All Are Welcome to Learn at CBS University!
Jewish learning lasts a lifetime…
At Congregation Beth Shalom we believe that learning is a lifelong journey. Our Adult Education program called CBS Univeristy offers meaningful opportunities for exploration, growth, and connection through Jewish learning. Whether you’re deepening your knowledge of sacred texts, engaging with contemporary issues through a Jewish lens, or simply seeking community and conversation, we invite you to join us in thoughtful, enriching study.
To meet the needs of our constituents we offer classes on a variety of days and times, as well as in person and many via Zoom. While we love being able to “come to you” if you can’t come to us, please remember that there is no substitution for learning in person.
You can scroll below for our upcoming/current classes.
To learn more about CBS University at Congregation Beth Shalom, or about the Adult Education Committee, please contact Audrey Taxer either via e-mail or by calling Congregation Beth Shalom at 847-498-4100 ext. 145.
Join Carl Schrag as we explore the complexities, history, culture and current events of Israel in this thought-provoking class. Join us on Sundays at 8:45 am for Minyan, stay for breakfast sponsored by Men’s Club and then join us for this engaging program at 10:00 am. Israel
April 19 – Topic TBD
May 3 – Topic TBD
Each session will have a separate registration form. Topics to be discussed are subject to change depending on the current situation in Israel.
Dive into the richness of the Hebrew Bible in this engaging and accessible Tanakh class. Together, we will study selections from Torah, Prophets, and Writings, examining the historical context, literary structure, and enduring themes of each text. With commentary from traditional and modern scholars, we will explore how these ancient stories continue to shape Jewish thought, ethics, and identity today. All are welcome—no prior knowledge of Hebrew or Jewish texts required!
Class will meet in person and via Zoom. Text
| Instructor: | Rabbi David Chapman and Cantor Steven Stoehr |
| Dates: | Mondays 1/12, 1/26, 2/2,2/9, 2/23, 3/2, 3/9, 3/16, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20, 4/27, 5/4, 5/11, 5/18 |
| Time: | 11:30 am – 12:30 pm |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members, $50 per person per semester for non-member Friends of CBS |
As the Spamalot song goes, “You won’t succeed on Broadway if you don’t have any Jews!” This session, we will explore midcentury Broadway musicals with more subtle Jewish content. Titles we will study include: “Hello Dolly” (1964), “I Can Get It for You Wholesale” (1962), “Cabaret” (1966), and “Company” (1970). What do these shows reveal (or conceal) about Jewish life in America?
| Instructor: | Rabbi David Chapman |
| Dates: | Tuesdays 3/10, 17, 24 |
| Time: | 9:15 – 10:15 am |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members, $30 per person per semester for non-member Friends of CBS |
This weekly discussion-based class zooms in on local, national, and global news through a distinctly Jewish lens. We’ll talk about politics, Israel, antisemitism, anti-Zionism, rifts in our Jewish community, local and global Jewish affairs, campus life, and the intersection between these topics and more. Carl Schrag, who was the Editor of the Jerusalem Post, brings a journalist’s probing questions to every topic.
Class will meet in person and via Zoom. Israel
| Instructor: | Carl Schrag |
| Date: | Tuesdays 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/17, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/5, 5/12, 5/19 |
| Time: | 10:30 – 11:30 am |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members; $50 per person per semester for non-member Friends of CBS |
From the time of Abraham and Sarah, the Jews have been a “wandering people,” sometimes thriving and sometimes suffering in other peoples’ lands. How has the Diaspora experience shaped Jewish practice, identity, and thought? How did the meaning of Diaspora change with the advent of Zionism? And perhaps most importantly, what is the future of Jewish life in the Diaspora?
Suggested Text: Embracing Exile by David Kraemer.
| Instructor: | Rabbi David Chapman |
| Date: | Tuesdays 2/3, 2/10, 2/17 |
| Time: | 6:45 – 7:45 pm |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members; $30 per person per semester for non-member Friends of CBS |
If you haven’t tried this class yet, and have been looking at it for awhile, NOW is the time . . . REGISTER! Through slow movements, improve your health, concentration, digestion, balance, flexibility, and overall health. Our class can be done in a chair or standing. If you are not free at this time, no problem! REGISTER and watch the video you will receive following class and do it when you have time.
Class will meet via Zoom only: Life and Living
| Instructor: | Allison Deputy, MoonWillow Tai Chi |
| Date: | Thursdays 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/28 |
| Time: | 9:30 – 10:15 am |
| Fee: | No fee; donation strongly encouraged |
Whether you are a beginning Hebrew reader or would just like a refresher. Join Susan as she uses our new prayer book Siddur Lev Shalem to teach you Hebrew and get you familiar with the prayers.
* if you would like to stay for the continuing class you may do so. Teacher permission required.
This class will meet in person only. Text and Language
| Instructor: | Susan Stoehr |
| Date: | Thursdays 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/28 |
| Time: | 10:30 am – 11:00 am |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members; $150 per semester for non-member friends of CBS |
Whether you are a beginning Hebrew reader or would just like a refresher. Join Susan as she uses our new prayer book Siddur Lev Shalem to teach you Hebrew and get you familiar with the prayers.
Teacher permission required. * if you would like to join us to practice your reading in the beginning class you may do so.
This class will meet in person only. Text and Language
| Instructor: | Susan Stoehr |
| Date: | Thursdays 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/28 |
| Time: | 11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members; $10 per class for non-member friends of CBS |
| Instructor: | Cantor Steven Stoehr |
| Date: | Thursdays 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26 |
| Time: | 1:30 – 2:30 pm |
| Fee: | No charge for CBS members; $50 per person per semester for non-member Friends of CBS |
3433 Walters Avenue, Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 498-4100 |
Monday – Thursday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Friday, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
