials. Register here Mondays 11:30am - 1:00pm January 25, February 1, 8, 22 and March 1 OR Wednesdays 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm January 27, February 3, 10, 24, and March 3
A majority of us will have choices about the kind of care we will receive in the final days of our lives. A Health Care Directive tells loved ones and practitioners our preferences - but they are only as useful as the thought we put into them and the conversations we have about them with loved-ones. What does "quality of life" mean to me? Who will be my advocate if I am unable to speak for myself? What happens if I have an unexpected illness or accident? How do I ask my loved ones about their future health care preferences? Who do I talk with about mine? Here is your chance to focus on something really important from your “to-do” list, with support from your community and experts on end-of-life decision making. By the end of this series, you will have a Health Care Directive, grounded in Jewish values and practices.
Laurel Riedel is an Advanced Practice RN, CNM. Laurel was a nurse-midwife at Hennepin County Medical Center for 30 years, and is now consulting on “the other mystery” through her business, Speaking of Dying Minnesota, LLC.
Beginning or Refreshing: Prayerbook Hebrew With Steve Greenberg, our b’nei mitzvah tutor and experienced teacher. Mondays 7:30-8:30pm Hebrew is the language of our people and our prayers. Enter the conversation on your own terms by becoming comfortable with the language. Winter/Spring 2021: February 22 - May 10 (12 sessions) Alef Isn’t Enough is for those who are familiar with the Aleph-Bet and are looking for some support putting the letters together, practicing prayers, and learning some root words. $118; please acquire a copy of Alef Isn’t Enough; we recommend an independent bookseller like Magers & Quinn: 612-822-4611
Gods and Monsters co-sponsored with Hineni With Ryan S Higgins Three sessions, Mondays 6:30-8:00pm February 1, 8, 22. $36 Register here From sacred scripture to sci-fi and fantasy, from folktales to Frankenstein, humans have always had monsters on the mind. But what makes a monster? And why do we love and hate them? This workshop gets up close and personal with the hideous and horrifying monsters of ancient Israel and its neighbors. We’ll discuss what separates gods from monsters, what makes them so scary, and why we depend on them to keep the world turning. We’ll also see how Israel interprets these ideas, how monotheism makes problems for monsters, and how God manages a love-hate relationship with the Bible’s most famous monster, the sea serpent Leviathan. Ehiyeh Asher Ehiyeh: I AM...or Am I? co-sponsored with Hineni With Ryan S Higgins Three sessions, Mondays 6:30-8:00pm March 1, 8, and 15 $36 Register here The Torah is a collection of texts about origins: who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going. Even God’s identity is explored, identifying God’s own name to Moses as “Ehiyeh Asher Ehiyeh - I will be what I will be.” Many of us look to scripture for answers to questions of identity, but the truth is that identity in the Torah is always changing! From Adam to Abraham to every Israelite, this workshop looks at the transformation of identity in the Torah. We’ll look at how names, bodies, roles, and groups change, who gets to make these changes, and whether or not the biblical writers think change is a good thing. We’ll ask how identity change in the Torah relates to our own attitudes toward religion and gender, and whether God’s identity can change like ours.
Ryan S. Higgins is a PhD candidate in Hebrew Bible and Its Interpretation at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has taught at JTS, Columbia University, and Luther Seminary. His most recent articles are published in Interpretation and the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion. Ryan lives in St. Paul with his wife, Anna, and their brand new baby, Abigail.
Racial Justice from the Inside Out: Embodied practice for White-bodied Jews With Ariella Tilsen, Lucy Marshall, and Rabbi Debra Rappaport 6:30pm on monthly Thursdays: February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15 Cost is only the commitment of your time & energy; Register here You may be aware of the groundbreaking book My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem. In this book, Menakem sets out a body-centered way to understand and heal from white-body supremacy. This is not a book to just read; it’s filled with individual and collective practices to open up, address, and begin to heal from intergenerational trauma and white-body supremacy. White-bodied Jews hold both white-body supremacy and the trauma of intergenerational antisemitism in our muscles, bones, and nervous systems. As part of our antiracism work, it is crucial to become more aware of the interplay of white-body advantage and antisemitism- and to explore some of the body-centered practices of Somatic Abolitionism. During this monthly havurah for white-bodied Jews, which will meet for six 90-minute sessions, we will go deep inside our hearts and bodies; explore My Grandmother’s Hands; and experience how white-body supremacy and intergenerational trauma are held in white Jewish bodies. We can then begin to build a culture as white-bodied Jews that upends white body supremacy. Ariella Tilsen is a long-time facilitator, conflict resolver, social justice/inclusion leadership coach, and meditator who weaves together years of Jewish spiritual and Buddhist practices. Ariella worked with Resmaa Menakem during the early development of My Grandmother’s Hands. Lucy Marshall is a Jewish educator, artist, facilitator and youth worker. Lucy is currently pursuing her MSW at the University of Minnesota and interning at Shir Tikvah. |
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1360 West Minnehaha Parkway - Minneapolis, MN 55419-1199
Shir Tikvah Telephone: (612) 822-1440 Office Email: office@shirtikvah.net
Office hours: Monday through Thursday 9 to 5 & Friday 9 to 3
In case of Life Cycle Emergency Call: (612) 787-7447
The Minneapolis Jewish Federation and Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul’s legacy initiative, created in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s LIFE & LEGACYTM program.