Wednesday, August 19, 2026
The Torah’s Understanding of Yom Kippur
When we think of Yom Kippur, we often imagine a deeply personal journey of repentance and forgiveness. Yet the Torah paints a different picture. In this thought-provoking class, we will explore Yom Kippur as described in the Torah—a sacred ritual focused not on individual confession, but on the spiritual renewal of the entire community. Together, we’ll examine the biblical origins of Yom Kippur, trace how its meaning evolved through Jewish tradition, and reflect on what the Torah’s vision of communal atonement might teach us today.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Jonah and The Whale: Midrashic understandings of Jonah’s journey
Why did Jonah run? Was he afraid, stubborn, compassionate, or something else entirely? The Book of Jonah is far more than the story of a reluctant prophet and a very large fish—it is one of Judaism’s richest texts for exploring repentance, mercy, justice, and what it means to change. In this one-session High Holy Day study, we’ll journey through more than a thousand years of Jewish interpretation, from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer and classical rabbinic commentators to modern Jewish thinkers, discovering how each generation has wrestled with Jonah’s questions—and how those questions continue to challenge us during the Days of Awe.