Limmud: High School

TZEDEK (Justice) CLASS

9th-12th Grades

We are excited to announce our Limmud Tzedek Class, for 9th through 12 graders.  Under the leadership of Pam Sommers, this year’s program expands upon our inaugural program of last year.  We hope that you will join us this year for the first or second time.

Program Overview

Students will explore racial, reproductive, gender and environmental/food justice through the joint prisms of Jewish and Black history, culture, and spirituality. We’ll have many guest presenters. Torah study and all manner of creative and research projects will be part of the mix. And we’ll leave plenty of time for schmoozing, connecting and snacking! Participants can earn SSL hours.

UNIT ONE: Reparations and Apologies

What does justice mean? Today? In the Torah? In other cultures? We start with a foundation of definitions, historical examples and personal stories.

UNIT TWO: Racial Justice

We examine the civil rights movement in this country, reviewing the past, focusing on the present, and finding connections between them.

UNIT THREE: Reproductive Justice

One of the most contentious issues facing Americans is that of reproductive rights. We will look at what Jewish texts have to say about the subject, visit with an OBGYN who performs both first term abortions and circumcisions, and much more.

UNIT FOUR: Gender Justice

We examine how the fight for gender equity has affected many realms–health, sports, education, religious life.

UNIT FIVE: Environmental/Food Justice

Environmental justice focuses on the unfair exposure of low income and marginalized communities to harmful land and water conditions. Food justice seeks to tackle food deserts and food insecurity. We look at these issues by focusing on several local communities addressing these issues.

Tzedek will culminate with a trip to the American South that will provide a hands-on, immersive experience on Justice through a black and Jewish prism. 

Time and Place:

The class meets twice a month, on Monday evenings, at Adat Shalom from 7:15pm- 9:15pm. There will be occasions that we’ll meet at different times and places for special projects. 

If your family has questions or concerns about the tuition, please contact Rena Milchberg, Executive Director at rena.milchberg@adatshalom.net.  We don’t want the cost to be a barrier to participation.