Who are we? Why are we here? If you believe the search for answers is its own reward, Temple Shalom's program of life long learning invites you to join the discussion, enter into the ongoing conversation - a centuries old dialog with ancient texts - and discover how being Jewish speaks to adult situations in ways that touch on the deepest questions of our lives.

Temple Shalom offers a comprehensive selection of courses focusing on the needs of our congregants. Programs throughout the year, often open to the community, explore both the "how-to" and "why" of Jewish life, the basic building blocks of holidays and customs and the insights, struggles and historic circumstances that gave birth and give power to the rites and rituals of the Jewish people.

Our program includes weekday brown-bag lunch Bible study; book groups; classes in religious studies and rabbinic texts; opportunities to learn Hebrew; and topics of contemporary interest developed at members' requests and inspired by current events. Recent programs have included workshops for interfaith couples, Jewish identity at mid-life, Jewish meditation, a weekly Talmud study group, and music of the High Holidays, as well as courses offered at Leisure World, the JCC and in downtown Washington D.C. through the Foundation for Jewish Studies. Classes are taught by our professional staff, lay leaders, and scholars-in-residence.

This representative sample of periodic course offerings provides only a hint of the enrichment opportunities available:

• Taste of Judaism. Have you ever wondered or had questions about Jews or Judaism? Are you part of an interfaith family? Do you have concerns about organized religion? Then our easy-access, open-minded and nationally-tested three-week "taste" might be just for you.
• Reading the Writings: The Book of Psalms. Our Thursday lunch group is now exploring the Book of Psalms, the most personal, poetic and "spiritual" book in the Hebrew Bible.
• How to Read the Bible. Is it the word of God or an anthology of insight? What role does - or should - the Bible have in society? Does it affect how we lead our lives? Build new bridges between ancient interpreters and a modern approach to the central text of our tradition.
• Our Neighbors, Ourselves. This course takes on a topic that has been taboo for Jews for centuries: the New Testament. Gain a Jewish perspective on how and why its stories might have come to be and their implications for Jewish identity and interreligious dialog.
• Hebrew Language. Our popular Hebrew Marathon class takes beginners from aleph to tav in just one day. Our weekly evening class offers a more indepth treatment.
• Israel Forum. Gain a deeper understanding of Israeli life and culture. Guest speakers in this periodic series delve into the challenges facing Israel today, including issues in Jewish identity, religious pluralism, civil and human rights, social and economic justice, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Shalom at Home. Get ten friends together, choose a topic, and we'll arrange for a dynamic teacher to lead a discussion in your home.
• Adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Prepare for the Bar or Bat Mitzvah you always wanted as part of a group of adult members supporting each other and growing together in their Jewish journeys.

For updated learning opportunities, please call the Temple Office or check the currrent edition of our newsletter, the Shofar.