"We are called by Torah to lifelong study in the home, in the synagogue and in every place where Jews gather to learn and teach. Through Torah study we are called to mitzvot, the means by which we make our lives holy." (Excerpt from "A Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism," Central Conference of American Rabbis)

Jewish learning is a lifetime commitment and journey. This journey is essential for personal spiritual development and for the vibrancy of our Jewish community.

Our staff is dedicated to supporting and helping to facilitate quality formal and informal Jewish learning for our congregation and community. We hope to provide many opportunities for personal growth, a better understanding of Jewish thought and culture, a stronger link to our Jewish community and a deeper commitment to Torah and mitzvot. Our goal is nothing less than having us see ourselves as a congregation of learners and having each of us become personally engaged in Jewish study and growth.

Upcoming Adult Education Events:

Beit Midrash
Sunday, April 15, 10:15 a.m., O'Mansky Hall  
     CBI's next Beit Midrash will be held on Sunday, April 15, and include the following diverse assortment of lecturers and topics based on Jewish texts: 

• Heena Reiter, Jewish Meditation Practices for Drawing Close to God
  Jewish spiritual practices are practical! They allow one to 'draw close' to God, and thereby cultivate patience, clarity, compassion, inner peace and wisdom. This class will learn about and work with two time-honored Jewish meditation practices that can also be applied to one's daily life.
• Zac Price, Why do we cover the Challah? And Other Shabbat Mysteries
  You may know the answer to this question, but you may also be surprised to discover that it has nothing to do with the way this practice developed out of the inner dynamic of Jewish legal reasoning.
• Rabbi Dan Alexander, Hasidic Insights into the Giving of the Torah
  As we move from Passover towards Shavuot, we consider some unusual perspectives on the nature of revelation and the events at Mount Sinai. This class will meet in the Main Sanctuary.
• Rabbi Tom Gutherz, The Evil Inclination has Seven Names
  These are the opening words of a passage from the Talmud which offers some ways of thinking about our yetzer ha-ra, the Evil Inclination which leads us to sin. No previous experience with the Talmud is necessary. (Experience with sin is OK.)

Film: Avalon

Saturday, April 21, 7:00 p.m., O'Mansky Hall

     On Saturday, April 21, the Adult Education Committee will present the film Avalon, directed by Barry Levinson. This wonderfully entertaining film is based on Levinson's recollections of growing up in post-World War II Baltimore. The center of the story is an extended family of Polish-Jewish immigrants and their children, and it presents a funny and heartwarming tale about the families' assimilation in a fast-changing American society. The new post-war environment in Baltimore provides opportunities to enjoy greater prosperity, but also creates problems for the characters. The extended family becomes less close, divided by materialism, and split between members left in the city, and those that have moved to the suburbs.

Poetry Reading by Sharon Leiter: “My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness”
Saturday, May 5, 2:00 p.m., Small Sanctuary 
     Poet and teacher Sharon Leiter will be reading and unraveling a handful of wonderful poems by Yehuda Amichai and Taha Muhammad Ali. While Amichai, Israel’s national poet, and Ali, an Israeli Arab, write from opposite sides of the Middle Eastern political divide, their work has a common human center: the exile’s sense of displacement and longing for a lost home. Please RSVP to Nancy Summers at nancysummers@hotmail.com.  

Film: Annie Hall
Saturday, May 12, 7:00 p.m., O'Mansky Hall

A neurotic comedian (Woody Allen) is in a love relationship with a ditzy and spirited woman (Diane Keaton). This 1978 film, considered one of Woody Allen’s finest works, received the Academy Award for Best Picture. It also won the Academy’s award for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress.