Teaching about Judaism to an OLLI Class

Prior to leaving for Hawaii, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach 40 OLLI course members who came to the synagogue for a two hour learning session about Judaism.  I showed them highlights of our building including the megillat Lincoln in the front foyer and presented a powerpoint presentation that I had created called the ABC's of Judaism.  The group was attentive, asked questions, and actually didn't want to leave when the class was supposed to be over. 

The participants were especially interested in our understanding of death and the customs and traditions surrounding burial and yahrzheits; the role of women in Judaism; and our relationship to the Land of Israel.  A highlight of their visit was explaining about the Torah scrolls in our possession and how they were created.

It is good to see so many individuals wanting to learn more about Judaism especially as we keep hearing about a rise in anti-Semitic actions all across the nation.  Hopefully these 40 individuals will have left our premises feeling as if they had gained a better understanding of Judaism's core values.