Queer Talmud for Beginner’s Mind

Tuesdays, October 29th through December 17th
7-9pm ET | 6-8pm CT | 4-6pm PT

Taught by Julie Batz

Our queer rabbinic ancestors knew the power of words, but just like in our times, they had to build that consciousness. They had to revolutionize and radicalize an inherited system highly focused on transactional relationships, which often fell short of understanding the whole human. Come learn a sugya about the resilience of truth-telling, a text holding timeless wisdom and resistance strategies for us today.

In this beginner’s bet midrash (learning space), we’ll encounter a piece of Mishna (the first part of the Talmud) and discover how to learn in chevruta (accountable paired learning) while building the skills to read rabbinic text in the original Hebrew. Whether this is your first time…your first time in a long time…or your first time learning in the SVARA method, we’re excited to learn with you!

Who is this space for?
New SVARA-niks and new Talmud learners who know the alef-bet (you may have just learned it!)

We know that virtual learning comes with a holy host of nuances and it can be hard to know exactly what to expect of an online experience. For that reason, we’ve gathered a list of the nitty-gritty details that will help you envision the fullest picture of each of our offerings!

We’ll meet once a week on Tuesdays from 7–9pm ET, excluding 11/5 (Election Day)
There are seven sessions and regular attendance is expected
We’ll be learning the sugya Ona’at Devarim from Bava Metzia
Chevruta & shiur are combined into each weekly session (Not sure what this means yet? That’s okay!)
No “homework” required between sessions
Includes breakout spaces
All registered learners will receive a package from SVARA that includes the hard copies of our learning materials.
Two dictionaries are required: Frank & Jastrow
Live captioning is available in the main Zoom space. If you would benefit from live captioning in breakout rooms, you can request it in our enrollment form!