Adult Education 2021–22
Congregation Emanu-El Adult Education & Events team has arranged an interesting mix of ongoing and one-off sessions for the fall-winter term. Of course, the COVID pandemic has made the process a bit more challenging since most of what will be taking place will be on Zoom for the foreseeable future.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Classes
Judaism – An Introduction

- This course is for anyone interested in exploring Jewish life. Open to all, this course is perfect for interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, spiritually curious, and individuals considering conversion.
- Topics include holidays, life cycle celebrations, theology and core beliefs, Hebrew, prayer, the Bible and other sacred texts, and history.
- The class size is limited to 20 persons.
- Please note, if you are considering conversion, this class is a prerequisite for conversion.
- Congregation Emanu-El is a modern Conservative, egalitarian and inclusive synagogue.
This course is currently running, and will be available for registration again in Fall 2022.
Calling All Artists (NEW)

“Signs and Symbols”
Calling All Artists returns!
We will meet once a month for learning sessions with Rabbi Harry, beginning on January 20, 2022, and continuing on February 24, March 24, April 7, and May 12, 2022.
Calling All Artists is a project inviting artists of many kinds—visual, textile, multi-media, music, poetry—to study a biblical or rabbinical text with Rabbi Harry, and to interpret this learning through their art. A kind of midrash, the Rabbi explains it. This year, we will study Jewish symbolism, and the significance of using symbols. Meetings will be a hybrid of in-person and Zoom sessions, beginning with Zoom until the news improves.
In the fall, the artists, if it is possible to meet again, will celebrate their work with a delicious and gorgeous Gala in the Social Hall. If not, the Gala will still happen, but Zooming.
For more information and to register, please email the office at info@congregationemanuel.ca
Fees: $70.00 for non-members, $50.00 for members.
(Image: Akeda and Exile II, mosaic, by Dahlia Beck)
Adult B’nei Mitzvah

Come take a deep dive into Jewish literacy and practice. This program will combine classroom learning and discussion with workshops on central Jewish topics culminating in a personal ceremony and celebration.
This program offers students the opportunity to garner meaning from Jewish sacred text, to sense the scope of Jewish History, to appreciate the spiritual meaning within Jewish lifecycle rituals, to unpack the deeper meanings found within the Jewish calendar cycle, to survey Jewish ethics and values, to find meaning and beauty and develop a personal practice within Jewish liturgy, and to explore topics and issues within Jewish theology and philosophy.
• The course will run for 20 sessions, roughly twice a month on Tuesday evenings beginning on January 11, 2022. Beyond class attendance, participants will be expected to attend Shabbat services at least monthly and there will be occasional projects and journaling.
• The course will meet in-person when possible, but Zoom will remain an option for those who prefer this.
• This course is available only to Emanu-El members and is free of charge.
If you never had the opportunity to have a B’nei Mitzvah experience or if you want to have this experience in a more personalized and deeper way from an adult perspective, this course is for you!
To register contact info@congregationemanuel.ca
Enter the name for this tabbed section: One-off Sessions
All lectures are held by Zoom (Watch newsletter for details)
Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education payable online or through the office
Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education payable online or through the office
Join Sara Yacobi-Harris from No Silence On Race in Toronto and Carmel Tanaka from JQT Vancouver in a community-wide dialogue on the need for diversity, equity and belonging work in the Jewish community. Both speakers are changing the landscape of what it means to be a Jew in Canada and globally.
For information and the Zoom link, contact: vicepresident@congregationemanuel.ca
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Ongoing Sessions
Mystic Moka

Weekly on Fridays, 12:30 – 1:30 pm on Zoom Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education payable online or through the office
For the Zoom link, please email the office
Please check weekly newsletter for class confirmation.
Brown Bag Beit Midrash

Quotes from students:
“It’s like pulling back the curtains for a peek at what might really be behind the family feuds, love stories, conflicts of our ancestors from a totally new perspective.”
“Studying Midrash with Rabbi Harry makes my understanding of Torah so much deeper. It’s a fascinating way to spend an hour.”
Weekly on Tuesdays, 12:30 – 1:30 pm on Zoom
Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education payable online or through the office at.
For the Zoom link, please email the office
Please check weekly newsletter for class confirmation.
Ḥug Ivrit

Students are welcome to lead the conversation in whichever direction they desire. We search for the roots and connotations of words and seek out their source. We argue, negotiate, laugh, and wonder, in Hebrew.
Weekly on Wednesdays 7:00–8:30 pm on Zoom
Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education payable online or through the office at. For more information email Dahlia.
Tanakh Shiur

Weekly on Tuesdays 7:00–8:30 pm on Zoom
Participation: by voluntary donation to Adult Education (suggested amount: $50) payable online or through the office.
For information or registration, please email the Shul office