Shabbat Unbound is an experiment. What happens if we treat Friday-night not just as a chance to roll through a catalogue of prayers, but if instead we take each Shabbat as a chance to really dive deep into one prayer in particular? Over the course of 12 months, we seek to answer that question. Instead of reciting fifteen prayers in one sitting, we'll explore one prayer deeply — through song, textual exploration, group conversation and more.

Wednesdays- 3 Weeks - 7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT
January 14 · 21 · 28

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“In the beginning, God created…” — We’ve heard these words, but what do they really mean for our lives today? How can an ancient creation-story open up fresh spiritual possibilities in a world of change and complexity?

In this three-part mini-course, we’ll journey into the opening verses of the Torah through the lens of Hasidic and neo-Hasidic wisdom. Each session delves into a powerful 18th-century Hasidic interpretation of the words “In the beginning” to uncover themes of Divine Presence, human empowerment, and spiritual joy. Then we’ll bring the tradition into the present, exploring how neo-Hasidic voices re-imagine these insights for a contemporary progressive Judaism.

Whether you’re drawn to mystical depth, modern relevance, or the intersection of both — this course invites you to begin again, ask bold questions, and re-imagine creation as a sacred space for spiritual awakening and communal possibility.

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This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

3-4:30 pm ET / 12 noon-1:30 pm PT
January 14 · 21 · 28

In this three session mini series we will explore the topic of Judaica production as a lens through which to explore Jewish aesthetic, ethics, and adornment practices. We will take an explicitly queer approach to our studies, pulling from queer theory, queer fashion, and zine culture as source texts. Using the pedagogy of chavrutah (traditional Jewish text study), creative practice, and our own embodiment we will travel from Tim Tum to Rambam, Muñoz to Maimonides, Tiktok to Talmud and back again. Our time together is intended for people of all Hebrew language knowledge levels, from no literacy to fluency. Misfits of all genders and sexual orientations are welcome. Our course will center around:

Kedusha (holiness)- one of Judaism’s complex, mystical, and central tenets, specifically k’li kadosh (holy objects). Kedusha touches Jewish holy objects, holy times, holy places, and how we view our covenant with The Divine. When creating objects for ritual use, we bless using the phrase “l’shem kedushat” (for the sake of holiness). What makes something kadosh (sacred)? How do we queer the halacha (laws) of Kedusha?

Hiddur Mitzvah (the commandment to beautify our practices)- the reason we make kiddush (bless wine) in a chalice not a solo cup, and why we don’t bless our challah covered by any old shmatah (rag) is Hiddur Mitzvah! As queers, why and when do we choose to beautify? And what does Jewish tradition have to teach us about the political and spiritual implications of beautification?

Ethical Ritual Production under capitalism?! - What’s Feminist Marxism got to do with it? What is at stake when we buy, sell, or produce Jewish ritual objects? What is at the intersection of Judaism and queer animism? From dipping candles in your backyard to the mass production shofarot (ritual ram horn) industry, do the Jewish laws of production have anything to teach us about ethical consumption under capitalism?
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This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT
January 13 · 20 · 27
A three-week online course, registration is still open throughout. If you have missed a previous class you can catch up by watching the recording, available to all registered students.

Mondays- 3 Weeks - 8-9:30 pm ET / 5-6:30 pm PT
January 12 · 19 · 26

Let’s be honest: talking about Jewish circumcision (brit milah) can feel fraught. It's been a bedrock of Jewish identity for millenia and for many Jews, circumcision represents a profound, emotional connection to the tradition. But many of us also wrestle with the idea of circumcision from a place of deep ethical reflection, informed by conversations about bodily autonomy, progressive values, and what "covenant" means today. This three-session course is a brave, non-judgmental space to hold all of it. we'll explore foundational texts about circumcision in Tanakh and Talmud, historical and modern concerns with and alternatives to circumcision, and Jewish values that can inform the decision to circumcise or not to circumcise. Bring all your questions, confusions, and criticisms -- we’re using traditional sources and radical commentary to unpack it all.
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This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Shabbat Unbound is an experiment. What happens if we treat Friday-night not just as a chance to roll through a catalogue of prayers, but if instead we take each Shabbat as a chance to really dive deep into one prayer in particular? Over the course of 12 months, we will seek to answer that question. Instead of reciting fifteen prayers in one sitting, we'll explore one prayer deeply — through song, textual exploration, group conversation and more. And through those 12 months, we’ll make our way through the second edition of the world’s longest-ever (and hopefully, most-rewarding-ever) Friday night service.

Shabbat Unbound is an experiment. What happens if we treat Friday-night not just as a chance to roll through a catalogue of prayers, but if instead we take each Shabbat as a chance to really dive deep into one prayer in particular? Over the course of 12 months, we will seek to answer that question. Instead of reciting fifteen prayers in one sitting, we'll explore one prayer deeply — through song, textual exploration, group conversation and more. And through those 12 months, we’ll make our way through the second edition of the world’s longest-ever (and hopefully, most-rewarding-ever) Friday night service.

Shabbat Unbound is an experiment. What happens if we treat Friday-night not just as a chance to roll through a catalogue of prayers, but if instead we take each Shabbat as a chance to really dive deep into one prayer in particular? Over the course of 12 months, we will seek to answer that question. Instead of reciting fifteen prayers in one sitting, we'll explore one prayer deeply — through song, textual exploration, group conversation and more. And through those 12 months, we’ll make our way through the second edition of the world’s longest-ever (and hopefully, most-rewarding-ever) Friday night service

Thursdays - 3 Weeks
2:00-3:30 pm ET/11 am-12:30 pm PT

September 4 · 11 · 18

Join Rena Yehuda Newman for an exploration into Jewish images and comix creation. In Jewish learning, we’re often familiar with text study – but what about text-and-image study? The themes of Elul are visually rich, striking, and introspective ahead of the High Holidays. Comix, spelled with an “x”, are part of a tradition of “co-mixing” text and image: a powerful and underrated tool in the spiritual toolbox for engaging with ritual and liturgy.

In this class, students will create their own comics using Elul-themed prompts, study and illustrate Elul related texts like Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) and high holiday liturgy, and learn how to apply the classical Pardes exegesis method to each others’ work, understanding the comix we make as meaningful midrash. Using techniques inspired by Lynda Barry, no drawing experience is necessary for this drawing-heavy Elul course.
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This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Wednesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 ET / 5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 3 · 10 · 17

Some say that the Jewish liturgy—the base of our prayer tradition—was composed in prehistoric times by the “Men of the Great Assembly,” and has survived, unchanged, since then. History tells a different story: one of constant evolution, contested meaning, and experimentation, from ancient times to just yesterday.

Join us for a hands-on experience of making and unmaking the text of Jewish prayer: what do we say when we pray, and when we say it, what do we mean? Explore the hidden motivations behind the nusach, or wording, or the prayerbook, and develop a new understanding—informed by a contemporary liberatory political approach—of how to read it, understand it, and live it.

This class will use literary, theological, and philosophical methods to unpack and analyze prayers, then offer a three-step method to deal with them in our own time. Drawing from the antizionist siddur Tatir Tz’rurah, class participants will be empowered to pray on a more personal level, and craft the Jewish prayerbook into the personal guide they need to confront the struggles of the moment.

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This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Tuesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 pm ET/5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 2 · 9 · 16

Don't miss this once-a-year opportunity to explore and prepare for the coming high holy days and a new year. Although most people know about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, many people are not familiar or have practiced with the spirituality and treasures of creating an Elul spiritual practice. Each of us is on a unique journey as an embodied soul.

This three-session class is an opportunity to explore, develop, try out or renew an Elul practice especially designed for you - your own personal Elul tool kit. Together we will explore the spirituality of Elul and dive into a bunch of different practices both traditional and renewed ones - that can help you use this special time to open your heart and refresh your soul as you prepare for the new year and the biggest holiday/holy day season in the Jewish calendar.
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Mondays - 3 Weeks
7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT

September 1 · 8 · 15

In these times of rising fascism, Jewish people and organizations are trying to find the moral compasses that will lead us through. The prophetic voices of Tanakh, the strength of committed Jews, the storytelling power of midrash are all currently being used to hold our hope. But what of blatant political statements traditional to Judaism?

The Mussar movement is a Jewish ethical and educational movement filled with a variety of practices meant to focus moral conduct within spiritual paths. Many of these early Mussar leaders living at the heights of the Industrial Revolution's dehumanizing power spoke about worker's rights, mutual aid, and community power in ways that still resonate today. Learn more by registering for this participatory, 3-part mini-course!
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Thursdays - 3 Weeks
2:00-3:30 pm ET/11 am-12:30 pm PT

September 4 · 11 · 18

Join Rena Yehuda Newman for an exploration into Jewish images and comix creation. In Jewish learning, we’re often familiar with text study – but what about text-and-image study? The themes of Elul are visually rich, striking, and introspective ahead of the High Holidays. Comix, spelled with an “x”, are part of a tradition of “co-mixing” text and image: a powerful and underrated tool in the spiritual toolbox for engaging with ritual and liturgy.

In this class, students will create their own comics using Elul-themed prompts, study and illustrate Elul related texts like Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) and high holiday liturgy, and learn how to apply the classical Pardes exegesis method to each others’ work, understanding the comix we make as meaningful midrash. Using techniques inspired by Lynda Barry, no drawing experience is necessary for this drawing-heavy Elul course.
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Wednesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 ET / 5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 3 · 10 · 17

Some say that the Jewish liturgy—the base of our prayer tradition—was composed in prehistoric times by the “Men of the Great Assembly,” and has survived, unchanged, since then. History tells a different story: one of constant evolution, contested meaning, and experimentation, from ancient times to just yesterday.

Join us for a hands-on experience of making and unmaking the text of Jewish prayer: what do we say when we pray, and when we say it, what do we mean? Explore the hidden motivations behind the nusach, or wording, or the prayerbook, and develop a new understanding—informed by a contemporary liberatory political approach—of how to read it, understand it, and live it.

This class will use literary, theological, and philosophical methods to unpack and analyze prayers, then offer a three-step method to deal with them in our own time. Drawing from the antizionist siddur Tatir Tz’rurah, class participants will be empowered to pray on a more personal level, and craft the Jewish prayerbook into the personal guide they need to confront the struggles of the moment.

—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Tuesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 pm ET/5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 2 · 9 · 16

Don't miss this once-a-year opportunity to explore and prepare for the coming high holy days and a new year. Although most people know about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, many people are not familiar or have practiced with the spirituality and treasures of creating an Elul spiritual practice. Each of us is on a unique journey as an embodied soul.

This three-session class is an opportunity to explore, develop, try out or renew an Elul practice especially designed for you - your own personal Elul tool kit. Together we will explore the spirituality of Elul and dive into a bunch of different practices both traditional and renewed ones - that can help you use this special time to open your heart and refresh your soul as you prepare for the new year and the biggest holiday/holy day season in the Jewish calendar.
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Mondays - 3 Weeks
7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT

September 1 · 8 · 15

In these times of rising fascism, Jewish people and organizations are trying to find the moral compasses that will lead us through. The prophetic voices of Tanakh, the strength of committed Jews, the storytelling power of midrash are all currently being used to hold our hope. But what of blatant political statements traditional to Judaism?

The Mussar movement is a Jewish ethical and educational movement filled with a variety of practices meant to focus moral conduct within spiritual paths. Many of these early Mussar leaders living at the heights of the Industrial Revolution's dehumanizing power spoke about worker's rights, mutual aid, and community power in ways that still resonate today. Learn more by registering for this participatory, 3-part mini-course!
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Thursdays - 3 Weeks
2:00-3:30 pm ET/11 am-12:30 pm PT

September 4 · 11 · 18

Join Rena Yehuda Newman for an exploration into Jewish images and comix creation. In Jewish learning, we’re often familiar with text study – but what about text-and-image study? The themes of Elul are visually rich, striking, and introspective ahead of the High Holidays. Comix, spelled with an “x”, are part of a tradition of “co-mixing” text and image: a powerful and underrated tool in the spiritual toolbox for engaging with ritual and liturgy.

In this class, students will create their own comics using Elul-themed prompts, study and illustrate Elul related texts like Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) and high holiday liturgy, and learn how to apply the classical Pardes exegesis method to each others’ work, understanding the comix we make as meaningful midrash. Using techniques inspired by Lynda Barry, no drawing experience is necessary for this drawing-heavy Elul course.
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Wednesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 ET / 5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 3 · 10 · 17

Some say that the Jewish liturgy—the base of our prayer tradition—was composed in prehistoric times by the “Men of the Great Assembly,” and has survived, unchanged, since then. History tells a different story: one of constant evolution, contested meaning, and experimentation, from ancient times to just yesterday.

Join us for a hands-on experience of making and unmaking the text of Jewish prayer: what do we say when we pray, and when we say it, what do we mean? Explore the hidden motivations behind the nusach, or wording, or the prayerbook, and develop a new understanding—informed by a contemporary liberatory political approach—of how to read it, understand it, and live it.

This class will use literary, theological, and philosophical methods to unpack and analyze prayers, then offer a three-step method to deal with them in our own time. Drawing from the antizionist siddur Tatir Tz’rurah, class participants will be empowered to pray on a more personal level, and craft the Jewish prayerbook into the personal guide they need to confront the struggles of the moment.

—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Tuesdays - 3 Weeks
8 - 9:30 pm ET/5 - 6:30 pm PT

September 2 · 9 · 16

Don't miss this once-a-year opportunity to explore and prepare for the coming high holy days and a new year. Although most people know about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, many people are not familiar or have practiced with the spirituality and treasures of creating an Elul spiritual practice. Each of us is on a unique journey as an embodied soul.

This three-session class is an opportunity to explore, develop, try out or renew an Elul practice especially designed for you - your own personal Elul tool kit. Together we will explore the spirituality of Elul and dive into a bunch of different practices both traditional and renewed ones - that can help you use this special time to open your heart and refresh your soul as you prepare for the new year and the biggest holiday/holy day season in the Jewish calendar.
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.

Mondays - 3 Weeks
7-8:30 pm ET / 4-5:30 pm PT

September 1 · 8 · 15

In these times of rising fascism, Jewish people and organizations are trying to find the moral compasses that will lead us through. The prophetic voices of Tanakh, the strength of committed Jews, the storytelling power of midrash are all currently being used to hold our hope. But what of blatant political statements traditional to Judaism?

The Mussar movement is a Jewish ethical and educational movement filled with a variety of practices meant to focus moral conduct within spiritual paths. Many of these early Mussar leaders living at the heights of the Industrial Revolution's dehumanizing power spoke about worker's rights, mutual aid, and community power in ways that still resonate today. Learn more by registering for this participatory, 3-part mini-course!
—

This class will be recorded and available to enrolled students to watch later.