Adult Learning

Class Recordings

AT THE RABBI’S VIRTUAL TABLE

You Are What You Eat – Jews and Food from Around the World with Rabbi Zimmerman

You Are What You Eat has concluded. Sessions were recorded.

Watch You Are What You Eat, Part I, recorded February 5, 2026. Rabbi Zimmerman spoke with Dr. Leah Hochman, associate professor of Jewish Thought at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She is the editor of Tastes of Faith: Jewish Eating in the United States and teaches classes in medieval and modern philosophy, American Judaism, modern history, and food ethics.

Watch You Are What You Eat, Part II, recordedFebruary 19, 2026.Rabbi Zimmerman joined Marie Hanson, Temple's executive chef, in the kitchen to cook up some tasty Jewish delights.

Meet the Talmud: A Two-Session Dive into Rabbinic Wisdom with Rabbi Jason Rodich

Meet the Talmud has concluded. Sessions were recorded.

Curious about the Talmud but not sure where to start, or even what it is? Join Rabbi Rodich on Zoom for a friendly, accessible introduction to one of Judaism’s most fascinating texts. We’ll explore how the Talmud came to be, why it matters, and sample a few of its most beloved (and surprising!) teachings. No prior knowledge required — bring your curiosity.

Watch Meet the Talmud, Session I,recorded live on January 8, 2026.
Presentation slides from Session I

Watch Meet the Talmud, Session II, recorded live on January 22, 2026.

TEMPLE ISRAEL SPEAKER SERIES

Holding the Tension: Israel & Antisemitism
Four Sessions | Thoughtful Conversations | Shared Reflection

This series has concluded. Sessions were recorded.

• Watch Part I, Looking Forward: A Conversation with Ilan Goldenberg
  Recorded live October 8, 2025.

  Rabbi Zimmerman in conversation with Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at J Street. Goldenberg provides an up-to-the minute analysis of events in and around Israel from a liberal perspective: one that takes into account Israeli security needs, Jewish values, and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Goldenberg is a seasoned expert on Israel, Palestine, Iran and its proxies, and has been a Middle East policy advisor to political leaders. The program starts with a discussion with Rabbi Zimmerman, then proceeds to an audience Q&A.

• Watch Part II, After October 7: Rethinking How We Teach About Jews and Antisemitism with Sami Rahamim
  Recorded live October 14, 2025.

  In the wake of October 7, many Jewish students feel pressure to hide their identities amid rising misinformation and polarization. How can we shift this reality? Sami Rahamim explores a new model for teaching the Jewish story and recurring patterns of antisemitism to foster understanding and resilience.

• Watch Part III, A Conversation with Yossi Klein Halevi
  Recorded live November 23, 2025.

  Yossi Klein Halevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He co-hosts, with Donniel Hartman, the Hartman Institute’s podcast, For Heaven’s Sake—the number one Jewish podcast in the English-speaking world. Halevi’s 2013 book, Like Dreamers, won the Jewish Book Council's Everett Book of the Year Award. His latest book, Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, is a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into a dozen languages. He is currently writing a book about the meaning of Jewish survival.

• Part IV, A Community Conversation
  Tuesday, December 16

  To allow for open discussion, this final gathering was not recorded.

  This session concluded our Israel Speaker Series, Holding the Tension: Israel & Antisemitism. All were welcome to attend, including those who had not attended earlier sessions. This guided community dialogue was in-person only and designed to help us listen, reflect, and connect across differences.

  The facilitated conversation provided a supportive structure for respectful, meaningful engagement. Through small-group dialogue, reflection prompts, and simple tools for listening across differences, participants practiced conversations rooted in curiosity rather than debate, with opportunities to reflect on personal experiences while learning from one another.

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 wschwartz@templeisrael.com.

Death in Three Acts

Act I - Final Conversations: Sharing Your End of Life Wishes

Handout for Act I

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