Taught by Rabbi Kuppel Lindow - Zoom option now available!

When: This Tuesday from 7-8 PM, and every Tuesday through June 13.
Where: In-person at the Jewish Federation of St. Joseph Valley, or via Zoom
Cost: $50 per person (includes workbook)

Come venture through the Second Temple period of Jewish history that restructured Judaism into the modern, portable form we have today. Understand the foundation of the statement of Mark Twain:

"The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
Mark Twain: "Concerning The Jews", Harper's Magazine, September 1899.

These classes will reveal the secrets of our immortality. It started with a group of 120 greats of a bygone era of 1st Temple Judaism and morphed into an introspective living organism to transcend the trials of every era.

These classes apply to all Jews who practice any form of Judaism. For every form of Judaism is based upon the teachings and mindset of the Rabbis of the era we’ll be covering. Purim, Channukah, Kiddush and Havdala, Weekly reading of the Torah, Standardized Jewish education, The Amida, etc… all began during this period. We will discover the different paths that our predecessors could have taken, but then comprehend the choices they made which created our reality, then we will have a better understanding of how to shape our future.

Please join us and bring a friend to discover our roots; thereby promoting a possible path to our Jewish future.

Class I – The Transition from First Temple Judaism to Second Temple Judaism and the Men of the Great Assembly c.750 BCE – c. 350 BCE (1st Mishna)
Class II – Alexander the Great and Simon the Just – c. 375 BCE – c. 200 BCE (2nd Mishna)
Class III – Hellenism and Antigonus ish Socho – 200 BCE – 175 BCE (3rd Mishna)
Class IV – Channukah and the First Pair (Zugos) 175 BCE – 159 BCE (Mishnayos 4-5)
Class V – Jewish Autocracy and the Second Pair 159 BCE – 104 BCE (Mishnayos 6-7)
Class VI – The Worst of Times / The Best of Times and the Third Pair 104 BCE – 66 BCE (Mishnayos 8-9)
Class VII – Rome Moves In and the Fourth Pair 68 BCE – 37 BCE (Mishnayos 10-11)
Class VIII – Herod and the Fifth Pair 37 BCE – 4 BCE (Mishnayos 12-15)
Bonus Class (If we have time) – Lack of Strong Leadership, The Destruction of the Temple and the Ultimate Fulfilment of Pharisaic Judaism (Mishnayos 16-18)