Chabad, JCC offer lecture series

Rabbi Levi Wolosow, right, of the Benjamin Rosenberg Center for Jewish Studies in Manalapan will be one of the teachers of Beyond Belief at the JCC of Western Monmouth. His students include, from left, Frances Tarr of Manalapan, Loren Mitchell of Marlboro, and Malkah Wax-Goldstein and Debbie Levy of Manalapan. Rabbi Levi Wolosow, right, of the Benjamin Rosenberg Center for Jewish Studies in Manalapan will be one of the teachers of Beyond Belief at the JCC of Western Monmouth. His students include, from left, Frances Tarr of Manalapan, Loren Mitchell of Marlboro, and Malkah Wax-Goldstein and Debbie Levy of Manalapan. Photo courtesy Rabbi Levi WolosowPhoto courtesy Rabbi Levi Wolosow

Rabbi Levi Wolosow, right, of the Benjamin Rosenberg Center for Jewish Studies in Manalapan will be one of the teachers of Beyond Belief at the JCC of Western Monmouth. His students include, from left, Frances Tarr of Manalapan, Loren Mitchell of Marlboro, and Malkah Wax-Goldstein and Debbie Levy of Manalapan. Photo courtesy Rabbi Levi Wolosow

Sidebar

Beyond Belief: the course

by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

February 05, 2008

A local Chabad House and JCC are combining resources to offer community members a course exploring the role of Jewish faith and tenets in the modern world.

Beyond Belief will be presented by the Jewish Learning Institute under the auspices of the Chabad House of Western Monmouth County in Manalapan, with classes to be held at the JCC of Western Monmouth in Manalapan and at Chabad.

“We want to get people to join together and learn about Judaism,” Rabbi Levi Wolosow of Chabad’s Benjamin Rosenberg Center for Jewish Studies, said. “Our beliefs color the way we see the world and help us to make sense of the inevitable challenges that confront us.”

Wolosow will conduct the classes at the JCC, while Rabbi Boruch Chazanow, executive director at Chabad House, will lead the classes at that facility.

Although the JCC was not involved in the programmatic aspects of the course’s presentation, it did assist Chabad with on-line advertising, said Shelley Feingold, the JCC’s operations and outreach director.

The JCC also is providing space at its facility for the course, she said.

“In this case, the JCC and Chabad House shared resources,” Feingold said. “The Chabad is presenting an educational program about another aspect of Jewish culture that can be offered at a Jewish community center. The real beneficiaries are the members of the Jewish community who will have the chance to enhance their religious and spiritual beliefs.”

JLI’s new course is designed to help students take a closer look at how their beliefs can bring meaning to their lives and guide their choices, Wolosow said.

“Beyond Belief will provide an innovative look at the faith that leads to enrichment of life,” he said. “Many people grapple with fundamental questions of belief and its place in their lives. Beyond Belief reclaims faith as a uniquely Jewish value, while recognizing that it is not a static formulation to be unthinkingly accepted. Jewish faith is a dynamic, powerful force within us that must be continuously fed by thinking, feeling, and doing.”

Beyond Belief draws on 13 key principles of faith identified by the 12th-century philosopher Maimonides. Students will examine the logic and role that each principle plays in shaping their world view and will have the opportunity to grapple with ideas that sometimes seem remote. They also will gain insight into the process by which these and other beliefs are shaped and expanded, Wolosow said.

“Taken together, these principles are a set of building blocks that allow students to construct a deep and nuanced understanding of what it means to live as a Jew,” he said.

Chazanow said he is often asked about the Jewish view regarding the way in which God communicates, whether we are rewarded or punished for our behavior, and the concept of an afterlife.

“I am constantly called upon to provide the Jewish perspectives on questions that are asked by those of every religious faith,” he said. “Beyond Belief will provide insight into many of these questions. But more importantly, this course will address the inner struggle that many people feel when considering issues of faith.”

The course will provide multiple pathways into the exploration of faith-building and present the fundamentals of Judaism in a way that is both challenging and accessible, Chazanow said.

“Students also will have the opportunity to engage in thoughtful, open discussion,” he said.

The JLI, which was created in 1998, is the adult education branch of Chabad-Lubavitch. Its classes and programs are offered in more than 300 locations in more than 250 cities nationwide, as well as international locations. Every JLI course is synchronized so that the lessons are offered concurrently in all locations.

BEYOND BELIEF will be offered on six consecutive Wednesdays beginning Feb. 6. The course will be conducted at two Manalapan locations: at the Chabad House from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and at the JCC of Western Monmouth County from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Additional information about Beyond Belief and other programs is available from the Chabad House at 732-972-3687.