Weekly Structure
DC Beit Midrash meets every Monday night from 7:00-9:00pm. Snacking and schmoozing start at 7:00pm, followed by a shiur (class) taught by a different teacher each week beginning at 7:30pm.
Drop-in and first-time participants are always welcome!
Pre-Beit Midrash Snacking and Schmoozing:
From 7:00 to 7:30pm, before learning begins, attendees enjoy light snacks sponsored by community members and the Beit Midrash. Every first Monday of the month, DC Beit Midrash sponsors a more substantial meal (pizza, falafel, wraps--any suggestions?), so come prepared! Introduce yourself to others and unwind a bit before the shiur (class) begins. If you'd like to sponsor food in someone's honor or memory, to celebrate a special occasion, or for any other reason, please email food@dcbeitmidrash.org.
Classes:
From 7:30 to 8:00pm, a teacher from the DC Jewish community leads the group in a shiur (class), the topic of which ranges from the weekly parsha (Torah portion) to Jewish views on social protest. Our only requirement is that the shiur be text-based. Reflecting our commitment to pluralism, the weekly teachers have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Some are Jewish professionals, though most are lay members interested in exploring text-based topics with our group. Some are from the greater DC Jewish community, while others are from among those who regularly attend DC Beit Midrash.
We are always looking for new teachers! We believe everyone has something to learn and something to teach. If you would like to teach, please let us know by emailing teachers@dcbeitmidrash.org. We are happy to go over your materials beforehand, help you prepare for your class, or work with first-time teachers to prepare a lesson plan. We are glad to accommodate teachers who would prefer teaching a class for longer than 30 minutes.
Group Learning:
From 8:00-9:00pm, our teacher will often stay after the shiur (class) to continue a discussion on themes or texts that came up during the class time. This hour is more discussion based than the shiur and is a chance to learn in a more interactive way with a small group of interested learners.
Chevruta - Paired Learning:
Many learners choose to pair with another attendee to learn in chevruta (paired-study) from 8:00-9:00pm each week. Chevruta is a traditional Jewish learning style used to delve deeper into a text. If you already learn with a chevruta, we would love to host you in our lively Beit Midrash. If you do not already have a chevruta, but are interested in learning with a partner, we are happy to help make a match based on your interest and level.
In chevruta, people study a variety of Jewish texts, including Bible/Tanakh, Mishna, Talmud, prayer, Midrash, and philosophy. If you are interested in learning with a partner, please email info@dcbeitmidrash.org or fill out the Chevruta Matching Form and we will help find a match.
Materials:
DC Beit Midrash has a growing library of books to fit the needs of the community. Texts range from a variety of Torah commentaries and Talmud tractates to books on the high holidays and Jewish prayer. Texts are available in English and Hebrew. If there's a book you are looking for, we're glad to help track it down. Feel free to bring your own if you have any favorite books to share!
Drop-in and first-time participants are always welcome!
Pre-Beit Midrash Snacking and Schmoozing:
From 7:00 to 7:30pm, before learning begins, attendees enjoy light snacks sponsored by community members and the Beit Midrash. Every first Monday of the month, DC Beit Midrash sponsors a more substantial meal (pizza, falafel, wraps--any suggestions?), so come prepared! Introduce yourself to others and unwind a bit before the shiur (class) begins. If you'd like to sponsor food in someone's honor or memory, to celebrate a special occasion, or for any other reason, please email food@dcbeitmidrash.org.
Classes:
From 7:30 to 8:00pm, a teacher from the DC Jewish community leads the group in a shiur (class), the topic of which ranges from the weekly parsha (Torah portion) to Jewish views on social protest. Our only requirement is that the shiur be text-based. Reflecting our commitment to pluralism, the weekly teachers have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Some are Jewish professionals, though most are lay members interested in exploring text-based topics with our group. Some are from the greater DC Jewish community, while others are from among those who regularly attend DC Beit Midrash.
We are always looking for new teachers! We believe everyone has something to learn and something to teach. If you would like to teach, please let us know by emailing teachers@dcbeitmidrash.org. We are happy to go over your materials beforehand, help you prepare for your class, or work with first-time teachers to prepare a lesson plan. We are glad to accommodate teachers who would prefer teaching a class for longer than 30 minutes.
Group Learning:
From 8:00-9:00pm, our teacher will often stay after the shiur (class) to continue a discussion on themes or texts that came up during the class time. This hour is more discussion based than the shiur and is a chance to learn in a more interactive way with a small group of interested learners.
Chevruta - Paired Learning:
Many learners choose to pair with another attendee to learn in chevruta (paired-study) from 8:00-9:00pm each week. Chevruta is a traditional Jewish learning style used to delve deeper into a text. If you already learn with a chevruta, we would love to host you in our lively Beit Midrash. If you do not already have a chevruta, but are interested in learning with a partner, we are happy to help make a match based on your interest and level.
In chevruta, people study a variety of Jewish texts, including Bible/Tanakh, Mishna, Talmud, prayer, Midrash, and philosophy. If you are interested in learning with a partner, please email info@dcbeitmidrash.org or fill out the Chevruta Matching Form and we will help find a match.
Materials:
DC Beit Midrash has a growing library of books to fit the needs of the community. Texts range from a variety of Torah commentaries and Talmud tractates to books on the high holidays and Jewish prayer. Texts are available in English and Hebrew. If there's a book you are looking for, we're glad to help track it down. Feel free to bring your own if you have any favorite books to share!
