University of Denver
 |
University of Denver 2319 S Josephine Street, Denver, CO 80210 USA Office: [email protected] Email: [email protected] |
Past Courses
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| About the Course |
A Jewish Educational Experience Do you want to challenge the status quo? Do you have questions about Judaism that are important to discuss? Do you want to discover how Judaism is relevant and forward-thinking? Do you want to join a warm community? Then join the club! Sinai Scholars is for you! This learning experience is different from any class you have ever attended! Sinai Scholars is not a series of lectures; it is a series of interactive discussions. It is not a repeat of what you experienced in Hebrew school; it is fun, stimulating, deep, and relevant. It is not a time to listen; it’s a time to question. It is not geared to tell you what to think; it provides an opportunity to explore Judaism’s rich heritage at your own pace with you in the driver’s seat. Sinai Scholars is a platform upon which participants explore central elements of Judaism that are relevant, interesting, and empowering for all Jews, irrespective of background, education, and level of commitment. By the end of this journey, you will have a richer appreciation for some of the core elements of Jewish heritage and Jewish identity, along with a deeper understanding about how these interface with modern life. Session One You meet a Jewish person who says, “You know, I don’t know why people consider me Jewish. I do not support Israel; I do not ever visit a synagogue; and I do not celebrate any Jewish holidays.” How would you respond? What does it mean to be a Jew? Is Judaism a religion, culture, nationality, or some combination thereof? Since the dawn of time, individuals and groups sought to define and explain their identities, and Jews throughout the ages questioned the meaning of their Jewish identity. Today, the shifting sands of Jewish life require that this conversation persist but with newer insights and profounder definitions. Session Two If you were G-d and you were going to address a once-for-all-time message to all of humanity, what would you say? What messages does humankind need to hear today? Mark Twain noted that while many nations filled the planet with sound and splendor, all of them soon faded and vanished. But the Jews are different, he noted. “All things are mortal,” he wrote, “but the Jew.” For Jews, survival is not celebrated for survival’s sake; survival is seen as a call to a purpose. A dialogue about the nature of this purpose is one crucial step in making this world a better place. Session Three In medieval times, a despotic ruler once agreed to release a Jew from jail for one day each year to practice religion. The Jew was now in a quandary. Should that day be Yom Kippur? Passover? Rosh Hashanah? Some other day? How to choose? What would you choose? This leads into a broader discussion about Jewish rituals, which often seem foreign and archaic. In what ways can we find meaning and value in some of these observances? Session Four Life is continuous and unrelenting. Might there be some benefit in a creative pause? Enter the Jewish Sabbath. It is difficult to imagine a society functioning without a weekend, but this institution was unheard of in the ancient world. What meaning did Jews find in their Sabbath that allowed them to shrug off their cultural isolation? Examining this question is relevant to those who are troubled that today’s society is insufficiently happy and inadequately connected in meaningful ways.
|
| Date |
Orientation / Lesson 1 - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Field Trip - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL 
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Intern | |
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Orientation / Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
We have scheduled the Sinai Scholars classes to avoid finals week,therefore,there will be only two classes held during fall quarter with the remainder being held during winter quarter. The sooner you register,the sooner it is likely you will know whether or not the national office has accepted you as a student in this prestigious program. We have not yet finalized dates for the Shabbat, field trip,and graduation components,,but will do so at the start of class,once everyone knows more about their schedules and commitments. Each week you will receive a text message prior to class indicating which room in the AAC will be used for the class. Dinner will be served at the start of each class.Please let us know upon your acceptance if you have any food allergies or issues. |
|
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam / Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
Please join us at Chabad for eight Wednesday evenings between 1/20 and the end of May and become a Siani Scholar! We will explore "Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life" eight classes with your peers,where conversation and perspectives are yours to explore. This is not your Hebrew school of old.This is a course designed for Jewish college students and their peers of all backgrounds.Please encourage your Jewish friends to sign up too! Stipend of $350 will be awarded to any student who completes the course and its requirements. Please explore the sinaischolars.com website. Classes will be held in the basement of Chabad,social distance and mask wearing will be enforced.This winter,the class is geared for any sophmore,junior or senior who has not yet had the opportunity to enjoy this style of study and exploration. |
|
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam - Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Course dates to be determined. Upon acceptance of this program, all students are required to attend 8 mandatory learning sessions, in addition to a field-trip, Shabbaton, and Chesed project/community service. |
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Orientation / Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam / Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
| Think Jewish: Jewish Wisdom for Modern Life | |
| Date |
Lesson 1 - Tikun Olam / Lesson 2 - Lesson 3 - Lesson 4 - Lesson 5 - Lesson 6 - Lesson 7 - Lesson 8 - Calendar URL
help
|
| Availability | Registration is now closed, please contact us for more information. |
PLEASE note: Four classes will be held during fall 2023 and four during winter quarter 2024. For now,just look at the first four dayes,so you can check your schedules. |
|
More locations in Denver
- I have learned a lot about the basic but complex parts of Judaism; my culture, religion, and lifestyle...
USC, Los Angeles, California - This course was by far one of the most important things that I have studied and I will never forget it.
USC, Los Angeles, California - If I had to point to one aspect ... it made us think of Judaism as something that's part of our everyday lives & not just a Friday & High Holidays affair.
USC, Los Angeles, California - I feel like Judaism is more part of who I am after participating in Sinai Scholars because I understand much more of the "why" of Judaism.
USC, Los Angeles, California - ...I am no longer the kid who simply accepts Judaism because I am Jewish, but rather I can see the true value & importance of Judaism in living a just & moral life.
USC, Los Angeles, California - All in all, I now have a completely new understanding of my religion.
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts - There are so many things that I could have gone my whole life not knowing that I know now, and I’m very thankful that I took this class.
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts - I’m definitely now much more proud of my religion than I ever was before.
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts - ...Each class made me leave with a new perspective on the way I live my life. I enjoyed being challenged to think how the 10 Commandments are a part of my life
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
a joint project of Chabad on Campus and the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.