Classes with Rabbi Ben-Gideon
What Makes Shabbat... Shabbat?
Weekly after Kiddush, Starting September 6, 2025
Join Rabbi Ben-Gideon weekly, towards the end of Kiddush, for a short and engaging learning session. Bring a question, bring a friend, or just come as you are
The idea of Shabbat first appears in Bereishit 2:1–2, but the Torah gives us only glimpses of how it was observed in ancient times. It wasn’t until the rabbis of the Mishna and Talmud—living in the early centuries of the Common Era—that Shabbat took on the rich, layered meaning it holds today.
Each week, we’ll explore how these rabbis shaped Shabbat through discussion, interpretation, and imagination. We’ll look closely at how they understood key concepts like shavat (ceasing from work) and kadesh (sanctifying time), and how these ideas interact with the category of melacha (creative labor). Through stories, teachings, and debates, the rabbis weren’t just making rules—they were building what Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously called “a palace in time.”
In this ongoing, welcoming conversation, we’ll ask:
– How did the rabbis transform a day of rest into a spiritual practice?
– What can their ideas teach us about time, work, holiness, and purpose today?
– How might our own Shabbat observance be deepened by understanding theirs?
No experience or background is required—only curiosity..
This is Real. You Are Completely Unprepared.
A Three-Session Journey Toward a More Meaningful High Holiday Experience
Wednesdays, September 3, 10, & 17
7:30 PM – 8:45 PM
Have the High Holidays ever felt more like a ritual obligation than a spiritual awakening? Do you find yourself wondering what Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are really about?
Join Rabbi Ben-Gideon this September for a transformative, three-part journey into the heart of the Yamim Nora’im—the Days of Awe—through the lens of Rabbi Alan Lew’s modern spiritual classic, This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared.
Together, we’ll explore how ancient wisdom, personal reflection, and contemporary insight can open new pathways to connection, renewal, and meaning during the High Holidays.
As comedian Marc Maron once said:
"If you want people to connect with God, you have to teach them how."
This class is your chance to learn how.
Whether you’ve never connected with the liturgy or are looking to deepen an existing practice, this class will help you enter the High Holidays more prepared—spiritually, emotionally, and intentionally.
No prior reading required. Come as you are. Leave with insight.
