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Chabad Jewish Center of Northern Colorado is proud to present our new Torah Studies catalog of classes for the first season of the new year.
At Chabad, we value a deep, rich learning experience and we aim to provide this in an unequivocal way. This is why we have brought you a Torah Studies program of the highest caliber, developed by the world-renowned Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. The program brings you a series of stimulating text and discussion based classes that take place on a weekly basis. Our lessons will engage you in a multidimensional way by challenging you intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. They explore contemporary issues through a Torah perspective as well as tackling timeless questions in the Jewish tradition. The lessons are based on Kabbalistic insight and study.
I invite you to browse through the topics in this catalog and to join us for some weekly inspirational study. In this new season, you will also find a class on Chanukah. These classes are open to all, whatever your level of learning may be, and we encourage you to bring your friends along.
Shalom,
Rabbi Yerachmiel Gorelik
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Man’s Best Friend
How Animals Make Us Better People
Basic morality compels us to treat animals humanely. But is there something more to our furry and feathered friends? Do the barks and meows bespeak a greater message? An exploration of Judaism’s surprising view of animals reveals why their welfare is our sacred duty. |
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Homeless and Holy
Why the Jews Are Destined to Wander
The Jew has been expelled from more countries than he cares to count. Is this just yet another function of anti-semitism? Or is there an underlying reason to our perpetual travel and transience? A closer look at our history of homelessness reveals that life’s frustrations are our greatest opportunities. |
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Jewish Culture vs. Jewish Faith
Which One Is the True Judaism?
Who is the genuine Jew: the rigid ritualist or the carefree culturalist? We are compelled to consider the benefits of each lifestyle to decide which offers the future of Judaism its greatest hope. In the end, bagels and lox aren’t enough, but neither is rote observance of the commandments. The battle between the law and the spirit of Judaism must be resolved another way. |
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The Dignity of Difference
A Study of Jewish Gender Equality
Men and women are equal, so why weren’t we created the same? This class demonstrates that the differences between the genders are mirrored in the world around us, as well as in G‑d Himself—or Herself. Discover how the unique roles of men and women complement each other in fulfilling our personal and communal goals. |
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The Jewish Spring
How to Sustain a Revolution
How many times have we witnessed it? Mass uprisings trigger huge change. Months later, they fizzle out. We launch grandiose projects, but when the hype dies down, there is no one left to see it through. Just as important as sparking revolutions is making sure that they endure. This class introduces the quiet achievers, the ones who carry on the legacy. |
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Touch and Go
Getting Involved Without Getting Dirty
We want to help others. We want to get involved in troubling situations and fix what is broken. But how do we achieve that without getting sucked in ourselves? Even top cops have gone rogue and switched to the dark side. How do we avoid such a fate as we attempt to influence our friends and environment for the better? |
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The Alpha Jew
The Search for Jewish Pride
The stereotype for the good Jewish boy is that of a timid lad who poses a threat to no one. How do we reconcile this with the mighty warrior Jews of the past, or with Israel’s muscular military today? As Jews, do we seek meekness and weakness, or pride and power? This class searches for a definition of Jewish pride that describes the twenty-first-century Jew. |
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The Green-Eyed Monster
How Envy Can Be a Force for Good
Is there anything good about jealousy? Will this poisonous emotion ever make us better people? Envy is so deeply human that it would be impossible to eradicate it. By identifying the psychological causes of envy, this class not only allows us to escape its danger, but to transform it into a powerful tool for character refinement. |
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The Need for Jewish PR
Why Jews Must Engage the World
Faced with endless persecution, Jews either assimilated or segregated: They either dived into wider society and washed away their identity, or withdrew into ghettos and cut off contact with the outside world. Today there is no persecution, and it’s time for a new path. The message of the menorah sheds light on our challenge to be a part of society, but to not be consumed by it. |
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Moses and Marx
Is Socialism a Jewish Ideal?
Equality, brotherhood, and abundance: Socialism seems to have a lot to offer. Should we be signing up for its benefits? Many of its leading proponents were Jews, but is it a Jewish idea? By analyzing the surprising account of Joseph’s ardent socialism, we gain insight into the purpose of wealth and how we can build a competitive but just society. |
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Parenting with Precision
Three Insights into Tailored Education
Are there universal truths of parenting, or do the rules constantly change? Raising children is one of the hardest challenges we will face. This class discusses three techniques that will help our children get the absolutes of their education—each in his or her own unique way. |
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Healthy Humility
How Self-Esteem Can Coexist with Modesty
Whether it’s to get a promotion or to close a deal, our culture forces us to loudly blow our own horns. But how do we overcome our distaste for arrogance and vanity? Is downplaying our talents dishonest? Discover how we can promote ourselves without growing arrogant. |
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