STARTING TUESDAY JANUARY 24, 6:30 – 8:00 PM IN THE TEMPLE LIBRARY
From Birth to Death and Everything In Between
Come join Rabbi Daniel for an informative and inspiring look into the Jewish life cycle. This five-week adult education program (open to the entire Peoria community) will help bring new meaning and vitality to the ways in which our people mark our movement through life. Join us for all five sessions or come for just one! All classes will run from 6:30-8 PM.
1/24 — Birth — This session will explore Jewish views on pregnancy, birth and early childhood. We will look at ancient rituals such as Brit Milah (ritual circumcision), modern innovations like naming ceremonies for little girls, and even rituals that are widely ignored in the Reform world, such as Pidyon HaBen (the redemption of the first born / a ‘ritual’ human sacrifice). Together we will explore how these rituals developed, the meanings that we can take from them, and what they say about how we should approach childhood
1/31 — Coming of Age — All peoples and religions have ways of marking puberty and the coming of adulthood, and Judaism is no different. This session will focus on the meaning of Bar/Bat Mitzvah in both its traditional (the moment when a young adult becomes responsible for his/her own religious obligations) and its contemporary interpretations. We will also take a look at how Bat Mitzvah came to be, and look at the idea of ‘confirmation’ in the Jewish context. Although this session is of interest to us all, it is great for families who are going through a Bar/Bat Mitzvah soon, as a way to bring new meaning and understanding to this big event.
2/14—NO CLASS
2/21 — The Jewish Way of Dying — Here we will learn and discuss Jewish thinking about how to prepare for death. How should we treat someone who is dying? When are we allowed to withhold life-support? The experience of dying is one of the few universals in this world, and Judaism has much to say about it. In this session we will look at Jewish prayers for healing, the final ‘confession’ (vidui), and more.
2/28—NO CLASS
