Welcome to the JFGI Education E-Newsletter
Welcome to our new JFGI Education e-newsletter, a monthly posting of upcoming Jewish learning opportunities throughout the community. In the middle of each month, we will send out an email with a bit of learning and a listing of upcoming programs, all of which are open to the entire community, regardless of the host organization. This is part of a broader effort to make Jewish learning more accessible throughout the community. We encourage you to check our updated webpage at jewishindianapolis.org/education with our new Community Learning Directory. If you have ideas for programs that should be featured in upcoming e-newsletters or ways to make this tool more useful for the community, please write to us!
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Love is in the Air - Celebrating Tu B'Av
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This evening, at sundown, the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Av begins. You might be asking yourself, “What is Tu B’Av and why have I never heard of it?” Tu B’Av literally means the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av. The holiday is first mentioned in second century Mishnah and is described as a day when unmarried Jewish women would dress in white and dance in the fields in search of a groom. The holiday also marked the beginning of the grape harvest, so it makes some sense that there would be dancing by the light of the full moon in vineyards at that time.
In terms of religious observance, the only notable marker of Tu B’Av is that the Tachanun, a prayer of supplication, is omitted from morning prayers. Since the revitalization of the State of Israel, Tu B’Av has regained its popularity and is now a day on which many couples choose to get married and others use it as an excuse to throw a party or exchange gifts with loved ones (like Valentine’s Day).
As we mark Tu B’Av this evening and tomorrow and then move into Shabbat, everyone is encouraged to reflect on the happiness that love brings into our lives. And, if you are interested, you may even choose to take a moonlit walk with a loved one and enjoy some of the final days of our long summer nights.
If you would like to learn more about Tu B'Av, you can read articles on MyJewishLearning, Jewish Virtual Library or The Forward.
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Adult Education Opportunities
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Taste of Hebrew
Adult Hebrew Classes - Begin August 25th
Hebrew does not need to feel like a foreign language! If you are interested in learning to read or speak in Hebrew, JFGI offers adult Hebrew classes for you! Classes will be held at the JFGI Jewish Engagement & Learning Center on Sunday mornings from 9:45-11:15am and are open to all adult learners in the community. Classes will be taught by Sarit Linkon, a native Israeli with decades of experience teaching Hebrew. The first course will be TASTE OF HEBREW. Learn how to decode Hebrew in just 9 hours! This class is for people who are new to Hebrew and are interested in learning the foundational skills of reading Hebrew. To Learn More and Sign Up>>
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Jewish Podcast Talks in Indy
Begins September 10th
JFGI is excited to invite everyone to join in broader conversations taking place throughout the world by listening to and talking about current Jewish podcasts. We will be hosting a podcast discussion series, each with a different focus and its own curator who will select the listening clips and facilitate conversation. The first series is Preparing for the New Year - An Introduction to Jewish Podcasts & Preparing for the High HolyDays - facilitated by Debby Grant & Nina Price (Tuesdays - Sept. 10 & 17 from 7-8:30pm). To Learn More and Sign Up>>
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Chai Mitzvah for Educators
Begins September 19th
JFGI is launching a new monthly learning opportunity for educators who currently or may in the future work in Jewish settings. Even if you are a teacher, you can still be a learner! We want to invite all local teachers to be a part of a Chai Mitzvah educators group. We will meet once-a-month for conversation and collegiality. If you cannot join in person, you are invited to join by Zoom. We know it is hard to make space for learning so we want to make this as convenient as possible for you. To Learn More and Sign Up>>
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Other Upcoming Education Opportunities
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Super Sunday
Youth Education Programs
September 15 (12:30 - 3:00 pm)
Youth in grades 3-12 are invited to take part in programming for Sunday Sunday. High Schoolers will have opportunities to support our community by making calls, writing thank you notes, and having fun with peers as part of the day’s events. 3rd-8th graders will be involved in hands-on service learning projects that help bring sweetness to our community through a variety of projects. Families are invited to join us for lunch at 12:30 and then programming for youth will begin at 1:00pm. Come for part or all of the afternoon youth activities.
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Intergernerational
Programs
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Limmud Chicago + Midwest
Learn more about an Amazing Weekend of Learning in November
You are invited to be a part of a transformational Jewish learning platform, connecting Jews of all backgrounds and ages, giving them the opportunity to learn from one another and celebrate Jewish community. This fall, Limmud Chicago+MW will be hosting our 8th Celebration of Jewish Learning, Culture, & Community at the JCC Perlstein Retreat Center in Lake Delton, Wisconsin from November 15-17, 2019! After an exciting first retreat-style event last year, we are happy again to bring together not only diverse communities from Chicagoland, but also the broader Midwest. Stay for the full weekend or come up just for Sunday, and take one step further on your Jewish Journey!
Learn More and Register>>
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