A 21st Century Path to Judaism
Bruchim Ha’Baim! Welcome to Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and thank you for your interest in our Choosing Judaism class! We are excited to share the richness of Judaism and Jewish life with you as we learn together. The Choosing Judaism course will span thirteen weeks, and will cover the basics of Jewish history, sources, prayers, holidays, lifecycles, traditions, and culture. The course structure is designed for engaging learning with a cohort, building community with other course classmates, and connecting with the broader Wilshire Boulevard Temple environment as your synagogue and Jewish home. While the course does begin the conversion process for those who wish to pursue it, Choosing Judaism provides an opportunity to deepen Jewish knowledge for Jews and non-Jews as well.
Course Outline and Requirements:
- The course will begin with a Shabbat service and dinner experience.
- Weekly class sessions will follow.
- The course will wrap up with a Shabbat study experience.
- The course is taught primarily by Rabbi Hannah Elkin, one of Wilshire’s rabbis, with guest teaching times from other rabbis and cantors in the Wilshire clergy team.
- The registration fee for the course (covering meals and other expenses during the classes and Shabbat experiences) is $180 per unit (i.e. one person or couple taking the course together).
- A course booklist will be provided after registration, and a syllabus with weekly readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.
- Assignments and additional engagement opportunities will include weekly reflection journals on the course content, attending Wilshire Shabbat services three times, attending two additional adult education classes or events offered by Wilshire, celebrating the Jewish holidays that occur during the timeframe of the course, and a final reflection assignment before you are eligible for conversion with the beit din (conversion committee) and mikveh (ritual immersion to finalize conversion).
- Attendance is mandatory, though if you are unable to make a class because of extenuating circumstances, make up assignments will be available.
- Missing more than two classes could make you ineligible for conversion with this cohort.
The application closes on January 16, 2024.
We understand that the course and these requirements ask for significant commitments from participants. We include these requirements because of the seriousness of the commitment to Judaism and the Jewish people that comes out of this process. Even if the classes and program requirements do not fit in your schedule at this time or are not accepted at this time, please stay in touch with us for courses in the future.
For those who are interested in taking the Choosing Judaism course, but are not pursuing conversion, the assignments and additional engagement opportunities are not required.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please reach out to Selina Gunsauls at sgunsauls@wbtla.org.