Current Courses & Workshops
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The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) has been created in the tradition of teachers establishing bonds with students pursuing intellectual and spiritual growth in their adult years. JLI courses are designed for students ranging from first-time learners to those with years of prior study. The Institute follows a powerful path of discovery and depth, touching the Jewish souls of its learners. Participants in JLI courses share an experience of such magnitude that many form lasting ties of close friendship and community. JLI is the largest institute of adult learning of its kind, teaching in over 300 cities around the world. Its professionally conceived courses are taught through interactive dialogue accompanied by dynamic textbooks and dramatic audio-visual presentations. A JLI teacher leads students toward fresh thinking about the world in an environment that inspires feelings of hope, purpose, meaning, and value. JLI’s teaching is authentic and real. And it is all conveyed in a safe environment that embraces every student.
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 DECODING THE TALMUDInside the Story, Substance, and Significance of the Book That Defines Judaism
Enter the intricate world of the Talmud: the monumental classic that has defined Jewish learning for centuries. Join this six-week course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute to discover the Talmud, its history, authors, and significance—and experience it for yourself. 
Lesson One Jewish law’s ultimate record is the Talmud, but what is Jewish law? Explore its nature, scope, and roots in the written Torah and Oral Law—and see learning’s central role in Jewish practice and culture. 
Lesson Two See how Jewish law shifted from oral tradition to written code and encounter the Mishnah’s precise style, tight structure, and tolerance for debate—and its spiritual significance in Jewish life. 
Lesson Three Discover the tools, methods, and principles the sages employed in the centuries-long effort to unpack the Mishnah’s full practical implications. 
Lesson Four Meet the pivotal sages in the Talmud’s story—from Rav and Shmuel’s first academies to Rav Ashi and Ravina’s final text—and see how they wove in stories as well as ethical and philosophical teachings. 
Lesson Five Understand the Babylonian Talmud’s rigorous mode of legal reasoning, how it balances dueling principles to arrive at clear legal boundaries, and how its elegant logic fuels deeper learning. 
Lesson Six See how and why the Talmud became the core of Jewish law and discover the vast literature of responsa, legal codes, and commentaries that continue the conversation until today. |