Rabbi Paskind’s Column September – October 2026 “Jewish Learning for YOU!”

Jewish Learning for YOU

Come here. Yes, you. Take a peek into these 2 scenes.

Scene #1: It’s Sunday evening, and in the classroom at the synagogue are a handful of
7th-graders eating pizza and settling in for religious school. They like each other, but this isn’t
exactly where they would choose to be, and this isn’t quite what they’d choose to do. They’ll
learn about Jewish history, perhaps focusing on the Shoah, or talk about the founding of the
modern state of Israel. Perhaps they’ll be sharing about their upcoming B’nei Mitzvah
preparations and celebrations. The teacher is challenged to keep them engaged, and he needs
to work to make these topics relevant. Side note: This is a supremely important job (and I’ve
done it!)!!

Scene #2: It’s a Sunday morning–or a weeknight… whenever–and around the table sit a group
of adults of all ages. Some are born Jewish; some have chosen Judaism; others are interested
in converting; and some are there just to learn. All are eager to read, discuss, debate, and
deepen their understanding of this rich tradition. Their prefrontal cortices are fully developed,
and that’s a true joy for both the participants and the teacher!

Education is a pillar of our Jewish tradition, starting with our youngest and continuing throughout
our lives. And although we try so hard to make Jewish learning enjoyable for our children, much
of the time it’s still school, and they have a lot of that going on.
But learning for the sake of learning–that’s the beauty of adult Jewish education. There’s no
coercion. There’s not necessarily a goal or a deadline. We’re there because we want to be
there.

Adult Jewish education is so important to Jewish life, and while it works well for some, it can
often feel inaccessible to many others. For working adults, finding the time is tough. For folks
with children, weekday evenings are a challenge. Even the topic of the class can feel
esoteric–Torah study might be fine, but what’s Mishnah? What’s the Talmud? I can’t read
Hebrew, and now you ask me to learn Torah trope? Right?!!

This fall, right after the conclusion of the High Holidays, I’ll be kicking off an 18-session class in
the foundations of Judaism, called Miller Introduction to Judaism. Some of you may have heard
of it, and a few folks in our community have actually taken it, either online or in person. And
now I’m offering it here, for you and anyone else you may want to register with. This is an
exciting major commitment, and it is meant for you if you:
-are Jewish
-are not Jewish and are considering conversion
-are not Jewish, are not considering conversion, and want to learn more about Judaism

What we will all have in common is an eagerness to learn, to ask questions, and to make connections through the class.

We kick off on Sunday evening, October 18.  Once we know who is registered, we’ll determine if we are in-person, hybrid, or 100% on Zoom.

Class is open to CBE members, non-members, and even folks who live far away and want to join via Zoom.  Register now.

We’ll see a lot of each other over the coming weeks, and we’ll do a lot of contemplating, greeting, celebrating, and praying.  And then it’ll be time to dig in and give yourself the gift of Jewish knowledge and exploration.

Can’t wait to learn with you!

Rabbi Paskind