MONDAY

Hebrew 102

Mondays | beginning January 30 | 6:15 – 7:15 pm | $
Dina Mann

Practice reading and build your vocabulary and grammar skills using the siddur (prayerbook) and a workbook as our primary texts. There will be optional homework. Prerequisite: Hebrew 101, ability to read the alef-bet or instructor’s permission. Cost: $175 members; $225 general.
Click here to register.

Hebrew 103

Mondays | beginning January 30 | 6:15 – 7:15 pm | $
Vivian Nissan

Increase your reading proficiency and improve your writing skills. Expand your vocabulary, building your conversational skills. Prerequisites: some Hebrew speaking and reading ability. Cost: $175 members; $225 general.
Click here to register. 

Hebrew 104

Mondays | beginning January 30 | 7:30 – 8:30 pm | $
Varda Hubara

Converse, read and write in order to build vocabulary and increase fluency. Cost: $200 members; $250 general.
Click here to register.
 

Adult Bat Mitzvah

Mondays | beginning January 23 | 7:30 – 8:45 pm | $
Marga Hirsch
Few events move us as much as life cycle celebrations—moments in our lives that are imbued with personal, spiritual, familial and communal meaning. Our Adult Bat Mitzvah program is a year-and-a-half journey open to PAS women of all types of Jewish background who did not have the opportunity to experience a Bat Mitzvah and who would like to affirm and strengthen their commitment to Jewish growth and learning as adults. Together, we will explore Jewish issues from the unique spiritual perspective of American women in the 21st century, create new rituals, grapple with issues and texts, and develop synagogue skills—trope, prayers and blessings. Participants will celebrate their B’not Mitzvah on Shavuot 2013/5773. Space is limited. Prerequisite: Basic ability to read Hebrew, enrollment in Hebrew 101 or instructor’s permission.
Cost: $180/semester.
Click here to register. 

TUESDAY

Essential Essays

Tuesdays | ongoing | 8:00 am, after morning minyan
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
Join in a discussion of Jewish philosophy, theology and thought. Pick up the essay for each week from the literature rack in the Main Lobby. The essay is also distributed via a weekly email; if you wish to be added to the distribution list, please contact the Rabbi’s office at 212-369-2600, x120.

Contemporary Jewish Thought

Tuesdays | ongoing | 11:30 am
Rabbi Steven Rein
“Adonai s’fatai tiftah, u-fi yaggid t’hilatekha.” God, open my lips so that my mouth may speak your praise. We recite these words every day at the beginning of the Amidah. What are the words that follow? Is anyone listening? Prayer is difficult—what will you do about it? We attempt to answer these questions as we read and discuss Rabbi Mike Comins’ book, Making Prayer Real. Together with over 50 spiritual leaders from all denominations we will join the conversation of why and how we pray.

NEW! The Music of the Torah

Tuesdays | February 7, 14, 28; March 6, 13, 20 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Cantor Shiree Kidron
In this class we’ll learn the system of cantillation, or trope, used to chant the Torah, enabling students to prepare Torah readings on their own. The class is open to people who are interested in learning trope in order to better understand the Torah reading, as well as to people who want to read from the Torah at services. Prerequisite: ability to read Hebrew.
Click here to register.

NEW! A Cantor’s Perspective on Jewish Music

Tuesdays | May 1, 8, 15 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm
Cantor Azi Schwartz
Cantor Schwartz will share his extensive knowledge of Jewish music and even sing a song or two!
Click here to register.

Hebrew 101

Tuesdays | beginning January 31 | 6:15 – 7:00 pm | $
Dina Mann

Practice the alef-bet and begin to read! There will be optional homework. Prerequisite: Prior participation in Hebrew 101, ability to read the alef-bet or instructor’s permission. Cost: $175 members; $225 general.
Click here to register.

Introduction to Judaism

Tuesdays | ongoing | 6:15 – 8:15 pm | $
Whether you are Jewish or are considering conversion to Judaism, Introduction to Judaism will provide a foundation in Jewish learning and a welcoming entry into the Jewish community. From 6:15 – 7:05 pm, members of the class participate in Hebrew 101, becoming familiar with the language of Jewish prayer. The second part of each class session is devoted to Jewish concepts, values, holidays, worship and lifecycle events.
Registration for 2011-2012 is now closed. Please consider joining us next fall!

NEW! Engaging Israel: Foundations for a New Relationship

A Shalom Hartman Institute Lecture and Study Series

Tuesdays | February 28; March 6, 20, 27; April 3 | 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Rabbi Neil Zuckerman
At a time when there are growing feelings of disinterest and disenchantment with Israel among an ever-increasing number of Jews worldwide, how do we create a new narrative regarding the significance of Israel for Jewish life? With scholars from the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, we will explore the possibility of creating this narrative. In the process, elevating the discourse from a crisis-based one to one rooted in Jewish values and ideas. This course will follow up on themes of The Park Avenue Synagogue Lecture Series: Israel in the American Jewish Imagination. Each session includes a DVD lecture/conversation from top Hartman Institute scholars, followed by discussion and analysis of the issues raised from the lecture.
Click here to register.

WEDNESDAY

Midtown Lunch & Learn: Military Ethics

Wednesdays | February 22, 29; March 7, 14 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | $
Rabbi Steven Rein, Chaplain, Captain, USAF
The final report to review DOD Detention Operations concluded that “a professional ethics program for addressing these situations would help equip leaders with a sharper moral compass for guidance in situations often riven with conflicting moral obligations.” How do terrorist attacks alter the playing field of war and define the measures needed to protect citizens? What are the moral implications of nuclear weapons, torture and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)? Studying biblical, rabbinic and contemporary Jewish texts in conjunction with the opinions of our Joint Chiefs of Staff and other top military leaders, we will examine the role of ethics in our modern military and explore how our understanding of Judaism can help craft an answer to these difficult questions.  
Cost: $50 for the four-session course and a kosher lunch at each session.
Click here to register.

Midtown Lunch & Learn: Preparing for Passover

Wednesdays | March 21, 28 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Rabbi Neil Zuckerman
The month of Nissan builds up to the holiday of Passover, our yearly opportunity to retell and relive the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Our individual experience of Passover can be enhanced and deepened by thoughtful preparation. We will prepare for Passover by studying major themes and selected passages from the Haggadah.
Click here to register.

Midtown Lunch & Learn: Unfamiliar Places in the Bible

Wednesdays | May 16, 23, 30 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm | $
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
Genesis and Jonah you know—how about Joel and Nehemia? What is the difference between the Former and Latter Prophets? Who was Ezra and what exactly is the book of Chronicles? Take a lunch break with Rabbi Cosgrove to stroll through parts of the Bible that you may never have read or even heard of!
Cost: $40 for the three-session course and a kosher lunch at each session.
Click here to register.

Context

Wednesdays | ongoing | 6:45 – 9:30 pm | $
Context, the flagship adult education program of the Jewish Theological Seminary, offers an intellectual journey through Jewish history and thought. Taught by scholar-teachers with advanced academic training, the two-year program features four historically organized, text-based courses, exploring Jewish intellectual and cultural civilization in the biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern periods.
Registration for 2011-2012 is now closed.

The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

Wednesdays | ongoing | 6:45 – 9:00 pm | $
The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School program builds Jewish literacy through a sophisticated, intellectually stimulating, text-based curriculum for students of all levels and Jewish backgrounds. More than 18,000 adult learners have participated in this international program designed by expert educators at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The two-year course meets for 30 sessions each year. Faculty includes PAS clergy and educators and other highly qualified New York-area teachers.
Registration for 2011-2012 is now closed. Please consider joining us next fall!

The Melton Graduate Program: The Rachel Wasserman Scholars Curriculum

Jewish Denominations: Addressing the Challenges of Modernity (Continued from the Fall)

Wednesdays | beginning February 8 | 8:00 – 9:15 pm | $

Rabbi Zalman Rothschild
Building on the first two years of Melton studies, the Rachel Wasserman Scholars Curriculum offers a deeper examination of selected Jewish texts, from Biblical to modern. Jewish Denominations examines Jewish identity and religious expression against the backdrop of dramatic political and social change of the past 300 years. 
Please note: the Melton Graduate Program is open only to graduates of the two-year Melton program.

THURSDAY

The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School

Thursdays | ongoing | 9:15 – 11:30 am
See description under Wednesday class listings. Registration for 2011-2012 is now closed. Please consider joining us next fall!

The Melton Graduate Program: The Rachel Wasserman Scholars Curriculum

Shemot 1: From Slavery to Sinai

Thursdays | beginning February 9 | 10:30 – 11:45 am | $
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
Building on the first two years of Melton studies, the Rachel Wasserman Scholars Curriculum offers a deeper examination of selected Jewish texts, from Biblical to modern This course brings us the Egyptian narrative of our people from “Pharaoh’s Paranoia” and “Moshe’s CV” to the dramatic story of our rescue and survival in the wilderness during “Into the Sea” and “Manna from Heaven.” Leadership, bravery, faith and doubt define some of the critical moments in these texts and offer us a rich backdrop for challenging our own assumptions.
Please note: the Melton Graduate Program is open only to graduates of the two-year Melton program.

Library Lunch & Learn

Thursdays | ongoing | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Members of the Clergy and Senior Staff take turns leading an hour of study and discussion on topics ranging from the Holocaust in film to the history of cantorial music to Talmudic tales. Come one week or every week and join in.

Monthly Interfaith Dialogue

Thursdays | February 23, March 22, April 19 | 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Join Father Ugo Nacciarone from St. Ignatius Loyola and Rabbi Steven Rein for an intimate dialogue on key ethical issues that confront our communities in the 21st century. Each session will begin with a brief presentation by the clergy followed by ample opportunity for dialogue and engagement. Space is limited.
RSVP to cdemarest@pasyn.org or 212-369-2600, x111.

FRIDAY

Talmud Torah: Capital Punishment in the Talmud

Fridays | ongoing | 8:00 am, after morning minyan
Rabbi Steven Rein
“You shall take the man or the woman who did that wicked thing out to the public space, carried out, every possible precaution is taken to prevent a miscarriage of justice.” We will study the sixth chapter of Massekhet Sandedrin, Tractate Sanhedrin, which devotes special attention to a description of these precautions. 

Caffeine for the Soul: Morning Torah Study

Fridays | February 3, March 9, April 27, May 18 | 9:15 – 10:00 am
Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove
Whether you’ve already taken kids to school or been to the gym, or if this is your first stop of the day, join Rabbi Cosgrove for a cup of coffee, Jewish texts and a substantive learning experience with other members of the PAS community.
RSVP to mglasser@pasyn.org or 212-369-2600, x121.

Women in the Bible

Fridays | February 17, March 2, May 11, June 1 | 9:15 – 10:00 am
Debbie Cosgrove
End your week by learning fascinating stories of the women in the Bible. Through engaging texts, we will study the lives of the familiar and not-so-familiar women who populate the biblical narrative.
RSVP to mglasser@pasyn.org or 212-369-2600, x121.

SATURDAY

Parashat HaShavua

Shabbat/Saturdays | ongoing | 8:45 am
Participate in a lively discussion of the week’s Torah portion for half an hour before the start of Shabbat morning services. Newcomers always welcome!