Essential Talmud: 2,500-year-old wisdom that’s still relevant today

Talmud’s top ideas, stories and values and what you need to know-how to study it.

Discover and engage with Judaism’s most talked about compendium of knowledge: The Talmud. The Talmud offers us a window into the ancient world of the rabbis: Their loves, their competition with each other, their families, wives, prostitutes and children and we will cover them all. It also delves into priests committing fratricide, God admitting defeat, wayward children, death and love – and we will cover it all.

Join instructor Igael Gurin Malous for 5 sessions this winter as he brings his unique perspective and approach to this age-old text. You will never look at the Talmud the same way again!

This class will meet on five Tuesdays across January, February and March: 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/27 and 3/6 from 7:00pm-8:30pm.

In each 90-minute session, you’ll examine specific themes and readings from the text – and discuss their place in today’s society. Session titles include:

– Taking off one layer at a time: the erotic dance of studying the layers of the text.
– “Is it a bird? Is it a plane?” No, it’s a Talmudic Rabbi!: The fantastic power of Torah and Rabbis who know it.
– Things that you can see from here, you cannot see from there: It’s a wonderful (1st century) world.
– Cherche la famme: It’s a man’s world or the “mud” ceiling.
– God and Us or does the Universe begin with U ‘n I?

Instructor:
Igael Gurin Malous is a Talmudist, artist, educator, theologian, husband and father. He grew up in Belgium and Israel (so as expected he is very well dressed and very blunt) He has a traditional Jewish background and studied in yeshiva for a large portion of his life and has been involved in informal and formal education for many years. He is currently writing his book exploring how to use talmud in everyday life.

If you have any questions about this course, please contact the AJRCA office at office@ajrca.edu