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Lifelong Learning

The overall purpose of Lifelong Learning is to provide resources to our congregants (of all ages and religious backgrounds) as both educational events and on-going classes, that will be stimulating and educationally rewarding and that will deepen their understanding of both religious/spiritual and cultural aspects of Judaism.

Religious Literacy: Our Newest Civic Responsibility: "How do we become more religiously literate? Where do we start? In this New Year of 5768, I would like to see more members of this Temple Sinai make a commitment to study Torah -- to actually read the Bible! How can we engage in interfaith dialogue or the public policy debates of our day, without knowing what the Bible contributes to those conversations? As the people of the Book, how can we not know the Book our ancestors gave to Western civilization?"
–– from Rabbi Gershon’s sermon to the congregation Erev Rosh Hashanah, September 12, 2007

Wherever possible, and in congruence with recently expressed goals of Synagogue 2000, these resources will be delivered in a way that will strengthen the bonds of our Temple community. Adult education opportunities include Torah Study, Lunch 'n Learn, Jewish Studies Group, Adult Movie Program, Beginning Hebrew, the annual Scholar in Residence program and much more.

The Meaning of Freedom: Freedom is the right to ask questions, about what we are told, what we are expected to believe, and what we are expected to think, and then to ask more questions about the answers we receive. But with that right comes the responsibility to exercise our minds, to challenge accepted dogma and the conventional wisdom, in all areas of life. And it carries with it the risk that we will find what we once believed to be untenable, what we once held true to be false, and what we once held sacred to be in doubt. To be free means to be uncertain, unsettled, even confused. Freedom frightens authority (secular and religious alike) because the greatest threat to any order is the persistent question.
Andrew Polsky, Chair, Lifelong Learning Committee, Chanukkah Service, December 2007

Lifelong Learning Program Brochure
Click Here for the Spring 2008 Lifelong Learning Program brochure (PDF, four 11"x17" pages, 268 KB).