Course Description: This course will examine the story of Jews who hid their real religion from the Inquisition. Together we will explore the ramifications of their decision to lead a double life. We will also study the long-term cultural impact of crypto-Jewish behavior.

Facilitator: Harry Ezratty graduated from NYU and Brooklyn Law School. He is the author of three books and many articles on Jewish history of the New World and the United States. He has lectured in a variety of academic venues across a wide geographic region, and ran six Jewish Heritage Cruises through the Caribbean. Harry currently teaches at CCBC.

Tuesdays, March 5, 12, 19 and 26
10:30 a.m. to noon, $48/$60

Course Description: There have been a total of 17 Chief Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. Most were relatively unimportant, either because their service was short or because their cases have not had lasting legal significance. There are a few exceptions: John Marshall, William Howard Taft, Charles Evans Hughes and Earl Warren. This 4-week course will tell us about the men themselves, and why their impact on the law, and our society, continues until today.

Facilitator: Jim O’Hara is a retired professor at Loyola University of Maryland. He has previously taught SPICE courses entitled “The Supreme Court,” “First Ladies of the United States of America” and “New Perspectives on the Jewish Justices.” Jim is a former Catholic priest, an author and a long-time friend of Har Sinai Congregation.

All Films are Academy Award winning Foreign Language Films (facilitated by members of SPICE)
Wednesdays, 3/6, 4/3, 5/1, 6/5 10:00 a.m.

Mustang: In this Oscar film set in a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison; instruction in homemaking replaces school, and marriages start being arranged. Sharing a passion for freedom, the sisters find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them. Drama; Rated PG-13; Running time 97 minutes; Released in 2015; Turkish with English subtitles

La Strada: This Fellini film tells the sad story of a naïve young woman bought from her mother by a brutish strongman, who takes her with him on the road. Drama; Not rated; Running time 108 minutes; Released in 1954; Italian with English subtitles

Departures: An unemployed cellist takes on a new career performing the ceremonial “encoffination” of corpses prior to cremation. A story of love, discovery, revelation and the transcendent human spirit, “Departures” will linger in your heart and mind long after viewing. Comedy, Adventure and Drama; Rated PG-13; Running Time 130 minutes; Released in 2008; Japanese with English Subtitles

In A Better World: A doctor travels frequently between Denmark and a refugee camp in Africa. He and his wife are experiencing marital strife, and their son is bullied. When a new boy moves to town, it provides solace for father and son, until the story takes a turn for the worse. Thriller/Drama; Rated R; Running Time 119 minutes; Released in 2010; Danish with English Subtitles

Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18, and 25
10:30 a.m. to noon
$48 for members $60 for non-members

Course Description: In celebration of the 200th birthday of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, the founder of the American Reform Jewish movement, we will return to our Reform Jewish roots, reassess our history, and reconnect to some core values. Over 4 sessions we will explore our history, explore our understanding of Mitzvot (commandments) and ethics, and trace the prevalent themes of justice and spirituality which have shaped our Reform Jewish past and present, and will surely influence our future beliefs and practices.

Facilitator: Rabbi Linda Joseph is the Rabbi of Har Sinai Congregation in Owings Mills MD. Ordained in 1994, this is her 25th year as a rabbi. In 1995 she received her Masters in Jewish Education. She loves God, Jewish traditions, creativity and texts. She enjoys prayer, community and connection. Her hobbies include storytelling, making art, listening to music, writing and cooking. She is passionate about teaching.

Tuesday, April 9
7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
$85 for Members/Non-Members

SPICE will be heading north to visit Ellis Island and Liberty Island World Heritage Sites. This will be a fun-filled and full day. The bus hold 50 individuals so get your reservations in ASAP as they will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Thursdays, May 9, 16, 23 and 30
10:30 a.m. to noon
$48/$60

Course Description: Watch four Broadway Supermusicals as they are brought to life in front of you. Learn how the stories of Fiddler, Chicago, Les Miserables and Phantom came to fruition! Be edutained! Feel like you are on Broadway while in this class! Learn about the composers, authors, choreographers and more!

Facilitator: Ellen Katz is a former children’s vocal music teacher. Her audience now consists of adults up and down the East Coast. She provides extremely lively and interactive programs. Her love of music is contagious.

Thursdays, June 6, 13, 20 and 27
10:30 a.m. to noon
$48 for members/$60 for non-members

Course Description: The Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh last October was the most tragic antisemitic incident in American Jewish history. This course will put this incident into its proper social, cultural and historical context. In each of the 4 sessions, we'll explore a different chapter of the American Jewish experience. We will evaluate events in the light of historical precedent, and ask how the past helps to illuminate our current situation in 2019.

Facilitator
Valerie Thaler is the Temple Administrator at Har Sinai Congregation. She earned a Ph.D. in American Jewish history from Yale University, and an MA in Jewish Studies and Jewish Communal Service/Education from Brandeis. Prior to coming to Har Sinai, she taught Jewish history courses at Baltimore Hebrew University, Towson University and Beth Tfiloh High School. Dr. Thaler is also the recipient of a Wexner Graduate Fellowship in Jewish Education.

Image credit: European Parliament Working Group on Antisemitism, https://ep-wgas.eu/2018/05/09/anti-semitism-still-alive/