Adult Education

Adult Education at Temple Beth El is designed to create a center for Jewish learning in Northern Westchester that is relevant and meaningful. Our intent is to provide temple members and members of the community with the opportunity to participate in programs and courses on a variety of Jewish topics that are infused with excitement and diversity.

Click here to view Israel Based Programming

Click on each event below for additional program details and registration information.

Upcoming Programs

Jewish NYC Walking Tours
with Rabbi Jaffe

Join Rabbi Jaffe, alongside Beth El friends and neighbors, in exploring NYC through food and Jewish heritage.  Each tour will include historical perspective, food and time for schmoozing - three of our favorite things!  

Upper East Side Chanukah Sufganiyah (Doughnut) Crawl
Sunday, December 10 at 1:30pm          
Click here to RSVP

Lower East Side Jewish Food Tour
Saturday, June 1 at 2:00 pm             
RSVP coming soon! 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Israel but were Afraid to Ask
With Rabbi Leora Londy
Saturday, October 21 at 12:00 pm

In light of recent events, we will talk about what is on everyone’s minds: Israel.  What is happening and how did we get here? What does Israel mean to us as American Jews? And how do we engage in respectful and empowered discourse in contentious discussion?  Please join us as we create a welcoming space for all the questions that we may have and hold the array of emotions that we may carry.
Click here to register for this program. 
Lunch will be provided and sponsored by the Resnick Fund.

Jewish Identity with Rabbi Leora Londy: A Two Part Series
Recent events in Israel and the rise of anti-semitism here at home have prompted us to re-engage and rediscover our own sense of Jewish identity.  Join Rabbi Londy is raising fundamental yet often overlooked questions of Jewish identity and observance. 

Sunday, October 29 at 9:15 am   

Let’s start with, why?  Why be Jewish?  And how do we hold our multifaceted identities?  We will discuss and grapple with the ideas of peoplehood, chosenness, and mitzvah and God. Click here to register for this program
Breakfast will be provided and sponsored by the Resnick Fund.

Sunday, November 5 at 9:15 am

How do we practice our Judaism today? What is the role of mitzvah/commandment in how we relate to our Jewish selves and engage with our ancient tradition?  We will discuss the origin of commandment, the connection between autonomy and spiritual belief and touch upon the surface on questions of God and belief.
Click here to register for this program
Breakfast will be provided and sponsored by the Resnick Fund.

The Lost Books of Tanakh
with Rabbinic Intern Madeleine Fortney

We often study Torah and hear it chanted in the synagogue, but what about the other books of Tanakh? Many of them hold surprises and treasures that you may not otherwise have an opportunity to learn about. Together we will uncover the richness of some of the lesser-known books through an exploration of Job, Jonah, and Judges. Come along on our journey as we examine themes of divine justice and suffering, prophecy and repentance, sinning and redemption. We will go deep into the belly of Jonah’s whale, through Job’s haunted visions, and more.
Sponsored by the Resnick Fund.

Job – An Exploration of Divine Justice and Suffering
Saturday, January 27 at 12:00 pm
Click here to register for this program

Jonah – Prophecy and Repentance from the Belly of the Whale
Sunday, February 4 at 11:30 am
Click here to register for this program

Judges – The Cycle of Sinning and Redemption
Saturday, February 10 at 12:00 pm
Click here to register for this program

Raising Humanistic Questions in Midrash Sefer HaYashar 
with Scholar-in-Residence Rabbi Norman Cohen, Ph.D.

Sefer HaYashar provides an engaging rendering of Genesis, the beginning of Exodus, along with the books of Joshua and Judges.  This midrashic collection seeks to further develop biblical characters from a modern perspective, especially the female characters, which become more fully emotive, human and strong.  These dynamic characters speak to us as modern readers and challenge us in a myriad of ways. 
Sponsored by the Resnick Fund.

The Early life of Abraham and Sarah; in Egypt and in the land of Israel
Sunday, March 17 at 12:00 pm
Click here to register for this event

A Rewriting of the Akedah (Binding of Isaac), especially the role of Sarah and the personality of Isaac
Sunday, March 24 at 12:00 pm
Click here to register for this event

The Seduction of Joseph by Potiphar’s Wife, as found in Genesis 39
Sunday, April 14 at 12:00 pm
Click here to register for this event