Tamid Classes

Click here to register online for classes.  

Join us for Tamid Tuesdays at The Temple!

Electives: Free and Open to All! (Registration required to receive the Zoom link)

Conversion to and from Judaism in the Middle Ages - Virtual Only

Dates: January 18, 25, February 1
Times: 7:00-8:00pm

Instructor: Craig Perry, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Emory University in the Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and the Tam Institute for Jewish Studies.

What events and images come to mind when you see the topic “conversion and Jewish history”? For many, this phrase triggers negative associations with pressures to assimilate and periods of persecution from the Maccabean Revolt to the Jews’ expulsion from Spain in 1492. While these events are an important part of Jewish memory, this course will focus on lesser-known histories of conversion when people in medieval Islamic and Christian societies in fact converted to Judaism. Jews, too, converted to other religions for reasons you might imagine, and for others that will surprise you.

Over the course of three weeks, we will consider some key questions such as: why did people choose religious conversion and what does this tell us about what it meant to be “religious” in the Middle Ages? How did Jewish families and communities react to conversion into and out of Judaism? How does the study of conversion illuminate everyday interactions between Jews, Christians, and Muslims that will challenge common stereotypes of medieval Jewish history?

January 18: Conversion to and from Judaism in Early Islamic History - Why did some Jews resist and decline conversion to Islam while others converted? How did Jewish communities in the new Islamic empire react to these conversions? And what did they do when a convert to Islam wanted to return to Judaism?

January 25: Conversion to and from Judaism in the Life and Times of Moses Maimonides - Did Moses Maimonides convert to Islam in order to avoid persecution in medieval Spain? After his immigration to Egypt, how did Moses and his new community incorporate new converts into Jewish life? Who were these converts and why did they choose Judaism?

February 1: An Almost Jewish Convert to Christianity?: The Tale of an Innkeeper’s Wife in Medieval Italy - In this class, we’ll read a first-hand account about a Jewish woman who suddenly left her husband and children to cloister herself and convert to Christianity. What does her story tell us about Christian attitudes towards Jewish converts and about everyday interactions between Jews and Christians in a medieval Italian town?

Scouts, Trailblazers, Pathfinders, Explorers: A History of Women Rabbis
Dates: March 8, 15, 22
Instructor: Rabbis Loren Filson Lapidus, Peter Berg, Lydia Medwin
Time: 7:00-8:00pm

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of Sally Priesand, the first woman publicly ordained as a rabbi. Yet, her groundbreaking ordination, which opened the door for subsequent generations of women, was preceded by the impactful lives of other, lesser-known female  scholars and community leaders. Join Rabbis Lapidus, Medwin, and Berg to learn about these women and reflect on how women’s leadership has changed the Jewish community as a whole. This curriculum was made available through the Women’s Rabbinic Network.

Your Rabbi Lied to You: What the Other Jewish Texts Say Happens After you Die
Dates: March 29, April 5, 12
Instructor: Rabbi Sam Kaye
Time: 7:00-8:00pm

What happens to you after you die? Often Jews hear that Judaism doesn't have an answer to this question. The answer is more complex than that; as Judaism doesn't have just one answer... it has many! Join Rabbi Kaye as he explores a variety of classical and modern Jewish sources, in his final elective at the Temple, answering the questions of life, death, the soul, and what happens next.

Additional Learning Opportunities: Registration Required.

Awareness in Action: Mindful Parenting (for Parents of School-aged Children) - Virtual Only
Dates: Wednesdays, March 2, 9, 16, 23
Instructor: Rabbi Lydia Medwin
Time: 8:00/9:00pm
Cost: $99
This class is taught in conjunction with the URJ. Registration: https://www.jewishspirituality.org/go-deeper/awareness-in-action-mindful-parenting/ 

Become the parent you aspire to be. Experience the joy of parenting more often.  
 
Do you sometimes feel out of sync with your values, prompting your inner voice to whisper: “I wish I hadn’t done that” or “I wish I hadn’t said that”?  
 
The ancient Jewish practice of tikkun middot (developing character traits) is a powerful, practical tool for personal development so that our actions align with our most deeply held values.  
 
Being fully present for our children and also making time and space for our own needs as adults, allowing our children increased independence and also still guiding them, juggling multiple responsibilities and priorities… can feel challenging.   
Awareness in Action: Cultivating Character through Mindfulness and MIddot was created by the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), the global leader in teaching Jewish mindfulness and spiritual practice. This special version is designed especially for parents of school-aged children in grades K-6.  
 
The course consists of four professionally produced, self-paced online modules, taught by Rabbi Marc Margolius, IJS Program Director, and four live weekly sessions facilitated by Rabbi Lydia Medwin, a trained tikkun middot facilitator.  You’ll learn to access this Jewish spiritual practice and how it can strengthen your parenting and help you cultivate more joy.

ASL interpretation and live captioning available with 2-weeks advance request. 

Project Zug Partnership Learning
Times: 7:00-8:30pm
Dates: Sundays beginning February 20
Cost: $36
This class is in partnership with the MJCCA. Click here to register.

For the first time, the MJCCA’s Lisa F. Brill Institute for Jewish Learning is offering an opportunity to get to know your Jewish community across Atlanta through an innovative partnership study program. Zug is Hebrew for partner and Project Zug is a Learning Partnership program developed by the Hadar Institute that trains adults in the art and practice of textual learning with a partner or friend, virtually or in-person.  

Project Zug's unique combination of facilitation and flexibility allows participants to learn on their own schedule with an accessible structure and guidance. Each week participants are given a source sheet with topics to discuss, making Jewish learning together easy, accessible, and fun.

Judaism 101- Multi-Access
A basic overview of the many facets of Judaism and Jewish practice: history, holidays, life cycle events, Torah, texts, and more.
Dates: 7 weeks beginning Tuesday, February 8
Times: 7:00-9:00pm
Cost: Free for members, $30 book fee for members who do not own Honoring Tradition, Embracing Modernity; $150/person (includes book) for non-members; add a second family member $36

If you have any questions about our TAMID program, please contact Elizabeth Foster at 404-873-1731.