October 2022
A Sukkah of One’s Own: On Tents, Tabernacles, and the True Miracle of Sukkot
Where's the great miracle of the festival of Sukkot? When did the Israelites ever dwell in booths? And what has this to do with the different homes of the Bible? Understanding the significance of Sukkot – the holiday and the habitat – through an exploration of biblical architecture. Gila Fine is a teacher of Aggada at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, exploring the tales of the Talmud through philosophy, literary criticism, psychoanalysis, and pop-culture. She is also a faculty member…
Find out more »Desperately Seeking Psalms
What would Jewish prayers be without the Psalms? The lyrics of King David and other psalmists can open our hearts and help us to reflect on what we most value. Language, rhythm and poetry come together to form powerful texts that can transport us. This series unpacks the history, meaning and usage of four psalms from the book of Tehillim in our religious services: (1) Psalm 23 (Learning to Trust), (2) Psalm 27 (Hoping to Repent), (3) Psalm 49 (Finding…
Find out more »Morning Mindfulness with Julie Potiker
Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…
Find out more »Jewish Majorca
When US native Dani Rotstein moved to the Spanish isle of Majora for work he didn’t expect there to be much of a Jewish life. However on further investigation he discovered not only a local Shul but an entire history of secret Jews and their centuries old battle of survival against the inquisition. Intrigued Dani began investigating, meeting the descendants of these Jews known as "Chuetas" and even giving Jewish history tours for interested travellers. Dani Rotstein is originally from New…
Find out more »Desperately Seeking Psalms
What would Jewish prayers be without the Psalms? The lyrics of King David and other psalmists can open our hearts and help us to reflect on what we most value. Language, rhythm and poetry come together to form powerful texts that can transport us. This series unpacks the history, meaning and usage of four psalms from the book of Tehillim in our religious services: (1) Psalm 23 (Learning to Trust), (2) Psalm 27 (Hoping to Repent), (3) Psalm 49 (Finding…
Find out more »Morning Mindfulness with Julie Potiker
Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…
Find out more »America’s Jewish Women: A History From Colonial Times to Today
What does it mean to be a Jewish woman in America? Weaving together stories from the colonial era’s matriarch Grace Nathan and her great-granddaughter poet Emma Lazarus to union organizer Bessie Hillman and the great justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Prof. Pamela Nadell will discuss the threads that bind the scores of activists, workers, wives, and mothers who left deep footprints in the history of the nation they call home. Professor Pamela Nadell holds the Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s and Gender…
Find out more »“The Biblical Book of Proverbs: Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?” with Rabbi Stein
"The Biblical Book of Proverbs: Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?" with Rabbi Stein Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein, a native of Pennsylvania, was ordained in 1975 from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati. In 2000, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the same seminary. From 1994 through June 2001, Rabbi Stein served as the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. Rabbi Stein succeeded to the presidency of the Central Conference…
Find out more »Desperately Seeking Psalms
What would Jewish prayers be without the Psalms? The lyrics of King David and other psalmists can open our hearts and help us to reflect on what we most value. Language, rhythm and poetry come together to form powerful texts that can transport us. This series unpacks the history, meaning and usage of four psalms from the book of Tehillim in our religious services: (1) Psalm 23 (Learning to Trust), (2) Psalm 27 (Hoping to Repent), (3) Psalm 49 (Finding…
Find out more »Adult Evening Book Club
Date Book Facilitator September 15, 2022 Apeirigon Carol Levy October 20, 2022 The House of Fragile Things Barbara Pedley November 17, 2022 People Love Dead Jews Debbie Sherman December 15, 2022 Red Dress in Black and White Joe Hartgen January 19, 2023 The Light of Days Arnie Gass February 16, 2023 Last Call at the Hotel Imperial Edith Kodmur March 16, 2023 The Netanyahus Catherine Hand April 20, 2023 The King of Schnorrers Leslie Mark May 11, 2023 …
Find out more »Key Trends and Developments in Israeli Society and Economy
This overview presentation – also known informally as “Israeli Society and Economy 101” – offers the most up-to-date findings on key social policy issues in Israel, including education, welfare, labor markets, healthcare, and macroeconomics, and the demographic shifts that affect all of these areas. This presentation addresses how Israel’s social and economic landscape has changed over time, how it compares with other developed countries, and how trends differ between Israel’s diverse population groups. It is the Center's most widely requested…
Find out more »Part 1 of “Art as Language” Series Gallery Tour
Join artist Tobi Kahn as he takes us on an exhilarating virtual tour of mulitple galleries featuring exhibitions of world renowned artists. Throughout the tour we will view exhibitions, virtually meet artists, curators and art historians and hear about their perspectives on the works viewed. Participants will be introduced to what is new and important in the art world. The goal of the tour is for participants to view art critically. Tobi Kahn’s gallery tours were ranked #1 in New York…
Find out more »Menasseh Ben Israel: The Most Famous Jew in the World
Menasseh ben Israel (1604-1657) was, for a time, the most famous Jew in the world. One of the rabbis of the Portuguese-Jewish community of Amsterdam, he was also the first printer of Hebrew books in Amsterdam, with clients all across Europe. Menasseh’s own writings on theology and philosophy were especially admired by gentile scholars. They sought him out as a Hebrew teacher and as a reliable source on Jewish customs, law and history. He also collaborated on several projects with…
Find out more »Morning Mindfulness with Julie Potiker
Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…
Find out more »Defending Diaspora: How Have Jews Thought About Their Wanderings?
The majority of Jews have lived in “exile” from the time of the Babylonian Exile (6th century BCE) until recent modernity, and Judaism as we know it is, to a significant extent, a product of the Diaspora experience. Yet we have been taught that Jews always lamented their “exile,” longing to return to the Promised Land. The truth is far more complex, as Jews have often defended and even celebrated their Diaspora existence. In this session, we shall consider and…
Find out more »Desperately Seeking Psalms
What would Jewish prayers be without the Psalms? The lyrics of King David and other psalmists can open our hearts and help us to reflect on what we most value. Language, rhythm and poetry come together to form powerful texts that can transport us. This series unpacks the history, meaning and usage of four psalms from the book of Tehillim in our religious services: (1) Psalm 23 (Learning to Trust), (2) Psalm 27 (Hoping to Repent), (3) Psalm 49 (Finding…
Find out more »November 2022
Morning Mindfulness with Julie Potiker
Wednesdays mornings from 10:00-10:45 am Give yourself the gift of calm. Join Julie Potiker for this grounding way to start the day and move from a place of fear to a place of calm. In these forty-five-minute mindfulness sessions, you will experience bringing your attention to the present moment without judgment. For past sessions, visit: https://blubrry.com/balancedmind/ About Julie: Julie Potiker is a mindfulness expert with extensive teacher training in a variety of tools and methods, including Mindful Self-Compassion. Through her…
Find out more »“The Biblical Book of Proverbs: Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?” with Rabbi Stein
"The Biblical Book of Proverbs: Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child?" with Rabbi Stein Rabbi Jonathan A. Stein, a native of Pennsylvania, was ordained in 1975 from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati. In 2000, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the same seminary. From 1994 through June 2001, Rabbi Stein served as the senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. Rabbi Stein succeeded to the presidency of the Central Conference…
Find out more »Synagogue Geography
Beth Israel’s campus brings Jerusalem to San Diego. The theme of the buildings can be summed up as community, connectedness, and holiness through its connection with Jerusalem. The architect and his team felt it was very important to preserve the past while building the future. They spent time in Jerusalem, studying how to bring the feel of our holy city to San Diego. Rabbi Jeremy Gimbel takes you on a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tour that reveals little-known facts about the Beth…
Find out more »Start up Hebrew: No experience necessary—beginning with Alef to Tav with Rabbi Cantor Bernstein
Learn the basics of modern Hebrew and Hebrew reading with Rabbi Cantor Arlene Bernstein in this marathon 8-session course. This course is designed to give total beginners a thorough, intelligent, and enjoyable familiarity with the Hebrew alphabet and vowels. Rabbi Bernstein's bio can be found here: https://cbisd.org/about/clergy/ Class meets in-person only on Tuesdays, November 8, 2022 – January 24, 2023 @ 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (No class on November 22, December 20 and 27, 2022, and January 3, 2023).…
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