The study of Torah is to be a lifelong enterprise. We do it not just to master the text or to learn how to perform the rituals of Judaism. Studying the texts is to help us encounter the challenges and opportunities of life. Hence texting (that is studying) is the Jewish way to live life to its fullest. In this class we will study and discuss some stories and texts from the Talmud as a way to explore issues both personal and societal in contemporary life.

Session One: How do we encounter the unexpected in life--with suspicion or curiousity?

Session Two: Does Judaism proclaim some fundamental truths? What about "my truth" drawn from my own experience?

Session Three: What are my responsibilities toward other people and what are the necessary limits of my responsibilities to others?

Michael Strassfeld is Rabbi Emeritus of the SAJ (Society for the Advancement of Judaism) in NYC. He is co-editor of the Night of Questions, the Reconstructionist Haggadah, and of The Jewish Catalog. He is author of the Jewish Holidays and of the Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice.