If you have never been a Bar or Bat Mitzvah or want to study seriously, join this program. Students study with our rabbis and cantor and learn so much about our rich heritage and traditions while enjoying the comraderie and pride in their increased knowledge with their classmates. Join this group of adult learners who will celebrate together their B’nai Mitzvah after completing our two-year program of study.

Make your lunch hour spiritually fulfilling as well as nutrition ally fulfilling! Join us for weekly study of the wonderful and welcoming world of Talmud. Each week we gather to share in learning from our ancient tradition while also creating a community of learners. This year we will look at Baba Kama, which involves understanding how our tradition moved from the Biblical command of ‘an eye for an eye’ to a legal system which awards monetary compensation for injuries. No prior Hebrew or Talmud experience is necessary. Join us for this interesting and inviting treat over the noon hour. Newcomers are always welcome.

We will study four thinkers who have influenced our tradition: Maimonides, Martin Buber, Abraham Heschel and Mordechai Kaplan. Come and have a bite of those who fed us and gave us the knowledge to be better Jews and better human beings.

MAP is a wonderful program. There can be no better way to spend Shabbat morning than this special opportunity to study with Rabbi Miller and other Temple leaders. While designed primarily for new members, it is open to anyone in our congregation. Those interested in joining should contact MAP Coordinators Jesse Crosson, Laura Gordon or Andrea Schon.

Torah Study

Rabbi Daniel Fellman
Saturdays 9:30 AM Year-round

Tanach is the proper Jewish term for the book which others refer to as the Bible. We are all familiar with the Torah. This class will explore the books of history, prophecy, poetry and prose which make up the rest of the Tanach. Historical context, traditional Jewish interpretations, and modern biblical scholarship will be included. No Hebrew ability necessary.Saturdays 9:30 10:30 a.m.

How can you be and “do” Jewish when you don’t know where to start? Learn the basics, from how to light Shabbat candles or put up a mezuzah, to how to build a sukkah or make a seder. And by the way, what is a mezuzah? What is really involved in keeping kosher? What do you need to know to participate in Torah study? Come ask about things that have been puzzling you and be empowered to start “doing Jewish”.Join us in our study of the weekly Torah portion. Each Shabbat

Join us for this informative and spiritual class on Shabbat mornings. We’ll spend time each week learning new prayers, exploring the meanings of prayers, and picking up a few new tunes for the prayers. No prior experience is necessary. Come and be a part of this wonderful opportunity to grow and learn with others each Shabbat!

Makhelat Anshe Emet has been singing the songs of Anshe Emeth since 1975, with some of the original members still proudly active. They sing monthly at Shabbat Services, special music presentations, and choral festivals in and outside of the Temple. Their twice-weekly rehearsal schedule enables them to maintain a level of excellence that is unique among synagogue choirs, and to perform quality Jewish music of all periods and genres. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings 8-9:30 PM, and Sunday mornings 10:45-12:15. Our first rehearsal where we welcome our full membership, plus any new members, will be Sunday, October 7. If you think you might be interested in joining, please contact Cantor Ott at the Temple.

This ensemble offers singers in grades 7-12 the opportunity to explore and enjoy the riches of our Jewish choral tradition. They sing at Shabbat morning services as well as other programs in and out of the Temple, including Special Music Shabbat programs and the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service with Makelat Anshe Emet. As an official Hazamir ensemble, the highlight of the Shirei Emet year is the Hazamir Festival, where they will join with other Hazamir groups from all over the US, Canada, and Israel in singing a wide variety of Jewish choral music with our finest conductors. They will meet periodically with other teen choirs for informal fun singing as well. Please contact Cantor Ott at the Temple if you are interested.

Chanting from the Torah is an exciting opportunity to be an active participant in the worship experience, as well as one that links us with past generations and Jews all over the world. The symbols of cantillation are the oldest form of musical notation still in common usage. It’s impossible to describe the feeling one gets from chanting directly from the Torah scroll, using this ancient system of melodic motifs. Why not find out for yourself? Then you will have the opportunity to chant at any of our Shabbat services. The ability to read Hebrew smoothly and fluidly is a prerequisite for this course. Please contact Cantor Ott at the Temple if you are interested.

Look around you and see all the opportunities at Anshe Emeth for leading a congregation in the songs of prayer: Family Services, Religious School Tefillah, Adult Minyan, 6th Grade Retreat, Family Retreat. All you need is your voice and a guitar!

This year’s class will be for guitar beginners, both adults and children in 8th grade and up. You will quickly learn all the chords you need to know to play the entire Anshe Emeth repertoire, and will then learn the art of songleading. You must provide your own guitar. Please contact Cantor Ott at the Temple if you are interested.

In Psalm 150 we are urged to “praise God with blasts of the horn, with harp and lyre, with timbrel and dance, with lute and pipe.” The Awesome Band does just that! An irresistible mix of adults and teens, professionals and amateurs, this varied ensemble blends their diverse talents in accompanying the Junior Choir at our Family Services and other special events. They take the music of the service and lift it to another realm. Children in at least Grade 7 and adults are warmly welcome. Some ensemble experience is required. If you would like to be part of the fun, Cantor Ott will write parts geared to your ability. Rehearsals are one Monday night per month, usually right before a Family Service. Please contact Cantor Ott at the Temple if you are interested.

Junior Choir

Cantor Anna Ott

Syril & Dr. Norman Reitman Scholar in Residence

Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin
Friday, November 2 through Sunday, November 4

Rabbi Nathaniel Keller Memorial Lecture

Rabbi Arnold Sher
Give Me that “Old Time Religion”!!??

Friday, November 16 • 7:30 PM

Rabbi Arnold Sher is the Director of Placement of the Joint Placement Commission representing the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Union for Reform Judaism and the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion. He has held this National position for the past seventeen years. He has traveled extensively within the regions of the URJ and is acknowledged as a leader and creative thinker in rabbinic transitions and congregational human resources. Prior to assuming this position Rabbi Sher served as the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Rabbi Sher received a Bachelor of Arts degree from William College, Williamstown, Massachusetts in June of 1958. He then attended the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, Ohio where he was awarded a Master of Arts degree in Hebrew literature, and was ordained a rabbi in June of 1963.

Dr. Louis Schrager Memorial Lecture

Dr. Jonathan Mendilow
The Latest Developments in the Arab Israeli Conflict
Sunday, November 18 • 10:00 AM

Dr. Jonathan Mendilow has a BA, MA. and Ph.D. from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is a professor at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J. He is the recipient of the British Academy Award and a Fulbright Scholar.

He has published extensively in political theory and comparative politics. His latest book, on ideology, party change and electoral campaigns, has been published by New York University Press. His research interests include Middle Eastern politics, political campaigns, and the problems of democracy in the age of the internet. He teaches such courses as Modern Democracy and its Critics, the Politics of the Middle East, Terrorism Revolutions and Political Violence, and Comparative Political Systems.