Judith's Menorah - Dec 11, 2018 - Background on the story of Judith, its connections with Tanach, and its role in Chanukah celebrations. Geared toward a group including people without strong background in Torah text study.

Yeshayah, Week 10: 6:7-13 - Yeshayah's Message / Yotam - Dec 11, 2018 - The message conveyed to Yeshayah about the nation's inability to perceive the Divine message. And an introduction to King Yotam.

Tzedakah Priorities - Dec 10, 2018 - 1) Many small gifts vs. One big gift?

2) Direct assistance or umbrella tzedakah funds?

3) Israel vs. Local Needs

4) Fear of enabling

5) Donor recognition

Legal Ethics: Romance and the Elderly Client - Dec 9, 2018 - Presentation of sources in Canadian Law and Halachah regarding:

1) Evaluation of capacity to consent to marriage or cohabitation;

2) Managing the needs of an elderly client and the client's adult child;

3) Carrying out the wishes of an elderly client when one feels the client lacks capacity, or is making a self-destructive decision.

A bit rocky in the beginning.

Kiddushin: Kiddushei Kesef, Part 1 - Dec 7, 2018 - Correspondence between three aspects of marriage and the three potential acts that create kiddushin. And the classic question: Is kiddushin via kesef a presentation of value, or a formal, ritual act?

Shemuel #15 - 4:5-22 - Loss of the Aron, Start of the Curse - Dec 6, 2018 - Why did the Jews lose the Aron? And the start of the impact of the curse on the House of Eli, including the deaths of Chofni and Pinchas, then the death of Eli, and then the death of the wife of Pinchas.

Introduction to Jewish Bioethics: Is Assisted Death an Act of Healing? - Dec 5, 2018 - Basic introduction to the issue of Medical Assistance in Dying (a.k.a. Assisted Suicide, a.k.a. Euthanasia). Is this a medical act, or is it murder? Geared toward a group including people without strong background in Torah text study.

Yeshayah, Week 9: 6:3-7 - Three Approaches to the Throne Room - Dec 4, 2018 - Looking at Yeshayah's vision of G-d's "Throne Room"/Beit haMikdash as (1) rebuke; (2) commission; (3) trial. The effect on how we understand Yeshayah's description of what he saw, and the ways it varies from the descriptions of Michayahu and Yechezkel.

Judith's Menorah (short version) - Dec 2, 2018 - How does the story of Yehudit (Judith) connect to Chanukah, if it wasn't from the time of the Greeks? And if her victory related to war, why does it lead the gemara to mandate that women light menorah, which commemorates the oil? This is a short version of this class; a longer version should be available on December 11.

Introduction to Jewish Bioethics: Elective Cosmetic Surgery (Part 2) - Nov 28, 2018 - Basic introduction to the issue of elective cosmetic surgery, continued from last week. Geared toward a group including people without strong background in Torah text study.