Rabbi Michael Lotker has just announced two upcoming classes to take place Wednesday evenings, July 14th through August 25th at 7PM Pacific Time. The classes are free of charge. (They are sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Ventura County and Joel & Barbara Aaronson & The Affordable Living Choices Trust in Lotker’s role as Community Rabbi. You can donate to the Federation at https://www.jewishventuracounty.org/ways-to-give.) To register, simply email the rabbi at lotker@aol.com and express your interest. For more information on the classes, see his descriptions below:
“Introduction to Kabbalah” (July 14, 21 & 28)
In our 3 week exploration of the world of Kabbalah we will explore the simple (is it kabb-a-LAH or ka-BAL-ah?) to the deep (how does the interpretation of word echad in the Shema affect our understanding of God’s nature and our relationship with God). We will address the history and practices of Kabbalah and have time for questions and discussion of this fascinating subject. Our first class will be an Introduction to some of the key ideas of Kabbalah and to its interesting history. Class #2 will introduce the central text of Kabbalah, The Zohar which is a work of pseudepigrapha (don’t know what that means? Come and find out!). We will discuss the 10 Sefirot, the world of Gematria, the mystical names of God and more. In the next class, we will explore Lurrianic Kabbalah, the Soul, Angels, Hasidim and focus on enhancing our own Jewish spirituality.
“Children of Abraham: Comparing Judaism, Christianity and Islam.” (August 4, 11, 18 & 25)
About half the people of the world worship the God of Abraham as members of faith traditions that trace themselves back 4000 years to this inspired individual. In four classes, Rabbi Lotker will introduce these three faiths with special emphasis on where they are similar and where they differ. We will read texts from the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Scripture and the Koran relating to the Garden of Eden, Abraham, Moses, and others to help understand the fascinating history and theology that shape our worlds to this day. Differences in beliefs, historical origins and the reasons behind historical and current conflicts will be explored. We will also take a detailed look at Holy Neighborhood of Jerusalem and the sacred sites to be found there.