SUMMER ZMAN 2022 OFFERINGS

There are lots of ways to learn at your fave queer yeshiva. Below you’ll find information about our upcoming Summer Zman (“season”). The courses below are multi-week sessions where you can learn Talmud at all levels (including absolute beginners)! Looking for something a little different? Learn about the year-round drop-in spaces we’re cooking up! 

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Summer Zman Offerings

SVARA’s 2022 Summer Zman runs from June 14 through July 21.

If this is your first time learning Talmud with SVARA, please plan to attend New SVARA-nik Orientation on Thursday, June 9th at 8:00–10:00 PM ET | 7:00–9:00 PM CT | 5:00–7:00 PM PT.

Click the title of any course for a complete description.

Talmud 

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About Enrollment, Accessibility, and Tuition

Enrollment

SVARA’s enrollment follows a multi-step process:

  • First, you will fill out a registration form selecting your course preferences. We’ll ask you to share about your learning experience (all experiences are welcome! We’re not evaluating you, just learning how best to support your learning!).
  • Next, you will be notified if you are accepted or waitlisted for your program selection. This is based on availability.
  • Upon acceptance, you will be asked to fill out a second form to pay tuition.

Through this enrollment process, we maintain a significant majority of queer- and trans-identifying people in each program, and we prioritize the participation of people of color and people with disabilities. Questions? Email James!

Accessibility Information
Tuition
  • All multi-week courses below are “pay-what-you-can,” with a suggested sliding scale of $125-$650 for each course, and a sliding scale of $250-$1300 for our two-day/week Talmud course (Hafka’at Kiddushin with Laynie). When registering, you can indicate how much tuition you would like to contribute. This amount can be below or above the suggested scale.
  • Click here for more information about tuition.

Questions? Email James!

 

Course Descriptions:

 

Queer Talmud for Beginner’s Mind: Chacham Adif MiNavi

Tuesdays, Jun. 14-Jul. 19 |  8:00-10:00 PM ET | 7:00-9:00 PM CT | 5:00-7:00 PM PT | 6 sessions | SECTION FULL

Taught by Laynie Soloman

Join SVARA for some Queer Talmud goodness, specifically designed for folks who 1.) are new(er) to SVARA’s approach to Talmud study and 2.) want to learn in a queer-normative space!  The learning is rigorous, *and* the classroom environment is warm and supportive. Students are strongly encouraged to bring their real-life experiences and share openly in a space that models queer culture and radical inclusion. In both sections, we’ll study a section of the Talmud in the *original language* (with no translations!) with a focus on skill-building (learning how to learn) the radical nature of the Jewish tradition, and the cultivation of Talmud study as a spiritual practice. Each weekly session will combine chevruta learning (learning in pairs) and unpacking the text in shiur (full group discussion).

All you need to participate is the ability to sound out your alef-bet, and you’ll be reading from the daf (directly from the page of Talmud) in no time! If you’re still working on your alef-bet, check out these resources to support your learning, and join us at Mishnah Collective! If you’ve never learned with SVARA before and are new to traditionally radical Talmud study, this learning experience is for you!

The text we will be learning is Chacham Adif MiNavi: After the destruction of the Temple, the Rabbis created a new form of Judaism that was both continuous with the past and radically reimagined. What is the role of ‘prophecy’ in the Rabbi’s Option 3 world? Watch the Rabbis glitter up our conception of divine inspiration, creating new ways of revealing sacred wisdom and inviting us to do the same.

Bet Midrash (all levels)

In the Bet Midrash, you’ll learn core texts that show how the Rabbis upgrade the tradition they’ve been given so that we can do the same! Together we’ll explore the tensions that arise when the Rabbis pursue radical change. This learning space is for anyone, from beginners to advanced Talmudists. It will provide learners with the scaffolding and tools to be challenged at their own learning level in a rigorous and supportive environment. Each weekly session will combine chevruta learning (learning in pairs) and collective unpacking of the text in shiur (full group discussion). | ENROLL NOW

Bet Midrash: Hafka'at Kiddushin with Elaina | Tuesdays, Jun. 14-Jul. 19 | 8:00-10:00 PM ET | 6 sessions

Taught by Elaina Marshalek | ENROLL NOW

What are the limits of consent in a world of coercion? In this sugya, the Rabbis explore notions of individual autonomy and rabbinic authority through case studies of selling personal property and marriage. In this shiur, we’ll look at how the Rabbis use (and create!) various interpretive tools to grapple with unjust transactions, and explore the implications of their approach for us today. This is a juicy mix of Hebrew and Aramaic–perfect for anyone who is eager to deepen their Aramaic and add new frameworks to their lexicon of radical rabbinic “moves.”

Content note: This text contains some explicitly misogynist themes about women being coerced into marriage in the time of the Rabbis.

Bet Midrash: Eima Kra/Svara with Bronwen | Wednesdays, Jun. 15-Jul. 20 | 6:00-8:00 PM ET | 6 sessions

Taught by Rabbi Bronwen Mullin | ENROLL NOW

Dig into a sugya that—on the surface—deals with questions of wealth (re)distribution, justice, and giving tzedakah (just giving). We’ll structurally explore the nature of rabbinic logic and interpretation, and address core concepts related to kra-proofs and svara throughout our shiur.

Bet Midrash: Eima Kra/Svara with Becky | Wednesdays, Jun. 15-Jul. 20 | 2:00-4:00 PM ET | 6 sessions

Taught by Rabbi Becky Silverstein | ENROLL NOW

Dig into a sugya that—on the surface—deals with questions of wealth (re)distribution, justice, and giving tzedakah (just giving). We’ll structurally explore the nature of rabbinic logic and interpretation, and address core concepts related to kra-proofs and svara throughout our shiur.

Bet Midrash: Hafka'at Kiddushin with Laynie (2x/week) | Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jun. 14-Jul. 21 | 11:30 AM-1:30 PM ET | 12 sessions

Taught by Laynie Soloman | ENROLL NOW

What are the limits of consent in a world of coercion? In this sugya, the Rabbis explore notions of individual autonomy and rabbinic authority through case studies of selling personal property and marriage. In this shiur, we’ll look at how the Rabbis use (and create!) various interpretive tools to grapple with unjust transactions, and explore the implications of their approach for us today. This is a juicy mix of Hebrew and Aramaic—perfect for anyone who is eager to deepen their Aramaic and add new frameworks to their lexicon of radical rabbinic “moves.”

Content note: This text contains some explicitly misogynist themes about women being coerced into marriage in the time of the Rabbis.

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