The class meets every Wednesday evening on Zoom video conferencing. Students have access to the various units that cover the landscape of halacha and Jewish theology. Each unit has a list of questions that the candidate must research before class and come prepared to answer. During class, students will take turns answering the assigned questions and clarifications, elaborations, embellishments and questions which ensue. Before every holiday, the holiday unit is reviewed.
Our class functions on a rolling admission basis where students enter and remain in the class until they finish the curriculum. It is not uncommon for students to convert before finishing the curriculum, and remain in class to continue their learning. Nor is it uncommon for students to go through the complete cycle more than once before converting. The timeline between finishing the course and converting are not identical. Conversion does require education but gives greater weight to integration, which will be different for each person.
Twice a year, each student must present a paper to the class on a topic of their choosing. It need not be a scholarly endeavor but must be an authentic exploration of something relevant to Judaism or their Jewish journey.
These questions were reviewed by the Rabbi Zvi Romm, Av Beit Din of the Manhattan Beit Din, part of the RCA’s Beth Din of America.
The topics included in the curriculum include:
- Jewish Vernacular
- Brachot/Blessings
- Ethics and Theology
- Shul
- Prayer
- Kosher
- Shabbat
- Jewish History
- Jewish Teachings
- Jewish Life
- Calendar
- Festivals
- High Holidays
- Sukkot
- Chanukah
- Purim
- Pesach
- Shavuot
- Fast Days
Judaism Class 