Taste of Torah is a program for women curious about their Jewish heritage. No prior knowledge of Jewish Studies  or Hebrew is required. The breadth of the curriculum provides a well-balanced introduction to Jewish thought, text, tradition and practice. The intimate classes and mentoring options provide the students with a framework to integrate Judaism into their lives in an individualized way respecting each student’s pace and unique spirituality.

Class Curriculum

· Timely Topics - Everything you ever wanted to know about Judaism but never got around to asking. This course takes a fresh look at foundational Jewish concepts, and their application to the modern world.

· Personal Growth Through Torah - Character improvement is a basic Torah ideal. This course presents practical methods of self-improvement, based on the works of Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler and Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe.
· Exploring Torah - An introduction to the art of understanding the inner meaning of the Torah text, exploring the messages in every line, and often between the lines as well. Traditional commentaries, together with our own life experience, will help us find out what the Chumash says to us today and how we can make it relevant to our lives.
· Interpersonal Relationships - In this course, we discuss the philosophic understanding and practical applications of laws regulating relationships between man and his/her fellow man. Students are encouraged to find practical application of these concepts in their lives.
· Introduction to Jewish Law (Halacha) - A practical introduction to Jewish Law, which reveals how it brings meaning and order to our lives.
· The Jewish Calendar - In this course we take a tour of the Jewish year, discovering how the festivals are relevant to modern life
· Jewish Philosophy - A study of the fundamental aspects of Jewish theology, such as God, His relationship to Creation, the World to Come, the Messiah, fate and destiny. Featuring selected readings from the works of the Rambam, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, Rabbi Judah Loewe of Prague, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler and Rabbi Chaim from Volozhin.
· Jewish Thought - The Torah provides us with a broader world view to apply to everyday situations. This course addresses major philosophical issues and shows how our understanding of those issues enriches our lives.
· Messages from the Parsha – An overview of the weekly Torah reading focusing on the moral, ethical and philosophical issues raised by the text.
·The Power of Prayer - Why do we pray? What are we praying for? What do the prayers mean to the individual and the nation? We will discuss the concept of prayer and highlight some significant parts of the Shabbat and daily prayer service.
· Book of Ruth – An in-depth study of the book of Ruth based on commentaries and Midrash. Major topics include monarchy in Israel, Ruth – mother of royalty, and leverite marriage.

· Wisdom of the Ages - Drawing on the ancient wisdom of Jewish sources, largely from Ethics of the Fathers, this course looks at how we perceive the world.
· Women in Tanach - Through looking at great Jewish women of the past - including Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Chana, Devorah and Esther - we will discuss how Judaism sees a woman's role in society and how this is relevant to our lives in modern times.

Sample Schedule