Sorry to Jump around in time, but I will put all in correct order soon.
January 19, 2009:
Our First day of classes, first at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies on General Pierre Koenig and Rivka, a delightful 20 minute walk down Emik Refa’im street. Rabbi Reuven Grodner teaches both classes, first is Custom and Law, which uses the Talmud to explore the nature of customs and how they can even supercede the Law. Second course is on Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, one the greatest rabbinic leaders of the 20th Century. We read his very difficult essays. He was a child genius in Lithuania, then sent to U. of Berlin where he got a Ph.D. in Philosophy and came to the US in the early 30’s. As teacher at Yeshiva University's Rabbinical school for 40 years he influenced 2 generations of rabbis, reformed Modern Orthodoxy, and wrote many books among them, “The Lonely Man of Faith.”

After class we went grocery shopping next door to Pardes and is it fun to shop when you can’t read the labels. We bought so much we had it delivered which was an experience telling the delivery guys our address in English when they only knew Hebrew. Since I mispronounced the name they couldn’t find us but luckily they had my cell phone number. After two ineffective attempts to say the street name again, luckily a neighbor was just coming home and I ran over and asked him to say the street name, which he did and that worked finally. Nothing is easy!

At 8pm we went to the Hartman Institute, a short 10 minute walk, for a 6 lecture course by Rabbi Hartman who founded this Institute for Jewish Studies for Rabbis, Lay Leaders, teachers along with a school for kids thru high school. Incredibly this semester the course is on 3 of the 5 greatest Jewish influential persons of the 20th Century and would you believe one is Rabbi Soloveitichik along with Rabbis Mordecai Kaplan and Berkovits. The genealogy in Rabbis is most interesting as Rabbi Hartman was also a prodigy, studied under Rabbi Soloveitichik, was told by him to get a Ph.D. in philosophy since he was free spirit which of course he did. After 30 years Hartman left the Synagogue and Professor of Philosophy life in Montreal and came to Israel for a new role of Jewish learning and renewal. He is getting old but still gives an interesting lecture half on the subject and half on his ideas.

Jan. 20 Tuesday:
Our first day of Classes at Project ODED Continuing Education of the Fuchsberg Jerusalem Center for Conservative Judaism. First course is Jewish Writing Between the Bible and the Mishnah with Rabbi Gail Diamond, a wonderful teacher whom I had last year. We are reading The Wisdom of Solomon written from about the 1st to the 3rd century in Alexandria or 500 years after the cannon was closed. Alexandria had a 25% Jewish population at that time and was a great center of learning in the Greek and Jewish world. Second course is The Torah portion of the week with Rabbi Romm.

After class we crossed the street to the Wolfson Building which houses the Sir Isaac and Lady Wolfson Jewish Museum with many ritual pieces from all over the world, many Torahs desecrated by the Nazis, the office and library of the First Chief Rabbi of the state of Israel, and other art pieces. Only 10 Shekels each.

At 8pm we each went to a different class with Roberta starting chorus practice at the Reform Seminary with their religious choir. After a short tryout, Roberta was invited to join. The choir director speaks mostly in Hebrew but Roberta understands most and especially the Italian directions. In fact, the next week she was invited to join a select group to sing which starts 30 minutes earlier.

Stan went to hear Avivah Zornberg give her weekly lecture on the Torah portion of that week. She has written many books and gives an amazing penetrating analysis of the events then and how it applies to life today. She has a Ph.D. in Literature from Cambridge University and has more than equivalent knowledge of a Rabbi. She brings in ancient sages, current literary and psychiatric sources to expand the knowledge base. It is a wonder to listen to her but exhausting too.

Jan. 21 Wednesday: Classes at ODED again. First class The Drama and Poetry of the Tanach (Bible) with Rabbi Sid Slivko a young interesting guy. We study the poetry sections of the Bible. Second class is Pagan Culture in Ancient Israel with Dr. Stephan Rosenberg a historian/archaeologist who in his second career has written several books on ancient Israel. We actually studied in the first class all the references to the city Shechem that is mentioned from Jacob to Joshua to much later. It was in a valley between the mountains running north to south and was one of only two passes from the East to the Mediterranean. He tried to interpret all that was said in the Bible to the history and geography of the region that was so important to all the people that lived in this area. Joshua and the people of the Exodus came here after crossing the Jordan and made Shechem the capitol until David made Jerusalem, the other mountain pass from the east westward(!) the new capitol of all Israel.

After class we walked to the Old City and went top the Wohl Museum of Archeology which shows the uncovered remains of 6 houses destroyed by the Romans in 70CE as the Second temple was being razed. Only the first floor and basement level were not ruined but buried for construction of the next home. After 1900 years after the 1967 War and reunification of the Old City new construction started and soon found the remains buried under 20 feet and many layers. These 6 homes were of the Priestly class since they were large and had many mikvas for ritual baths required before entering the Temple, some even 3 or 4 per home. Burn marks are still visible on some floors and walls. We then went the Kottel ( western hall of the Second temple-actually a retaining wall constructed by Herod) where Stan prayed in the Men’s Section and Roberta stewed. We then excited the Old City and its walls from the Dung Gate and walked to where King David is alleged to be buried by only some Orthodox as well as Christians and Moslim's. Orthodox Jews pray there 24/7. Archaeologists believe a King of Israel from a much later period could be buried there. On the next floor above is the site of the Last Supper, a Seder of Jesus and his followers. It is a combination of Crusader church/meeting hall plus Muslim prayer hall all mixed together. We saw a large group of Nigeria in native cloths leaving as we entered and we exchanged Shalom greetings with them.