BEIT 5787 | 2026 - 2027
The Jewish Conversation for Our Time
BEIT (Beth El Is Torah) Adult Classes with Rabbi Ron Shulman
Jews and Judaism flourish through learning. BEIT is our synagogue’s home for adult Jewish learning. By studying our sacred texts, asking our questions, and engaging in thoughtful conversation across generations, we explore what Judaism teaches and means for us as 21st-century Jews.
BEIT meets two Thursday evenings each month from October through March. Each gathering features two complementary sessions, plus dinner and nosh. Attend either or both sessions.
Come for dinner at our BEIT Café, which opens at 6:15 PM. Eat before and during the first BEIT session, which begins at 6:30. Enjoy coffee and dessert starting at 7:15 and throughout the second BEIT session, which begins at 7:30.
א Believing Jews Today | 6:30 PM
What are the timeless ideas that continue to shape Jewish life?
Join Rabbi Shulman and synagogue friends to explore this question through the study of Torah, rabbinic literature, and the writings of Jewish thinkers across the centuries. We seek to understand how Judaism's beliefs and concepts inspire, challenge, and guide us today.
October 22 & 29: Conceiving of One God - Ethics & Essence
…and along the way: Why Prayer Matters?
November 5 & 19: Receiving Torah - Revelation & Interpretation
…and along the way: Why Mitzvah Matters?
December 3 & 17: The Jewish People - Covenant & Purpose
…and along the way: Why Social Ethics Matter?
ב Being Jews Today | 7:30 PM
What are the dynamics of Jewish life in 2026?
Join Rabbi Shulman and synagogue friends for honest conversation about questions shaping Jewish life today. Together we'll explore how Jewish wisdom can help us meet this moment with clarity, courage, and hope.
October 22 & 29: The Dynamics of Antisemitism and Jewish Identity in 2026
Rising antisemitism has changed the experience of being Jewish for many of us. How do we respond without allowing antisemitism to define Jewish identity? What does it mean to cultivate Jewish confidence rather than Jewish defensiveness?
November 5 & 19: The Dynamics of Zionism in 2026
What does it mean to be a Zionist and a Diaspora Jew today? We will explore Israel's place in contemporary Jewish identity, the evolving relationship between American and Israeli Jews, and the very different religious and cultural assumptions that shape our two communities.
December 3 & 17: The Dynamics of Difference in 2026
Political and social polarization increasingly shape our relationships, institutions, and communities. How can a synagogue sustain genuine community among people who disagree about consequential issues? What Jewish values and practices might help us listen, argue, and remain connected?
These are not abstract questions. They touch our lives, our families, our community, and our deepest values. Grounded in Jewish history and tradition, we'll wrestle with complexity together, listen generously, and seek meaning for living as Jews today.
Everyone is welcome to participate in these sessions, where learning, reflection, and community become pathways to deeper meaning, connection, and Jewish purpose.
Registration
To register for our first semester dates, click below:
Second semester dates:
January 14 & 28, 2027; February 4*, 11 & 18, 2027; March 4 & 18, 2027
*Featuring Guest Lecturer Adam Ferziger, a leading scholar of Jewish culture in the U.S. and Israel
BEIT
PRESENTS
Join us at our quarterly community gatherings featuring guest speakers and special events
An Evening with Amit Segal
After the Elections: Israel, America, and the Political Landscape Ahead
Thursday, November 12 | 7:30 PM
Join us for a timely and thought-provoking conversation with Amit Segal, one of Israel’s most influential journalists and political analysts. Amit will share his perspective on the most urgent forces shaping Israeli politics and society, and what they mean for Israel and the Jewish world today.
Amit is an Israeli journalist and television personality. He serves as chief political analyst for Israel’s leading news outlet, Channel 12 News, and the country’s most-read newspaper, Israel Hayom. Amit also anchors Israel’s highly-watched “Meet the Press” show on Channel 12, and is a Contributor to the Call Me Back podcast.
Amit began his journalistic career at the age of 17 as an education reporter for KOL HA’IR (“City Voice”), a local newspaper in Jerusalem. In 2000, he became a reporter for IDF Radio (Galatz), covering Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. In 2006, he moved to a corresponding position at Channel 12 News (then Channel 2) as a reporter from the Knesset. From 2009–2010 he served as Channel 12 News’ foreign correspondent in London.
Amit is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and holds a master’s degree from University College London (UCL) in public policy.
Amit has received many awards and recognition throughout his career. These include being recognized as one of the ten best television journalists in Israel (2007), one of the 30 most successful people in Israel under the age of 30 (2008), the most prominent religious media personality in Israel (2009), the best parliamentary reporter (2012), the Ometz (courage) award (2012), the DIGIT award for digital journalism in Israel (2015), the leading journalist on Twitter in Israel (2016) and the most influential journalist in Israel (2019)—a description befitting Amit to this day.
In 2021, Amit self-published his first book, The Story of Israeli Politics. The book was translated into Arabic and Russian and is now available in English under the title A Call at 4 AM: Thirteen Prime Ministers and the Crucial Decisions that Shaped Israeli Politics.
Save the Date
Inside Israel: Understanding the Politics, People, and Debates Shaping the Country, with Yonit Levi
Thursday, February 25
Join us for an evening with Yonit Levi, one of Israel’s most prominent journalists and the longtime anchor of Channel 12’s primetime news.
At a consequential moment for Israel, Levi will take us inside the political & social issues facing the country today. Drawing on more than two decades at the center of Israeli journalism, she will explore the debates unfolding within Israeli society, the ways the country has changed since October 7, and the questions Israelis are confronting as they look toward the future.
For the past 23 years, Levi has anchored Israel's top primetime news program on Channel 12, Israel's most popular television station. After starting as the program's co-anchor in 2003, she made Israeli television history in 2007 when she was named its sole news anchor – the first woman in Israel to hold this position.
Throughout her career she has conducted interviews with a who's who of world leaders, including President Joe Biden, President Barack Obama (who called her a "groundbreaking anchor"), President Emmanuel Macron, President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Secretary Antony Blinken, Secretary Mike Pompeo, Secretary Hillary Clinton, Ambassador Nikki Haley, as well as international icons such as Bill Gates, Lin-Manuel Miranda and comedians Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien.
In 2021 Levi also started a weekly podcast – UNHOLY: Two Jews on the News, with Jonathan Freedland of the Guardian. The podcast discusses world affairs from a Jewish angle, and since its inception, listeners from over 120 countries have tuned in (interviewees include Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, and Rachel Maddow, to name a few). In November 2025 she published her first novel, which she co-wrote with Bianna Golodryga of CNN, titled Don't Feed the Lion. The book tells the story of a Jewish family in Chicago facing antisemitism, and is a New York Times and Amazon bestseller.
Registration coming soon!
Melton Course with Dr. Joellyn Zollman
We the People: the American Jewish Experience
Tuesday Evenings | 7:00 PM
- January 12, 19, 26
- February 2, 9, 16, 23
- March 2, 9, 16
To register, please call the Congregation Beth El office:
(858) 452-1734
Upon registration, you will receive instructions on securing your spot and paying the course fee through Melton's Website. We have purchased course materials for you to use in class. If you would like your own, please order one when you register through Melton.
What does it mean for the Jewish people to be part of the grand, novel experiment that is the United States?
Join Professor Joellyn Zollman & Rabbi Shulman on a 10-week journey of Jewish learning. Released to coincide with America’s semiquincentennial celebration, We the People offers a timely, multi-layered look at the state of the union between a nation and its people. This dynamic, ten-lesson course balances history with deep dives into popular culture, antisemitism, food, and Israel.
By treating everyday art, food, and entertainment as windows into cultural heritage, the course dives into everything from historic consumer boycotts and modern immigrant kitchens to the creative giants who constructed the Marvel Comics universe.
We the People invites you to reflect on the deep roots of the past so that you can better evaluate current trends and confidently imagine where the American Jewish community might go next.
