Lehrhaus Judaica > Courses > The Biblical Garden, Then and Now
The Biblical Garden, Then and Now
This course is no longer offered.
Discover the origins of the Garden of Eden, explore its meaning in rabbinic literature, and begin planning your own biblical garden. This course guides you through the process. We'll start by searching for the beginnings of the divine garden in biblical and Near Eastern texts and pictures, including virtual visits to ancient Egyptian gardens and Israel's Neot Kedumim nature reserve. We'll travel through rabbinic texts that enhance our understanding of the deeper meanings of the garden in Jewish tradition. We'll close with Rabbi Freeman's guided tour of the garden at Congregation B'nai Shalom, and his own insights as a devoted biblical gardener.
Schedule
# Sessions
2
Date & time
Sundays, January 29 - February 5
10:00 - 11:30 am
Location
Tuition
$40
for the public
$30 for members
$30 for members
| Session | Time | Days | Location | Instructors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 29 | 10:00 AM–11:30 AM | Sun | B'nai Shalom | Jehon Grist |
| Feb 05 | 10:00 AM–11:30 AM | Sun | B'nai Shalom | Rabbi Gordon Freeman |
Location
Instructors
Rabbi Gordon Freeman
Gordon Freeman, Rabbi Emeritus at Congregation B'nai Shalom in Walnut Creek, completed his rabbinic studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1966 and his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley in 1975. He has written and published extensively on the Jewish Political Tradition. He has been a Hebrew calligrapher for over forty years and has taught calligraphy throughout the Bay Area.
Jehon Grist
Jehon Grist, Ph.D., is Executive Director of Lehrhaus Judaica. He earned his doctorate in Near Eastern Studies from UC Berkeley, where he was a Regents' Fellow. He has conducted field research in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the Valley of the Queens in southern Egypt.