2010-2011

CON ION

5771
Dear Friend of Congregation Sinai,

The Talmud says: “Hafoch Bah, Hafoch Bah, D’Kulei Bah - Turn
it over and turn it over for everything is within it. “

“It” is the Torah, the compendium of Jewish knowledge, ex-

perience and wisdom, which has served as a nourishing and
nurturing wellspring throughout the ages.

Jewish learning is a life long endeavor and we are pleased to

offer within these pages a number of stimulating classes ap-
propriate for wherever you are in your life’s journey. Take
time to peruse them. We offer opportunities to study on
Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings, ongoing classes, and
one time lectures, and scholar in residence weekends.

I want to thank Jim Beer, the chair of our Adult Learning

Committee, and Julie Lookatch, who produced the template
on which his brochure is based.

I wish for you a year of health and fulfillment.

See you at Sinai!

Adult Learning
Rabbi David B. Cohen

A MEMBER OF

Rabbi David B. Cohen Cantor Rebecca Robins

Rabbi Emeritus Jay R. Brickman

 ONGOING CLASSES REGISTRATION FORM
• SENIOR HAVURAH • For online class registration, go to www.congregationsinai.org
and click on the ONLINE REGISTRATION tab.
"Who, exactly, is a senior?" It depends on who you ask: AARP considers any-
one of 50 to be a senior. Others say 65. Some even say 65 is the new 45. Name: _______________________________
We, on the other hand, refuse to label. Instead, we use the following definition:
A senior can be anyone, of any age, who values the wisdom that accrues over
Phone: _______________________________
decades of living. If you appreciate good conversation, peppered with pene- Email: _______________________________
trating insights, the Senior Havurah is for you. Every fourth Tuesday of
the month. Course Title Cost

The Senior Havurah Returns with a Book Review

Join us Tuesday, October 26 - 1:00 until 2:30 pm

Rabbi Cohen discusses Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Michael Chabon’s book,

The Jewish Policeman’s Union. “The novel begins the same way that Philip Roth
launched The Plot Against America—with a fascinating historical footnote:
what if, as Franklin Roosevelt proposed on the eve of World War II, a tempo-
rary Jewish settlement had been established on the Alaska panhandle? Roo-
sevelt's plan went nowhere, but Chabon runs the idea into the present,
back-loading his tale with a haunting history. Israel failed to
get a foothold in the Middle East, and since the Sitka solu-
tion was only temporary, Alaskan Jews are about to lose
their cold homeland. The book's timeless refrain: "It's a Total: _______
strange time to be a Jew." Into this world arrives Chabon's
Chandler-ready hero, Meyer Landsman, a drunken rogue
Checks (made payable to Congregation Sinai) and
cop who wakes in a flophouse to find that one of his
registration forms can be mailed or returned to the office at
neighbors has been murdered. With his half-Tlingit, half-
Jewish partner and his sexy-tough boss, who happens also to be his ex-
Congregation Sinai • 8223 N. Port Washington Rd. • Fox Point, WI 53217
wife, Landsman investigates a fascinating underworld of Orthodox black-hat If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
gangs and crime-lord rabbis. (from Publisher’s Weekly, Copyright © Reed Business Informa-
Rabbi David B. Cohen
tion, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved)
rabbi@congregationsinai.org
Jeri Danz, School Administrator
See Sinai News and the website for upcoming months’ topics!
school@congregationsinai.org
www.congregationsinai.org
Phone: 414-352-2970 - Fax 414-352-0944
 COMMUNITY WIDE EVENTS ONGOING CLASSES
ONGOING CLASSES ARE FREE FOR MEMBERS • $36 PER SEMESTER FOR NON-MEMBERS
"13 Years of the Best of New Jewish Filmmaking" • SPIRITUALITY •
The 13th Annual Milwaukee Jewish Film Festival Men's Spirituality Discussion Group
Dates: October 10 to October 14, 2010 Share coffee and bagels and discuss spiritual and
Place: Marcus North Shore Cinema practical matters concerning God, work, family and more
11700 North Port Washington Road, Mequon Day: 3rd Tuesday of each month
Time: 7:45 am
Jewish Book and Culture Fair With: Rabbi David B. Cohen and Joe Glassman
This entertaining and educational series of events features an eclectic line-up of interna-
tionally renowned authors who bring global issues to center stage.
Date/Time: varies throughout month of November
• TORAH STUDY •
Shabbat Morning Torah Study
Sponsored by: Harry & Rose Samson Family JCC verse by verse, line by line, word by word...
Contact: Dorene Paley (414) 967-8217 Day: Saturdays
Time: 8:00 am
Day of Discovery Facilitator: Rabbi Jay Brickman, Rabbi David B. Cohen
The Day of Discovery, a community-wide day of learning, is a unique opportunity for
adults, young adults and families to discover the richness and diversity of Jewish learning A Modern Rabbi's and Jungian
available within greater Milwaukee. Analyst's Approach to the Bible
Date: Sunday, January 16, 2011 Day: Wednesdays
Time: Starts at 8:30 am Time: 9:30 am
Sponsored by: Coalition for Jewish Learning Facilitator: Rabbi Jay Brickman
Contact: Alice Jacobson (414) 963-2727

Women’s Ways of Reading the Bible:

Milwaukee Area Council of Reform Congregations From traditional to modern including
feminist readings and modern midrash
Annual Shabbat - Friday, March 18, 2011
Day: Fridays (beginning October 1st)
Speaker - Hannah Rosenthal
Time: 9:30 am
Special Envoy and the head of Office To Monitor
and Combat Anti-Semitism in the Obama Administration Facilitator: Dr. Sherry Blumberg
Lunch & Learn:
For upcoming event information, be sure to watch for Parashat ha'shuvuah through many and
the Sinai e-newsletter or check our website www.congregationsinai.org varied commentaries found in Torah La'Am

Community event listings can also be found at Day: Fridays

www.jewishmilwaukee.com Time: 12:00 pm
Facilitator: Dr. Larry Hurwitz
 BEIT HAMIDRASH CLASSES
ALL CLASSES HELD ON
TUESDAYS AT 7:30PM
BEIT HAMIDRASH CLASSES ARE FREE FOR MEMBERS
CHAVRUTA STYLE LEARNING
Congregation Sinai is partnering with Congregations Emanu-
El Bne Jeshurun and Shalom, and with Judaism Without Walls
• $36 PER SERIES FOR NON-MEMBERS to bring a special opportunity to learn in pairs.

Asher Yatzar: Spirituality and Exercise

Dates: Tuesdays, November 2, 9, 16

Facilitator: Cantor Rebecca Robins
Register at: http://asheryatzar.eventbrite.com

Our morning liturgy teaches us, every day, that God created us with such wisdom and skill
that our bodies are designed in perfect balance. In a time when balance in our lives seems to
evade us, how do we become God’s partners in maintaining the perfect bal-
ance we were created with? We know that diet and exercise are the basis
Chav•ru•ta
for helping us care for our bodies. If maintaining our bodies establishes our
partnership with God, then aren’t diet and exercise spiritual acts? Chav• ru• ta - pro. chav-RU-tah.
Join us as we explore the connection between spirituality, exercise and nu- noun. [from Aramaic for friend]

trition. We will explore the science of exercise and our soulful connections, 1. A time-tested approach to learning in which pairs study a

as well as hear from athletes who enjoy a sense of spirituality in their prac-
shared text in discussion and debate. It has been a primary

tice. Finish off this three week course with us at the gym, where we will practice some of what
learning method used by Jewish people for thousands of years.

we have learned.
2. A great new program connecting Jewish
people and institutions in Milwaukee through our
common legacy and heritage - Torah learning.

Make Your Own Tallit: Tie Your Own Tzitzit!

Dates: Tuesdays, December 7, 14, 21

Facilitator: Marge Eiseman
Register at: http://sinaitallit.eventbrite.com I
n our fast-paced lives, we often struggle to find time to deepen
our connection to Judaism through learning. This is why we
created Chavruta. We will match you with an over-the-phone Popular Topics Include:

How often in life do we have the opportunity to create an heirloom?

partner who can help you become more knowledgeable and
• Kabbalah and Mysticism
connected to your Jewish identity with the flexibilty that your busy

There is an idea in Judaism called "Hidur Mitzvah", the enhancement of a

• Talmudic Law and Study
schedule demands.
• The State of Israel in Jewish Thought

mitzvah. It is a wonderful thing to create a tallit for yourself or for a loved

• Classical Hebrew

one, to learn how to tie the tzitzit on the corners, but to adorn it to make it meaningful
CALL OR EMAIL TODAY! • Weekly Torah Portion
PARTNERS FOR MEN & WOMEN Partners: • Marriage and Sexuality

is an added bonus. Come fulfill the mitzvah of “Hidur Mitzvah”!

AVAILABLE ON ALL TOPICS • Reincarnation and the Afterlife
414.447.7999 • Jewish History
info@judaismwithoutwalls.org • Business and Medical Ethics
 ADULT HEBREW CLASSES SUNDAY MORNING CLASSES
Classes begin the week of October 5 and run through the week of May 10
(schedule to be distributed) “Basic Judaism for Adults ”
Cost: $225 for members -$325 for non-members
Register at: http://sinaiadulthebrew5771.eventbrite.com Dates: Sunday Mornings, 10/17, 11/21,12/19,
When we see how many people are interested, we’ll divide up into classes. 1/23,2/13,3/13, 4/17, 5/15
Time: 10:30 am - noon
Beginning Hebrew Facilitator: Rabbi David Cohen
Register at: http://basicjudaism.eventbrite.com
Day: Tuesdays
Time: 6:00 pm Perhaps it’s been a few years since you studied Judaism? Maybe the last time was when
you were a child or adolescent? If you are interested in approaching Judaism as a mod-
Intermediate Hebrew ern adult, then this class is for you!

Day: Tuesdays Over eight monthly sessions, we’ll address questions, such as: How do Jews talk about
Time: 6:00 pm God? What’s the difference between religion and spirituality? What do we believe
about the afterlife? What role did Jews and Judaism really play in the life of Jesus?
Advanced Biblical Hebrew What’s the difference between reform, conservative, orthodox and reconstructionist
streams of Judaism? Where does the modern state of Israel fit into current Jewish
Day: Thursdays identity?
Time: 7:15 pm       

Advanced Conversational Hebrew Sunday Roundtable Discussions

Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7:30 pm Day: Selected Sundays
Time: 10:30 – 12:00 am
Facilitator: Rabbi Cohen and various others
Topics: October 24: Ethical Will Writing Workshop
Special Guest, Rabbi Elana Zaiman

November 9: Kaballah and Reincarnation

Special Guest, Rabbi David Begoun

January 30: Israel - the long view

Special Guest, Moshe Pomerantz

February 27: Jewish Medical Ethics

April 30: Science and Religion

 SCHOLAR IN RESIDENCE
Rabbi Elana Zaiman
For many centuries, Jews have written, in addition to wills disposing
of their material assets, an ethical will, through which they share
their hopes and dreams for their families and progeny. A rich,
Shabbat Limud
Every second Shabbat of the month is designated a Sabbath of Learning. In lieu of a more
formal sermon or d’var Torah, we’ll study the weekly portion or another of our traditions
sacred texts and shed the light of our traditions’ wisdom in our lives and the events that
surround us.

Kaballah and Reincarnation

evocative body of literature, historical ethical wills illuminate the
personal concerns of Jewish families throughout the world. Today,
Jews continue to write ethical wills to frame the moral legacy they Date: November 9
intend to pass down to those who follow. Facilitator: Rabbi David Begoun
Rabbi Elana Zaiman is the first woman rabbi from a family spanning Register at: http://sinaifnovemberyadultlearning.eventbrite.com
four generations of rabbis. She holds a BA in religion and psychology from George Washington Judaism and the afterlife? Orthodox Rabbi David Begoun presents traditional Jewish views
University and a MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work. Elana also received of reincarnation, from a Hasidic viewpoint.
MA degrees in Judaic Studies and Hebrew Literature, as well as rabbinic ordination from The
Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

For five years Elana served as a rabbi at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Synagogue. She has also been
the program director and acting director at Tufts University Hillel in Massachusetts, and pro-
gram associate and associate scholar-in-residence at Brandeis-Bardin Institute in California.
Currently, Elana is the chaplain for the aged at The Caroline Kline Galland Home and The Sum-
mit at First Hill in Seattle, WA. She travels throughout the United States and Canada serving as
a scholar-in-residence and visiting rabbi. Elana lives in Seattle with her husband, Seth, and their
son, Gabriel.
Register at: http://ethicalwill.eventbrite.com
Tuesdays with the Rabbis!
Date: March 29, April 5, April 12
Participants: Milwaukee’s Reform Rabbis
Register at: http://tuesdayswiththerabbis.eventbrite.com
Ever wonder how Milwaukee’s reform rabbis differ in their thinking, practice, and philoso-
phies? Tuesdays with the Rabbis is your opportunity to come engage in dialogue with Milwau-
kee’s reform rabbis on a range of topics including, but probably not limited to, the state of
Jewish identity; the place of Israel in our Jewish lives; what makes reform Judaism “reform?”

Eachof the three sessions will stand alone, so feel free to attend two, even if you have to miss
Why Write an Ethical Will? one.
Date: Friday, October 22
Time: 6:15 pm Kabbalat Shabbat services
Tikun Leil Shavuot
Dates: Tuesday, June 7
Ethical Will Text Study Time: 9:00 pm
Date: Saturday, October 23 Facilitator: Rabbi David Cohen and Cantor Rebecca Robins
Time: 4:00 pm Register at: http://tikkunshavuot.eventbrite.com

Ethical Will Writing Workshop Join a panel discussion of congregants as we discuss our beliefs and feelings about the
Date: Sunday, October 24 Torah’s origins and its place in our lives.
Time: 10:30 am.