Adult Learning
Adult learning has always been at the heart of Temple Chai. Our community truly loves to learn, and you can feel it in every class and conversation. Our students bring curiosity, passion, and a deep commitment to meaningful Jewish study, creating a learning environment that enriches and inspires our entire Temple Chai family.
Adult B-Mitzvah
This 18-month program focuses on learning to read Hebrew and deepening your understanding of the Shabbat morning service. The class studies Hebrew and explores Shabbat prayers, the B-Mitzvah Torah portion and Jewish holidays with Temple Chai clergy.
The Adult B-Mitzvah class is a natural next step after Introduction to Judaism and is designed both for those who never became Bar or Bat Mitzvah and for those who did and now want to study from an adult perspective. New classes begin every other year.
Please contact Joan Neer at (602) 971-1234 or jneer@templechai.com for more information.
Introduction to Judaism
Introduction to Judaism is an 18-week class offered twice a year and taught by local Reform rabbis, including our Temple Chai clergy. The course provides a welcoming overview of Jewish history, texts, lifecycle moments and holidays. It is required for those considering conversion and meaningful for anyone looking to learn more or refresh what they once learned.
Mussar
Mussar is a traditional path of Jewish wisdom that focuses on personal growth and character development. Together we explore middot, or soul traits, such as generosity, kindness, compassion, responsibility, order, and truth.
Temple Chai currently has several Mussar groups meeting on an ongoing basis, and we continue to add more, as Mussar study is a core part of our community life.
Torah Study
Our Sunday morning Torah Study group has spent more than 30 years exploring the depth and meaning of the Torah through thoughtful conversation and meaningful connections to modern life. If you enjoy lively discussion and fresh insight, this group is a great fit.
Each week we study the weekly portion using classic and modern commentaries.
Each week, we continue our exploration of the Torah text. We are currently studying the book of Genesis.
The group meets during the year while Religious School is in session and continues with a lay-led topic in the summer.
Wise Aging
Wise Aging explores both the joys and the oys of growing older. This monthly group learns from engaging presenters and meaningful discussions on health, spirituality, relationships and legacy. Together we look at articles, current media and personal experiences to reflect on topics such as finding purpose in retirement, end of life planning and supporting one another as we age.
One-Session and Short Learning Series classes
Throughout the year, our Rabbis offer learning sessions on topics of interest to the community, drawn from Jewish tradition and the major issues of our day. These are wonderful opportunities for those who don’t have the flexibility to commit to a weekly or monthly learning course.
Previous sessions
