Adult Learning
GET WISER IN 5786
Adult learning classes at Temple are a great way to meet new people, deepen your knowledge, and challenge your perspectives. For more information and to register, contact Wendy Schwartz by phone at 612-374-0344 or by email at wendy@templeisrael.com.
Explore the offerings of Torah study, Jewish literature, Mussar, scholars-in-residence, and a variety of other exciting learning opportunities. Tired of not knowing Hebrew? Make this the year! Want to know how to celebrate our many holidays in high form? Come learn! Make Temple Israel your lehrhaus Judaica – your Jewish house of study. Come join us, your rabbis and educators, as we bring thousands of years of rich Jewish culture to vivid relevance. Let my people know!
See Below for Ongoing Study
Zoom links posted online each week
THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
Torah Study
Every Saturday, 9:00 - 10:15 a.m.*
Click here to join Torah Study via Zoom, free and open to all
To join by phone, dial 312-626-6799; Meeting ID: 829 710 549 04
View this week's Torah portion.
Click here for recordings of previous Torah study classes.
Whether you have never set foot in a synagogue or have years of accumulated study, this is a space for learners of all backgrounds to join Temple’s clergy and special guest teachers. Come share your perspective on our ancient texts and join our ongoing search for meaning and spiritual growth.
*Join us in person at Temple Israel and on Zoom on the first Saturdays of each month for an expanded communal gathering that includes a musical morning service, Torah reading, and Torah study. All other Saturday Torah studies are Zoom only.
Highlights in Jewish History
Select Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Zoom only, free and open to all
Click here for the list of 2025-2026 dates and topics.
Click here to join Highlights in Jewish History via Zoom.
To join by phone, dial 312-626-6799; Meeting ID: 989 189 606 95
Explore a variety of topics in Jewish history from anti-Semitism and the Holocaust to Israel to unique contributions from Jewish leaders from around the world with Dr. Joe Goldman. Dr. Goldman is a noted historian and taught at the university level for more than 40 years. He holds PhDs in Political Science and History.
These opportunities require advance registration
To learn more about any offering or to register for classes, contact Wendy Schwartz at 612-374-0344.
Introduction to Judaism
October - May
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Introduction to Judaism information
This class is for those who want to discover more about the foundations of Judaism, want to refresh their knowledge, or are considering conversion to Judaism. In this course, taught by Temple Israel clergy, you will be introduced to the history, values, texts, rituals, and philosophies that have shaped Judaism, and learn the Hebrew alphabet and basic Hebrew vocabulary associated with Jewish life.
An introductory meeting with one of our clergy is required before enrolling in this class.
Living Mussar: Enrich Your Life
Jumpstart your new year with inspiration, learning, and real-world practices to align your actions with your core values. A Mussar group provides a small, facilitated group learning experience that meets every other week to study and practice the Jewish spiritual practice of character development. Join one of Temple Israel's dynamic Mussar groups to enhance your everyday living and deepen your connections with self, others, and Jewish wisdom.
These two short videos are a great introduction to Mussar: The Making of a Mensch, and Living Mussar: Growing a Mussar Community.
Click here to request to join a Mussar group at Temple Israel or in the community.
Contact Living Mussar at livingmussar.org for more information, or email Wendy Schwartz at wschwartz@templeisrael.com.
Elul and Omer Email Reflections
Receive a daily email reflection twice a year. Email e-learning@templeisrael.com to subscribe.
The Month of Elul
Monday, August 25 - Monday, September 2, 2025
As we enter the sacred time of the 5786 High Holy Day season, you are invited to register for a daily email reflection for each day of the month of Elul, the Jewish month preceding Rosh HaShanah. To subscribe, please email e-learning@templeisrael.com. If you have previously received Elul or Omer emails, you will continue to receive them.
Counting the Omer
Count the 49-day period between Passover, which commemorates the Exodus, and Shavuot, which commemorates the giving of the Torah.
Wise Aging: Living with Joy, Resilience and Spirit
A Nine-Session Journey Facilitated by Rabbi Debra Rappaport
Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon (Select dates October - February)
Temple Israel
Click here for more information and to register for Wise Aging.
Wise Aging refers to a vision of how we can grow in our later years with consciousness and joy, within a supportive community. Our first sessions will be in-person at Temple Israel; as winter progresses the group may choose to move to Zoom (or not).
The Wise Aging Cohort will gather for nine sessions over five months, to learn and accompany one another around topics of aging and eldering. We’ll use numerous modalities to connect with our own souls’ wisdom, including contemplative or active listening, text study, mindfulness meditation, tikkun middot (cultivation of spiritual qualities), traditional Jewish religious practices, gentle movement and journaling. We don’t imagine that participants will be experienced in all these modalities, but do ask that you be open to the exploration.
Class Recordings
Food for Thought:
It’s All About Shabbat, Part 1: A Kabbalat Shabbat Musical Workshop
It’s All About Shabbat, Part 2: A Kabbalat Shabbat Musical Workshop
It’s All About Shabbat, Part 3: A Kabbalat Shabbat Musical Workshop
Aish Zara – A Strange Fire: A Rabbi and an Astrophysicist Confront a Warming Planet, Aish Zara slides
Author Event with Adam Stern - Committed: Dispatches from a Psychiatrist in Training
Cast Away Darkness Together with Joy and Lights
Overture of Hope: Two Sisters' Daring Plan that Saved Opera's Jewish Stars from the Third Reich
Memory in Motion: The Musical Journey of the High Holy Days
How to Lead a Seder and Prepare for Passover
Riva Lehrer, Artist and Author of Golem Girl
Shining Light on the Shema: A Deeper Look at the Origin, Meaning, and Power of this Daily Jewish Practice
The Wisdom of Knowing We Will Die
How Do I Want to Die? Rabbi Zimmerman references this document in her talk: End of Life Care Conversation Starter Kit
From the Maccabees’ Fight to Urban Flight: The historic Chanukah story, Jewish demography, and the work of racial justice
What Happens in the Barley Stays in the Barley
Beyond Ramadan Mubarak: Building Bridges of Understanding with the Muslim Community
Cleaning Your House, Cleaning Your Soul: Sustainability as a Spiritual Practice
Rabbi Glaser: Stuck-Home Syndrome: Some Observations in Quarantine
Rabbi Steve Leder and The Beauty of What Remains
Laughter Yoga
Revisiting Thanksgiving: An Anti-Racist Perspective
Rabbi Klein: Preparing for These High Holy Days Generational Wisdom: Will the Jewish People Survive Their Parents?
Rabbi Zimmerman’s Classes about Death:
No One Gets Out of This Life Alive
A Rabbi’s Torah on Life, Death, and What Comes Next
This class was held on Mondays, June 23 and 30, 2025.
Thank you for attending Rabbi Zimmerman’s class co-sponsored by Temple Israel and Hineni. Links to the class recordings, handouts, and resources are below.
In a culture that avoids it, planning for how we want to die remains one of the most important — and neglected — conversations. Yet Judaism has never shied away from confronting life’s deepest questions. Let’s open a Jewish dialogue about death — honest, courageous, and sacred.
Part I: The Power of Conversation: How Honest Talks About Death Can Set Us Free
View the recording of Part I
Conversation Starter Guide
Part II: Why Death Is Not the End: The Journey of the Soul and the Journey of the Survivor
View the recording of Part II
Additional Resources:
A Prayer When Mourning a Parent Who Was Emotionally Unavailable
The New York Times, Opinion, Living to Die Well
What Happens After I Die by Daniel Syme and Rifat Sonsino
Where Grief Resides, a poem by Rabbi Melinda Panken
Rabbi Zimmerman recommends Colin Campbell’s Finding the Words: Working Through Profound Loss with Hope and Purpose
A Jewish View of Life and Death: A Two-Part Class with Rabbi Zimmerman
This class was held on Mondays, June 10 and June 24, 2024
Click here to view the recording of Class 1
Click here to view the recording of Class 2
Back by popular demand, this course deals with how questions about life and death challenge the Jewish soul. Explore how Judaism confronts these issues, helping us make sense of human mortality and mourning through Jewish rituals and beliefs. We will also learn about Jewish concepts of heaven and hell, the immortality of the soul, the world to come, memory, legacy, and more. We will discuss these serious issues in a safe and supportive environment.
For questions, contact Wendy Schwartz, 612-374-0344 or wendy@templeisrael.com
Death in Three Acts
Act I - Final Conversations: Sharing Your End of Life Wishes
Act II - Final Words: Write Your Legacy
Template for Writing an Obituary
Act II - Final Words: Write Your Legacy Handout
Quilt for the Death of One I Love(d)
Final Words Presentation
Act III - Final Plans: How Do You Want to Die?
Memorial Park Brochure
Ask Your Doctor Wallet Card
Ask Your Doctor Patient Brochure
Star Tribune Obituary Information
Statistical Information and Jewish Cemetery List
Wendy Schwartz
Adult Learning and Program Director