To learn more about NSP’s adult education offerings or to join the team that helps shape these programs, contact Learning Team Lead Robin Banerji at robindra@gmail.com and/or Rabbi Yosef at rabbi@newsynagogueproject.org.
Spring Introduction to Jewish Practice
Since 2019, Rabbi Yosef has offered his twelve-week class, “Introduction to Jewish Practice: Grounded and Open Judaism for Everyday Life,” to the NSP community. The course, which is open to current and prospective members, teaches the foundations of Jewish practice and guides participants through the tenets of Jewish thinking, ritual, and spirituality. The course is geared towards anyone who wants to learn more or delve more deeply into Jewish practice, including those who want to update (or unlearn) their Hebrew School education, interfaith couples, and those returning to or interested in exploring Judaism.
This course will take place in-person on Wednesday evenings During March, April and May and one evening in June. Please note that there is no class on April 16th during Passover.
To learn more about the course and inquire about the next session, reach out to Rabbi Yosef at rabbi@newsynagogueproject.org.
Jewish Feminism
Jewish feminism has a rich history of individuals and groups creating agency through traditions, texts, and practices by appropriating, resisting, and transforming them. We will study how Jewish feminism came into being and explore its contribution to Judaism, emphasizing ritual practice, feminist midrash, theology, and activism. We will also study major works and issues in contemporary American Jewish feminism and discuss designs for a more inclusive Judaism.
The course will be held over Zoom on Thursday evenings during January, February, March, and April. Jews of Color Coordinator Elizabeth Narvaez, PhD candidate at the University of Virginia, will teach the course.
Special Courses and Workshops
Based on the interests of our members, we organize special one-time courses and workshops. Right now we are offering Leyn for Liberation and a variety of Synagogues Rising Classes! See the full list here.
Past examples include Poetry of Kabbalat Shabbat Liturgy Study, Leyning for Liberation to learn how to chant megillah, Demons in the Trees: Tu Bishvat & Talmud Magic, and radical talmud study with SVARA.
Weekly Parsha Study with Rabbi Yosef
Join Rabbi Yosef and NSP members in a weekly text study class on Thursdays at Noon over Zoom. Each class will focus on a particular aspect of the weekly Torah portion. No prior text study experience is required. Join every week or when you are able.
Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out
New Synagogue Project is offering a Dismantling Racism from the Inside Out (DRIO) course. Over a full-day workshop and six sessions, facilitators will guide participants through the practice of mussar (Jewish spiritual ethics) as an expression of Jewish values focused on confronting white supremacy, subverting hierarchies, and sustaining yourself as you work for racial justice. Learn more and register for the course here.
Revolutionary Reading Group: Ten Teshuvot from the Trans Halakha Project
The New Synagogue Project in Washington, DC, along with Yeshiva Shel Maala, the Torah Studio, and Synagogues Rising, are excited to announce a Revolutionary Reading Group to hold ourselves and each other accountable for learning the work of the Trans Halakha Project.
Contact Robin Banerji learning@newsynagogueproject.org with any questions.
Shabbat Morning Text Study
Once a month, NSP members gather for a Saturday morning text study where they unpack the week’s parsha, or Torah reading, together. NSP members guide the discussion, which is accessible to those with and without deep knowledge of Torah. If you’d like to learn more about the monthly text study gathering, reach out to Maurie Kathan at maurie.kathan@gmail.com.