I need human help to enter verification code (office hours only)

Sign In Forgot Password

Adult Learning

Learning at CEC is a lifelong pursuit. Lifelong Learning classes are for any and every adult at CEC, no experience is necessary, all are welcome! 

In 2024-2025 offerings include:

  • Hartman Series Class "Belonging to a Collective"
  • Israeli Wine Tasting
  • Israel Education classes with Rabbi Hannah Estrin 
  • Book Discussions and Author Talks with Rachel Kamin, and CEC Librarian, Nicole Coover-Thompson
  • Spiritual Adventures: An Intro to Judaism Class with Rabbi Cosnowsky
  • Artist-in-Residence Weekend: February 28 - March 2, 2025 with Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz
  • Monthly Lunch and Learns including: Music, Movies, Wise-Aging, Geneology, and History 
  • Spring series exploring American Texts with Rabbi Wainer
  • North Lawndale Intergenerational Tour of Chicago
  • Weekly Saturday Morning Torah Study
  • How to Spiritually Prepare for 5785 High Holy Days with Rabbi Cosnowsky
  • Summer 2024 Concert with Ari Hest

Previously, we’ve held programs on Israel, adult Hebrew and B’nai Mitzvah classes, interfaith presentations, weekly Torah study, author talks, and artist/scholar-in-residence weekends. Our diverse offerings span every day of the week, Sunday through Shabbat, and multiple times in the morning, afternoon, and evening. 

Interested in becoming more involved with Lifelong Learning at CEC? Contact Kenya Madison-Gabler and Ed Levy, co-chairs of Lifelong Learning, or Marla Aviva Bentley, RJE, Director of Lifelong Learning. 

Ongoing Classes & Experiences

Torah Study

Each week we read and discuss Torah on Saturdays at 9:00 AM. We examine Torah in the context of our lives and our ideas. Our explorations of the text always touch on world events as well as happenings in our Etz Chaim world. We avoid fancy, scholarly vocabulary, but our conversations regularly return to big themes such as leading Jewish lives in the modern world, our relationship with God, our understanding of truth, and our connection to the Jewish people and the land of Israel.

Drop in as much or as little as you’d like. You can register for Torah Study to get the link.

Congregational Choir

Explore our sacred texts and prayers through music. Our Congregational Choir meets on Sundays at 12:15 PM. Choir is open to any adult member of the congregation, post-B'nai Mitzvah through 120! The choir sings for monthly Shabbat and High Holiday services. No previous choir experience is necessary, just a love of Jewish music and a desire to lead our congregation in song. Contact Marla Aviva Bentley, RJE, Director of Lifelong Learning & Music, for more information. 

Lunch & Learn

Lunch and Learn takes place monthly on Wednesdays, starting at 12:30 PM for lunch and schmoozing (bring your own lunch) and the program begins at 1:00 PM. Topics this year include: Jewish Geneology of Illinois, Understanding the Signs of Alzheimer's and Dementia, Traditional High Holiday Melodies, Films, Music of Jewish Composers, Zumba, and more. All our welcome, bring a friend! 

Book Discussions and Author Talks

Join Rachel Kamins every other month on Mondays at 7:00 PM in-person or on Zoom for Book Discussions. Books for 2024-2025 include: "The Hebrew Teacher: Three Novellas" by Maya Arad, "On Her Own" by Lihi Lapid, "Songs for the Brokenhearted", "Your Presence is Mandatory" and more.

Join Nicole Coover-Thompson for a new Book Discussion geared toward people from their 20's-40's. Books for 2024-2025 include: "To & Fro" with a Talk by the author Leah Hager Cohen.  

 

SundaySun, 8 DecDecember, 2024
SundaySun, 15 DecDecember, 2024
WednesdayWed, 18 DecDecember, 2024
TuesdayTue, 7 JanJanuary, 2025

 
 
Class with Rabbi Estrin

Tuesday, Jan 7th 10:00a to 11:00a

MORE INFO

SundaySun, 12 JanJanuary, 2025

Sun, December 8 2024 7 Kislev 5785