PDE 611 Rabbinic Practicum A
In this course, we will study the cycles of people's lives and the Jewish rituals that mark them. Our approach tothis learning will be Deweyian in nature. That is to say, we will approach every lifecycle first by learning thestories of real people experiencing these significant moments, seeking to understand who they are, what mattersto them, what their life experiences have been, and what they are searching for.Our work this semester will be learning how to meet people where they are and how to bring them to Jewishritual. In order to do that, we will learn not only about the people experiencing life's moments, but also aboutthe Jewish rituals and the constellation of opportunities for ritual innovation, toward which we might lead them.This course will allow students the opportunity to hone very practical skills for officiating at Jewish lifecyclemoments, as well as give them space to consider their own beliefs, assumptions, and imaginations around thesemoments of significance.