B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton is hosting a 10-week adult course on Zionism for the first time, with sessions held Sunday mornings beginning Oct. 25. The course is part of the Florence Melton adult Jewish education program and is taught by three rabbis from the synagogue.
The class traces how Jewish people, exiled from their homeland for about 2,000 years, kept the dream of return alive. It follows how that goal took on religious, cultural, national and political meaning, leading to the founding of the State of Israel in 1948.
The later sessions look at what Zionism means today, its relationship with Jews living outside Israel, and the challenges it faces, including sharp criticism of Zionism and Israel since Oct. 7, 2023. Each class pairs teaching with open discussion and time for questions and differing views.
Classes are in person only and will not be recorded, so attendance is the only way to take part. The synagogue, which describes itself as the largest conservative congregation in the Southeastern United States with more than 1,300 member families, lists details at btcboca.org.
