Questions? Contact Ellen Poster  or Marc Lowenstein.

Days of Learning Planning Group: Joella Claman, Ben-Zion Friedman, Howard Green,  Jeffrey Saunders, Jerry Silverman
Chairs: Ellen Poster and Marc Lowenstein

Classes

Tuesday, December 6

Israel at 75: One Family's Story, 10:30 to 11:30 AM at RS & online
Fred Strober

A member of a family that settled in Jerusalem in 1809, Fred Strober will recount his family’s experience in Israel, focusing on its religious, cultural, political, and civic contributions over more than two centuries.  Learn about life in Jerusalem over a period of 200 years and how a family that came to Jerusalem for religious reasons played a role in creating and developing the modern State of Israel.

Wednesday, December 7

The REAL Story of Hanukkah, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at RS & online
Rabbi Eli Freedman

Join Rabbi Freedman to learn about the political underpinnings of the Maccabbean revolt, the clash of Greek vs. Jewish culture, and the rabbinic take on the holiday vs. the historical Book of Maccabees.

God's Cupboard: Modern Synagogue Ark Design, 2:00 to 3:30 PM at RS & online
Michael Hauptman and Rabbi Jill Maderer

Despite the many laws governing Jewish prayer and traditions, the objects themselves that are used as part of these rituals express an almost limitless creativity.  This session explores the vast variations in the three basic types of arks in contemporary synagogue design:  the ark as architecture, as furniture, and as sculpture.  Using examples and case studies, the presenters will examine how modern architecture has interpreted, through Jewish law, historic expression, and inspirational references from the sacred scrolls that they contain, the principal focal object of every synagogue’s worship space.

Thursday, December 8

Philly Overlooked: Surprises in Plain View, 9:45 to 10:45 AM at RS & online
Cara Schneider Bongiorno 
Join Zoom here

Join us for a presentation on intriguing but little-known Philadelphia history in a conversational and interactive format. The class will focus on historic people, places, and events you’re probably familiar with, while sharing overlooked aspects of their stories with ties to Jewish history and values.

Five Books of Jewish Music, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM at RS & online
Lou Bernstein, Jon Broder, Melissa Broder, Cantor Bradley Hyman

Take a tour with our talented musicians through the best of their previous Days of Learning musical offerings with a sampling of Jewish Singer-songwriters, Jews on Broadway, Jews in the Movies, Jews and Rock and Roll and Jews and Jazz.  We will revisit some of the most important music of the last hundred years contributed by Jews to the Great American Songbook.