Whether you choose a six-week or full year course, all classes at Rachael’s Centre offer dynamic and relevant, text-based learning from a uniquely inclusive perspective.
By popular demand we will continue to explore some of our Jewish habits and customs. Jewish Law was established so long ago– do these laws still speak to us today?
Learn something new about the Jewish holidays from our Holiday Resources Centre
Rachael’s Centre is dedicated to building inclusive, ethically driven communities of learning. Through our courses, lectures, and online content, we strive to offer an experience of Jewish texts and wisdom, that exposes their benefit to the modern world. There are many ways to connect and grow with Rachael’s Centre; we look forward to connecting with you.
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Rachael’s Centre builds inclusive, ethically driven communities of learning where everyone is welcome.
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Dr. Rachael Turkienicz has championed inclusive and accessible Jewish education for more than 40 years, paving the way for a woman’s right to fully engage with all facets of Jewish study. Founder and Director of Rachael’s Centre for Torah, Mussar & Ethics, she continues to devote herself to building pluralistic, ethically driven communities of learning in Toronto and globally.
This week’s Torah reading, Vayetzei, begins with Jacob leaving his home, his family, the land of Israel, and ‘venturing outward’, which is what ‘vayetzei’ means. Jacob is leaving all his comfort zones behind, and dreams of a ladder anchored where he is and reaching upward to God. Angels are moving up the ladder from the
In this week’s Torah reading, parshat Lech Lecha, we meet our first generation of ancestors: Abraham and Sarah. We always think of them as the beginnings of Judaism, the ones who followed God into a relationship that changes them, changes their descendants, and changes the world. What we don’t often emphasize is that the journey
This week’s Torah reading, parshat Noah, tells us the story of Noah’s Ark – a story we’re all familiar with. We know the grandeur of the problem: all of creation has corrupted and turned evil. We know the grandeur of the solution: God destroys everything with a flood. But within the narrative lies a subtle
This is Shabbat Bereishit, the Shabbat when we start reading the Torah from Genesis, the Shabbat of beginning. We finished the book of Deuteronomy as we learned of Moses’ death. The Torah describes Moses’ last instant of life as an exhale. Moses and God, two best friends, are alone in this human moment as Moses
This Shabbat falls towards the end of the holiday of Sukkot, the time God judges the world for rain that will fall. When the Temple stood, there was a ceremony connected with water called Simchat Beit haShoeiva’, the ‘Joy of the Water-drawing Libations’. The descriptions of this ceremony are astounding. There was ongoing music, dancing,
This week’s Torah portion, Ha’azinu, is the song Moses composes and delivers to Israel. He worries about Israel’s welfare, and the nation’s struggle with God. Moses repeatedly warns Israel never to underestimate their inclination to deny God, nor God’s response. At the same time, we are at the threshold of the holiday of Sukkot, the
