At Emanu-El, we are an active community of lifelong Jewish learners — in the endless pursuit of spiritual growth and exploration. As Jews, we are compelled to question and debate. These conversations energize us as we gain new perspectives and challenge our own long-held beliefs. Our shared desire for knowledge and for community enriches us as individuals and bonds us as a congregation. Emanu-El thrives when we are learning together. We hope you will find time on your calendar and in your mind to join us on a thought-provoking and powerful Jewish journey.

To inquire about adult education, please contact Ariana Estoque, Director of Member Experience, at (415) 750-7552 or [email protected].

Scroll down to view our current Adult Education offerings:

Introduction to Judaism
When: Tuesday Evenings, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Where: In person classes will be at St. John’s Church (25 Lake Street); some classes will be on zoom. 
Cost per trimester: Emanu-El Member $72; Non-Member: $118

Fall 2023: Oct. 24, 31; Nov. 7, 14, 28; Dec. 1* 5, 12

Winter 2024: Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30; Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27

Spring 2024: April 2, 9, 16; May 3*, 7, 14, 21, 28
Join Emanu-El clergy to learn about the breadth and wonder of Jewish tradition. This class is a pathway for the adult learner who wishes to discover or deepen Jewish knowledge, non-Jews who are marrying a Jewish partner, and those who are considering conversion to Judaism. Participants register for each trimester separately.
*Shabbat Service and Dinner experience (location TBD)

REGISTRATION COMING SOON FOR FALL 2023

Click here to view the 2022-2023 syllabus.

Shabbat Morning Torah Hevra with Emanu-El Scholar Rabbi Lawrence Kushner

This year Rabbi Kushner will be using Arthur Green’s Speaking Torah: Spiritual teachings from around the Maggid’s Table (Genesis-Leviticus). 

Zoom meetings, Saturday mornings, 10:00 am – 11:00am

First session: Saturday morning, September 24, 2022

No class, April 1 & 8 for Passover break

Classes will continue thru May 2023

To register, please contact [email protected] to have your name & email address added to the Zoom invitation list.

Weekly Torah Study with Emanu-El Clergy
When: Every Saturday, 9:15 – 10:00 am
Where: Via Zoom

Each week, a member of our clergy leads a group in Torah Study followed by Mourner’s Kaddish and Healing Prayer.

To find this Saturday’s Torah Study, click here.

Adult Education Committee Mission Statement:

The Adult Education Committee is dedicated to foster Jewish knowledge on the highest educational level. The goal is to deepen the engagement with Jewish texts, Jewish spirituality, Jewish history and tradition, Jewish culture, and Jewish philosophy as we consider how Judaism brings meaning to our world. While choosing speakers, programs and events, the committee will always strive for excellence, inspiration, and diversity.

We commit ourselves to cooperate with other committees of our synagogue like the Tzedek Cooperative or the Israel Action Committee and/or work with other organizations to help to build programs that contain Jewish themes in a broader sense. The goal is to enhance the joy and responsibility that come with the exploration, experience and learning of Jewishness and Judaism in every possible way. Thus, we accept and embrace Emanu-El’s role as one of the leading Jewish learning institutions in the Bay Area.