12 | JANUARY 13 • 2022 

J

ust as it did in the fall, 
Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek of Southfield will 
offer weekly in-person, free 
and study sessions open to the 
public that broadly 
cover the sweep-
ing concepts of 
Judaism beginning 
10 a.m. Sunday,
Jan. 30. 
The hour-long 
classes will be con-
structed from the Thoughtful 
Judaism curriculum, devel-
oped by the Shalom Hartman 
Institute of North America and 
made possible by a grant from 
the Hermelin-Davidson Center 
for Congregation Excellence. 
They will be taught by Rabbi 
Aaron Starr, Rabbi Yoni 
Dahlen and Rebecca Starr, 
director of regional programs 
for Hartman Institute of North 
America. Classes will meet 
in-person at the synagogue, 
and there will be no online 
alternative to take the class on 
Zoom. 
This semester, Rabbi Starr 
expects to welcome attendees 
from a diverse background of 
observance and exposure to 
Judaism. 
Last semester, Starr said 
enrolled students ranged in 

ages from 20 to 90. The classes 
are geared to attract a diverse 
audience including interfaith 
couples and Jews of Choice 
who are seeking an informal 
Jewish learning setting to delve 
deeply into the philosophical 
questions about Judaism. 
Coursework begins with the 
notion of Judaism as an inter-
pretive tradition and dovetails 
into the notion of what it 
means to be a Jew and to live 
Jewishly. 
“Jews do not read the Bible 
as fundamentalists, and I 
remember a student from last 
semester saying to me that 
she did not realize how inno-
vated and unique is Judaism’s 
approach to the Bible,” Starr 
said. “The Hartman Institute 
uses the language being and 
becoming and examining iden-
tity versus practice. These con-
cepts reinforce the principle 
that we hold dear at Shaarey 
Zedek that everybody is wel-
come. The classes are intended 
to spark conversations about 
the big ideas that animate 
Judaism, the central concepts 
that inspire us and guide us.” 
To register, call the syn-
agogue office at (248) 357-
5544 or https://shaareyzedek.
shulcloud.com/event/founda-

tions-for-a-thoughtful-juda-
ism2.html. 

FOUR THEMES
Components of Thoughtful 
Judaism were first offered in 
the Detroit Metro area last 
fall through JLearn at the 
Jewish Community Center of 
Metropolitan Detroit. 
Thoughtful Judaism revolves 
around four themes: 
Peoplehood: The meaning 
and definition and purpose 
of Jewish community, how it 
can be diverse and hold shared 
values and a shared history 
and an exploration of the main 
centers of Jewish life: Israel 
and North America. 
Faith: An exploration of 
questions relating to one’s rela-
tionship with God and what 
a life of faith entails, models 
in Judaism that exemplify the 
complexities of having a rela-
tionship with God as well as 
viewpoints on where Jews who 
do not believe in God fit in. 
Practice: What is the mean-
ing of the system of mitzvot 
and what does it accomplish? 
In an age that encourages 
independent and self-minded 
thinking, how can one find rel-
evance in rituals and how the 
sanctification of time, space 

and body can lead to holiness. 
Ethics: In what ways is the 
individual obligated to the 
widest and innermost circles 
of community according to 
Jewish tradition? How to 
maintain relationships even 
when one party wrongs anoth-
er, and the obligations parents 
and children have to one 
another. 

OTHER CHANCES 
TO LEARN
In addition to the class-
es planned at CSZ, other 
Thoughtful Judaism classes 
taught online over Zoom 
through JLearn are slated for 
the new year. To register, call 
(248) 205-2557 or visit https://
tinyurl.com/yckpcwkw.
Choices include: 
“Engaging Israel, 
Foundations for a New 
Relationship; A Hartman 
Institute Curriculum,” ongoing 
noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursdays 
through March 3. Instructor: 
Rabbi Brent Gutmann of 
Temple Kol Ami. Through 
discussion, text and video lec-
tures, Gutmann reframes the 
discussion about the enduring 
significance of the State of 
Israel for contemporary Jews 
worldwide. The class will 
cover the concepts of Jewish 
sovereignty, ethics in military 
power, maintaining a Jewish 
democracy, and the relation-
ship between American and 
Israeli Jews. Tuition: $165.
“Thoughtful Judaism: 
Peoplehood and Practice.” 7 
to 8:15 p.m. Tuesdays begin-
ning Jan. 25 through May 3. 
Instructor: Rabbi Michele 
Faudem. The class will cover 
concepts of Jewish faith, 
belonging, challenges of Jewish 
peoplehood, ethical obligations 
to God ourselves and our com-
munity. Tuition: $175. 

OUR COMMUNITY

CSZ

The new year of
 ers plenty of chances to learn.
The new year of
 ers plenty of chances to learn.
Thoughtful Judaism

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rabbi 
Aaron Starr

