Beginning this month, Congregation AABJ&D in West Orange will be offering the community four classes on Jewish culture. Each course in this new series will offer an opportunity to explore a topic in depth. Depending on the class, classes will meet weekly or monthly. A pilot trimester is beginning now that will run through December. A second trimester will start in January and go through March, and the final trimester will run from April through June.
Participants will pay a fee to cover expenses of instructors and materials. All classes will meet at AABJ&D.
Jewish Culture Fall Offerings include:
Israeli Dance for Women, taught by Elyse Litt, will meet weekly on Tuesday nights. There will be a beginners class from 7:30 to 8:30, followed by a class for intermediate dancers from 8:45 to 9:45. Classes will meet on November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and December 6, 13, 20.
Fee: $56 for shul members, $72 for non-shul members
Israeli Dance for Men, taught by Jake Altholz, has already begun and will meet weekly on Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Upcoming classes in the series will meet on September 20, 27; November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; December 6, 13, 20.
Fee: $84 for shul members, $108 for non-shul members
Jewish Life Around the World, taught by Rabbi Sacha Pecaric, will meet four times on Wednesday evenings, from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. Classes will be September 28, October 26, November 16 and December 14.
Rabbi Sacha Pecaric was born in the former Yugoslavia. After studying in Prague, Rabbi Pecaric continued his studies at the rabbinic department of Yeshiva University where he obtained rabbinical ordination, the department of philosophy of Columbia University (MA) and FAMU Charles University (PhD). Rabbi Pecaric previously lived in Krakow where he ran the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation, aimed at providing education to the local Jewish community as well as local non-Jews. While in Krakow, he established Pardes Lauder, a Jewish religious publishing house that has so far published more than 30 books, including the first translation of the Torah from Hebrew to Polish made by a Jew after World War II. He has been teaching at Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School since 2013.
The course will examine four fascinating countries where Jews have lived for centuries—Italy, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic. Rabbi Pecaric knows the histories of these countries intimately and their languages fluently. The course will examine the past and present Jewish communities with practical information for those intending to visit these countries. The course includes an in-depth presentation of the Jewish historical presence in Venice, Athens, Krakow and Prague.
Fee: $25 for shul members, $36 for non-shul members.
Sephardi Cooking, taught by Elizabeth Kurtz. Ms. Kurtz started www.gourmetkoshercooking.com in 2009. She is also the author of the best-selling cookbook, Celebrate, and contributes regular cooking columns to several publications. Upcoming classes in the series, which has already begun, will meet on Wednesdays, November 30 and December 21, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Fee: $75 for shul members, $100 for non-shul members (includes materials)
Congregation AABJ&D is located at 700 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, NJ 07052. Contact the shul for more information at www.aabjd.org.
By JLNJ Staff
