SJCS Adult Education
Since its earliest days, SJCS has had an adult education program, meaning that while the children gather in their classrooms, the adults also gather to learn. This adds a layer of connectedness. Parents do not simply drop their children off at the door and pick them up a few hours later. They spend their Sunday mornings as part of the community, getting to know each other as they learn together, which deepens connections in multiple directions. Some who come to adult ed do not even have children in the school!
Over the years, the topics covered in adult ed have been varied, depending on who chairs the committee. We have had outside speakers come to talk to us, and we have drawn from the expertise and insights of our own community members—scholars, doctors, artists, therapists, writers, activists.
- Jewish literature
- History and politics around Israel/Palestine
- Jewish-themed films
- Family recipes and the stories around them (which led to the creation of a cookbook)
- Moses as reluctant leader
- The Jewish resistance movement during WWII
- The war in Ukraine (led by two Ukrainian members)
- Jewish genetics
- Reproductive rights from a Jewish perspective
- An ice cream tasting (one of our members owns an ice cream shop in Chicago!)
- Interfaith parenting
- Where you grew up and how it has affected your identity
A few examples of adult ed topics from past years:
Often, we spend some portion of adult ed sessions in small groups so that our discussions can become more personal, and so that those who are not comfortable speaking up in a large group still have a voice in the conversation. There is always more to learn and more to learn about each other.