With classes in Jewish history, religion and folklore, the Berkeley Richmond Jewish Community Center has developed an adult-education program and is pooling resources with Lehrhaus Judaica,
In October, the BRJCC began offering seminars as part of its new Jewish Learning Center. Lehrhaus Judaica, a Berkeley-based Jewish adult-education institute, is co-sponsoring several of the courses.
Lehrhaus had occasionally offered classes at the BRJCC site in the past and was pleased to expand its offerings, according to Karen Nelkin, Lehrhaus’ associate director. The BRJCC in North Berkeley has a larger facility with more available parking than Lehrhaus, which is directly across the street from the U.C. Berkeley campus.
A 10-session class on “The History of the Jewish People” forms the centerpiece of the new program. At each session, participants watch videos of lectures on such topics as “The Medieval Jew,” “The Origins of the Bible” and “Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust.”
The lectures were originally presented last year at a Jewish history colloquium in Detroit, organized by the Society for Humanistic Judaism. The videos feature prominent professors from universities in Israel and the United States.
The videotape also includes a half-hour discussion among professors at the conference. Five sessions have already taken place, with another five planned to begin in early February.
Two other courses offered last semester — “Beyond the Torah” and “Jewish Book Club” — will also continue next year.
The Learning Center will also show three movies by acclaimed Israeli director Assi Dayan next year. The Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay and the Israeli Consulate are co-sponsoring the screenings.
Also planned are a series of lectures by a local poet and a scholar-in-residence program featuring several notable rabbis from throughout the nation.
In addition, the learning center will be offering classes in Hebrew and Yiddish, and will be starting a Yiddish theater.
“We’re like a little university,” said Lee Marsh, a Berkeley resident who conceived of establishing the adult-education center.
So far, attendance has reached more than 30 at the “Beyond the Torah” class and the video seminars, more than expected, according to Marsh.
“An awful lot of creative people are really interested, so it’s flowering. We anticipate more in the future. I think people have felt the quality of our courses are excellent.”
Marsh said the classes are aimed to teach students “more knowledge of their ethnicity to strengthen their roots. Good, quality non-religious courses are one of the ways to be in tune with those roots.”
He also encourages non-Jews to attend. “Each class is a meal,” he said. “I hope all will say it is a gourmet meal.”