Rabbi Jack Shlachter
SPIRITUALITY News:
Three local Jewish educators have come together to offer the Exploring the Jewish Experience (EJE) Course starting in January 2024 in Santa Fe.
Rabbi Jack Shlachter of HaMakom, Rabbi Dov Gartenberg of Shabbat with Friends, and Joy Ellen Rosenberg of Santa Fe will form the teaching team of the EJE Course.
The EJE course offers an engaging study of Judaism and the Jewish people, touching on the most consequential teachings, history, and enduring characteristics of one of the oldest continuous religions and cultures.
The course is designed for a wide variety of adult participants:
- Jews seeking a more in depth understanding of their heritage.
- Persons who are curious about Jews and Judaism and are disturbed by anti-Semitism.
- Persons of different faiths and cultures who want to better understand the background of a Jewish partner and/or the cultural/religious background they wish to impart to their children.
- Persons who wish to fulfill the year of study prerequisite to convert to Judaism.
The EJE Course meets year-round. It is divided into three trimesters:
- Winter/Spring: Jewish ethical and ritual practice and Jewish understandings of God.
- Summer: Dimensions of Jewish culture.
- Fall: Jewish history, thought, and antisemitism.
New participants may join prior to the beginning of any of these trimesters. The course can also be taken online. Tuition for each trimester is only $18 per person with those taking the full year of the course: $54. Tuition is subsidized through a grant from the National Center to Encourage Judaism (NCEJ).
The EJE Santa Fe Course will begin 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. The course is offered in person but can be taken remotely online. The in-person sessions will take place in Santa Fe at a central location with accessible and free parking.
The course is cosponsored by HaMakom of Santa Fe and Shabbat with Friends New Mexico. The course is an affiliate of the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program of the American Jewish University. We welcome other organizations interested in co-sponsoring this course with us.
There is also an EJE Albuquerque Course which will begin its winter/spring semester 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. The in-person sessions meet north of the UNM Law School campus. Ample free parking is available. The ABQ course is also available remotely online.
For more information about the EJE Course and to obtain an application for enrollment, contact Rabbi Dov Gartenberg at dov@shabbatwithfriends.org or call 505.582.9577.