Rabbi Jack's Musings
Week of June 8, 2026
June, 2026 Classes
Have a Blast with a Three-part Introduction to the Jewish Canon
June 15 - June 29. The No-fee classes begin at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the Los Alamos Jewish Center.
Pre-registration not required; RSVP on event page is appreciated.
Mesa Public Library / 2400 Central Avenue / Los Alamos, New Mexico
The Jews have been called "The People of the Book," but more aptly, we should be called the People of the Books. And what better place to learn about many of the books associated with the Jewish people than the Los Alamos Mesa Public Library?
Please join me for a three-part series on consecutive Monday evenings upstairs at the library beginning on June 15 at 6 PM. For all three sessions, our first fifteen minutes will offer an informal opportunity to snack and meet each other. Starting at 6:15 PM, we'll spend an
hour taking turns reading and exploring a different sub-genre of the massive Jewish corpus.
June 15 - 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
In this class, we'll get a whirlwind overview of the Jewish Bible, commentaries, the Talmuds, the Midrash, the Zohar, and Responsa literature. What exactly is the Jewish Bible? Which books are "in" and which are "out?" What is the Torah? Is it a compliment to say that someone has used Talmudic logic? Where do we learn about Abraham smashing his father's idols and other stories that can't be found in the Jewish Bible? What is Jewish mysticism? And when is the Sabbath observed by a Jewish astronaut circling the Earth every 90 minutes?
June 22 - 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
During our second class, our emphasis will be on fiction written by Jews throughout the Diaspora and in Israel. While linked to the Land of Israel for well over 3500 years, the dispersion of the Jews from their ancestral homeland by the Romans nearly 2000 years ago resulted in Jewish communities in every corner of the globe. We'll look at a sampling of Jewish short stories, novels, and poems composed in many languages including Yiddish, Hebrew, English, and more.
June 29 - 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
In our final session, we'll look at Jewish thought, philosophy, history, and other non-fiction writings. Among other influences, we'll see how Greek ideas were adapted to fit Jewish sensibilities, and we'll learn about the interaction of Arabic concepts on Jewish understanding of our role in the world. Some of our authors will have been introduced in the first class, but each of our three evenings will be free standing.
Come to one or more of these evening events and learn why Jews have been called "The People of the Book."
For more information, email rabbi@lajc.org.
