About US
and
about the
penguin
|
A L E F | |
|
About US and |
| Welcome to ALEF, the
open academy for the study of Judaism. Alef is founded on the premise that
all Jews, everywhere, have a right to study Torah. Torah and Jewish
knowledge belong to the Jewish people, and should not be left only to the
bookcases in Synagogues.
Admission to the courses in ALEF is open to all, and has no prerequisites. Alef is for you if you believe that being engaged in Jewish study, using your MIND to understand the tradition, is a necessary ingredient in Jewish identity. We think gefilte fish is good too; it's just that we cannot leave Judaism to our STOMACHS alone. |
So, if your mind needs some Jewish
food, and you |
ALEF consists of free e-mail courses, delivered to your mailbox. Like all good courses, you will get the most out of them if you dedicate an hour to STUDY this material, and not just skim it on the screen. Think of it as a real course, only without the travelling time, and without having to worry about being late. But you still need to sit down and think! The purpose of ALEF is not to feed you with some Jewish facts, but to open the window to Jewish study. ALEF is an activity, not merely an encyclopedia.
Curriculum for 5760 (1999-2000)
The link on the name of each course leads to a full description |
To subscribe |
| Introduction to the Weekly Torah Reading |
A discussion of one aspect of the weekly Torah reading, utilizing traditional commentators to illustrate how to read and analyze the text.
Listname: yhe-intparsha
Instructor: Yonatan Mishkin and Michael
Hattin
Frequency: Weekly
| Understanding the Meaning and Practice of Halakha |
An introduction to Halakha (Jewish law), with an attempt to understand the meaning behind the different laws and observances.
Listname: yhe-undhalakha
Instructor: Rabbi Ezra Bick
| Tehillim - The Book of Psalms |
Each installment in this series attempts to examine the thematic unity and literary techniques of one mizmor. Its goal is to present a message embedded in each psalm which can help us understand our relationship with our Creator.
List name: YHE-Tehillim
Instructor: Rav Avi Baumol
Frequency:
Biweekly
Jewish Philosophy - In conjunction with the Virtual Beit Midrash
| Jewish Philosophy Confronts the Modern World |
A discussion of the some of the basic issues in religious thought, as they apply to the problems of the modern world, based on the medieval work, The Kuzari of R. Yehuda HaLevi.
Listname: yhe-jewphi
Instructor: Prof. Shalom Rosenfeld
Frequency:
Weekly
| The Philosophy of Rav A.I. Kook |
An analysis of the writings of one of the most creative and influential Jewish thinkers of our time. Topics covered include good and evil, man's crisis and redemption, modernity, mysticism, repentance, and Zionism.
Listname: yhe-rkook
Instructor: R. Hillel Rachmani
| Sichot of the Roshei HaYeshiva |
Addresses (sichot) on the weekly parasha by the Roshei HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Harav Yehuda Amital and Harav Aharon Lichtenstein. The sichot examine fundamental principles of Judaism and issues of modern Jewish society, and their application to daily life.
Listname: yhe-sichot
More advanced courses are available at The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash
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