Jewish Wisdom on Aging
Three Thursday Mornings
(November 12, 19, 26)
Time: 10:30 AM - 12 PM ET
Instructor: Rabbi Rachel Hersh, MSW
Location:
In Person Only
Temple Beth Ami
14330 Travilah Road
Rockville, MD 20850
Enroll in this course using the options below.
All interested students are encouraged to join our classes. Should registration rates become a barrier to enrollment, please contact our Executive Director, Matthew Silverman.
In partnership with Temple Beth Ami Live & Learn
Jewish tradition has much to say about aging, inviting us to consider the blessings and challenges of getting older.
Join Rabbi Rachel Hersh for a three-week learning series on these themes. Each class will include traditional Jewish text study and discussion, along with opportunities to explore our contemporary questions on this chapter of our lives.
Session 1: Biblical ancestors - what do the lives of Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Miriam and others teach us about vitality and surrender in old age? What of their examples do we hold up as inspiration for our own lives and what serves as a cautionary tale?
Session 2: Rabbinic wisdom - Through the eyes of our rabbinic sages, we encounter different perspectives on the experience of getting older. How do we hear their wisdom in historical context and how does that wisdom hold up in our time?
Session 3: Mortal Truths - Inevitably, every stage of life highlights the finitude of our earthly journey. As we age, this reality becomes even more vivid. What does our tradition offer as guidance for the final chapter? How can we approach our mortality with mindfulness and gratitude?
Rabbi Rachel Hersh, MSW, is Director of Jewish Enrichment & Engagement at JSSA, our Jewish human service agency serving people of all backgrounds across the DC metro area.
She served as cantor and rabbi at Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, where she continues to provide spiritual support and leadership. She is convinced that age is just a number and tries to make peace with the fact that she is no longer "young" in years.