Rabbi Sacks believed that the primary institution of education in the life of a Jewish child is the family. He wrote that "participating in meaningful conversation about Torah with our children and the next generation is a major part of what it is to be a Jew. There is nothing more beautiful or life affirming than learning Torah with your children. Give them the space not only to be your students, but also to be your teachers, and they will grow tall. That’s how we can truly secure the Jewish future."

Launched in partnership with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, join us for this exciting 12-week parent-child seminar on the weekly parsha in Genesis, inspired by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks's renowned Covenant & Conversation Series. Parents and their middle-school children will explore the major themes, defining figures, and enduring questions in the book of Genesis. The weekly online sessions will be facilitated by a Rabbi Sacks scholar, who will guide learners through a chapter of the newly published Covenant & Conversation Family Edition.

The Covenant & Conversation Family Edition is a resource for parents, families, and educators to enhance intergenerational conversations surrounding the weekly parasha. Each chapter features two Covenant & Conversation essays written by Rabbi Sacks, adapted for families to learn and discuss together, and feature various educational resources including parsha summaries, engaging stories, quotes from other writings of Rabbi Sacks, and reflection questions for discussion.

Dates

This 12-week course begins on Sunday, October 15 and concludes on Sunday, December 17.  

Timing

We will offer two time options on Sundays for the live Zoom sessions:

10:00–11:15 AM or 6:00–7:15 PM ET

Structure

Each session will include an introductory lesson by the teacher, parent-child conversation and study, and a concluding group discussion.

Study Pairs or Ḥavruta

This course is designed for parents and their middle-school aged children, learning together. We anticipate most pairs will consist of a parent and child, but grandparents are also welcome! 

Class Size

We will cap each section at 12 pairs.

Course Cost

$250 per pair for the full, 12-week course.
Families will need to purchase their own copy of Covenant & Conversation Family Edition.

This series is part of Tikvah’s Kress Project on the Hebrew Bible.
We are grateful to Camille and Sandy Kress (Austin, Texas) for their generous support.

Rabbi Dr. Daniel Rose is a British-born Jewish educator with experience working globally for educational institutions as an educator, content and curriculum developer, and educational consultant. In 2017 he began working closely with the Office of Rabbi Sacks to bring the thought of Rabbi Sacks to a wider audience by developing educational resources such as the Ten Paths to God curriculum and the Family Edition of the weekly Covenant & Conversation. This work continues now with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy. Daniel gained his Ph.D. in education from Hebrew University, and lives with his wife and five children in Modi’in, Israel.

Miriam Zami is a Ph.D. student at Yeshiva University studying Talmud and Ancient Jewish History. She is a member of Sefaria’s three-year Word-by-Word writing fellowship, which provides support for scholars to produce an original book of Jewish textual analysis. Miriam was awarded the inaugural Emerging Scholar Fellowship by Ma'ayan, and her 2022 essay received runner-up for the Hadar Ateret Zvi Prize for Hiddushei Torah. Miriam teaches widely across Jewish educational venues, including the Tikvah Scholars Program. She is also an editor at The Lehrhaus, an online publication of Jewish thought. In her doctoral research, Miriam is studying the role of humor and laughter in rabbinic literature through comparative and literary lenses.

We anticipate strong demand for our limited slots, and will be filling seats on a first-come basis.
The deadline to apply is Monday, October 9, 2023.

Click on this link to begin an application. You will be asked to provide contact information for you and your study partner, select your preferred time, and answer a few, short questions about your interest in this course.

Tikvah is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation.
Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. EIN # 13-3676152
165 East 56th Street, 4th Floor · New York, NY · 10022
tikvahfund.org