The Wisdom of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
A Unique Opportunity to Study with Your 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-Grade Child
Join us for a 11-week parent-child seminar on the weekly parsha, inspired by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' renowned Covenant & Conversation Series.
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."
Applications for The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) are now open.
Apply here.
Course Description
Launched in partnership with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, join us for this exciting 11-week parent-child seminar on the weekly parsha, 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 parsha. The weekly online sessions will be facilitated by a scholar in the thought of Rabbi Sacks, who will guide learners through a chapter of Koren’s newly published Covenant & Conversation Family Edition.
The Covenant & Conversation Family Edition, published by Koren, 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.
This 11-week course will span the entire Book of Vayikra (Leviticus).
No previous knowledge of the Hebrew Bible or Hebrew language skills are necessary.
Course Details
Dates
Book of Genesis: October 15 – December 31, 2023 Course Completed
Book of Exodus: January 7 – March 10, 2024 Course In Progress
Book of Vayikra (Leviticus): March 17 – May 26, 2024 Applications Open
(11-week course)
Timing
There are three time options on Sundays for the live Zoom sessions. Please select your preferred option in the application.
Option 1: 10:00–11:15 AM ET (9AM CT / 7AM PT)
Option 2: 12:00–1:15 PM ET (11AM CT / 9AM PT)
Option 3: 6:00–7:15 PM ET (5PM CT / 3PM PT)
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 COSTS
$250 per pair for the full, 11-week course.
(Families will need to purchase their own copy of Covenant & Conversation Family Edition).
Applications for The Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) are now open.
Apply here.
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.
Parent Testimonials
I feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunity to participate in Tikva's intergenerational Covenant & Conversation class with my daughter. It forces us to carve out a little bit of time to focus on learning together and helps facilitate a deeper understanding of the upcoming weeks Torah portion. We look forward to this class all week!
- Stacey (Paramus, New Jersey)
I am grateful to Tikvah and the Rabbi Sacks Foundation for creating the Covenant and Conversation course for parents and children, to Rabbi Daniel Rose for creating engaging and memorable lessons every week, and to the cohort of international parents and children who have enhanced our learning tenfold.
- Rachel (Boca Raton, Florida)
It’s been such a pleasure learning the weekly Torah portion every Sunday morning with my son and other kids and parents from around the world. Now, more than ever, we look towards the teachings of Rabbi Sacks to help us navigate our present and future. We appreciate how he draws on both Jewish and secular sources and wisdom to shape his clear and insightful commentary on our most important texts.
- Naftali (New York, New York)
“My daughter and I love studying together, it is our time to be alone and discuss what matters to us. The course is wonderful, interesting, and very inspiring in these challenging times. We love to interact with other parents and children and feel so connected, plus, we discuss what we learned at our Shabbat table and my daughter’s classroom. The course went beyond and above our expectations!”
- Monique (Milan, Italy)
Program Dean
RABBI DR. DANIEL ROSE, Dean and Faculty
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.
Faculty
MIRIAM ZAMI, Faculty
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.
RICK SCHINDELHEIM, Faculty
Rick Schindelheim has taught Jewish History, Tanakh, and Talmud at the Fuchs Mizrachi School in Cleveland since 2013. He currently serves as the chair of the Talmud Department and is the Upper School Judaic Studies Coordinator. His informal educational experience includes over a decade of work at Camp Stone in a variety of capacities. After studying in Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh in Israel for three years, Rick earned his B.A. in psychology from Yeshiva College and studied at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (REITS). He is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and earned his Masters and Education Specialist degrees at John Carroll University in Cleveland.
SHIRA SCHIOWITZ, Faculty
Shira Schiowitz is a Tanach teacher at SAR High School where she also serves as co-director of professional development. She has taught Tanach at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School where she also chaired the Tanach department. She served as Assistant Dean of Lamdeinu in Teaneck’s first year, working on Lamdeinu’s opening. Shira is rebbetzin of the Shaare Tefillah community where she and her husband have served for the past 16 years. She received her Masters in Bible at Yeshiva University’s Bernard Revel Graduate School.
RABBI JOSHUA SPODEK, Faculty
Rabbi Joshua Spodek, M.S. Ed., is a dynamic educator and leader with a wealth of experience in Jewish education. Rabbi Spodek has a deep passion for learning and teaching Torah, in particular the Torah of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and is deeply committed to both Am Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael.
His professional journey includes numerous teaching and administrative roles at Jewish day schools across North America, including Head of School at YULA Girls High School in Los Angeles and most recently serving as the Director of Judaic Studies at Donna Klein Jewish Academy in Boca Raton.
Rabbi Spodek holds a Master's in School Supervision and Administration from Loyola University of Chicago and various certifications, including Jewish Day School Principal Certification and Rabbinic Ordination, which he received while studying at Yeshivat Shaalvim in Israel for six years.
Rabbi Spodek is married to Tova and together they have four children and a goldendoodle.
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QUESTIONS
Please contact Irina Rakhlis at irakhlis@tikvahfund.org with any questions about 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
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