Bob Dylan revolutionized popular music by bringing the great questions that have driven religious and spiritual quests for millennia to the radio. The riddle at the heart of his 1965 song Like a Rolling Stone—“How does it feel / to be on your own / no direction home?”—affirmed the search for spiritual meaning that defined rock and roll for all who followed him. While Dylan’s challenge to a generation of seekers is universal, it also resonates strongly with the continuing Jewish journey between home and exile in America. Dylan’s restlessness models how, even as Jews have felt more at home in America than perhaps any other country or kingdom in the past two thousand years outside of the Land of Israel, they have also wrestled with their individual and collective Jewish purpose in ways that intertwine with and influence not just rock and roll, but the American spirit as a whole. Dylan’s career-long search for a “direction home” is one of the essential creative journeys of his era. It is deeply Jewish, deeply American, and still deeply unresolved.

In this course, we explore the philosophical underpinnings of Shabbat, the various themes and messages that make it so meaningful, and its place in the modern world using ancient sources against 19th and 20th century thinkers, extending their frameworks into the 21st century. REGISTRATION REQUIRED below. If you do not see a registration below, the class is closed.

Food is a powerful force at the center of ritual, community and ethics. This class will explore all of these aspects of food by studying passages on food found across the six Orders of the Talmud. How can the act of eating become a practice of gratitude? Who should receive food as charity, and how much? What rights do field-workers have? Jumping into the lively debate of Talmud will pave the way for rich discussion to affirm, challenge and transform our own approaches to food. REGISTRATION REQUIRED below. If you do not see a registration below, the class is closed.

Led by Cantor Abby Gostein and Rabbi Ellie Steinman A special group for Temple Beth Shalom members to connect. New to the group? Contact our office.

For more information about First Friday, you can visit https://www.bethshalomaustin.org/worship/shabbat/first-fridays. Join us for First Friday services at https://www.bethshalomaustin.org/livestream

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the dream that is Temple Beth Shalom. Surprise performances, music and comedy, and a kid-friendly showcase. Noshes delivered to your home if you register by 11/23 so that we can have a taste of the shared touch and experience we look forward to having when we're all together again!