Highs and Lows: Our Communal Joys and Sorrows

Jewish history puts a new twist on the famous opening line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” How often do we stop and acknowledge the time-honored highs and the lows of our lives as Jews?  Are we even aware of them? The Jewish year guides us through our peaks and valleys as a people, our moments of triumph and of tragedy. Together, we look back on the moments that offer a deeper understanding of the Jewish people throughout the millennia — and inspire us in the present. The fact that Yom Hashoa, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’Atzmaut will be taught in real time in the Jewish calendar makes this a particularly compelling reason to join this course. We will be running the course in the following order due to the timing of the calendar: Lesson 4, 5, 3, 1, 2, 6

Lesson topics:
Lesson 1 – Purim Past and Present: Unmasking the Story
Lesson 2 – Eight Nights: Shining Light on Chanukah
Lesson 3 – The 9th of Av: Modern Mourning for Tragedies of the Past
Lesson 4 – Yom HaShoah: Remembering the Unforgettable
Lesson 5 – From Commemoration to Celebration in the State of Israel
Lesson 6 – There Can Be Miracles, When You Believe