Catherine Emanuel told the  Winnipeg Jewish Review that since she was a teenager she has been "passionate about Jewish education."

 'Back to Basics: A Reintroduction to Everyday Jewish Living' is a 5 week program facilitated by Catherine Emanuel  on Wednesday evenings at Temple Shalom
running from January 12 - February 9.

Catherine Emanuel told the  Winnipeg Jewish Review that since she was a teenager she has been "passionate about Jewish education."
As she said, " I had my first opportunity to be involved and actively participate at Temple Israel in Ottawa, as well as NFTY, the Reform youth group.  After a brief thought of becoming a Rabbi,  I opted  [instead to be a ] Jewish educator when Rabbi Garten told me about the Jewish Education program at York University."

 Between 1999 and 2004,  Emanuel studied at Carleton, York, and Hebrew Universities, and completed  her  B.A. in religious studies and a B.Ed in early years education with a specialty in Jewish education.

" I was a participant in the Western Canada Jewish Teacher's Initiative and shifted my life to Winnipeg -both my parents are from here and I still have family here- for a year, to Calgary the next year, and then back to Winnipeg.  I really enjoyed those two years, teaching at the Gray Academy and Calgary Jewish Academy. But I loved Winnipeg and felt the need to return to be with family and friends.  Because there were no job opportunities in Jewish education I had to move into public school education, substitute teach all over the city in English, French, and Hebrew classes.  It's funny to think that a trilingual teacher still does not have a permanent teaching position," Emanuel said.

When I was offered a position at the Temple Shalom Religious School I was overjoyed to be back in Jewish Education.  Although the school is quite small, I know it will continue to grow.  The Temple Shalom community is friendly and quite active.  My husband Marty and I have attended Temple Shalom for Shabbat services and High Holy Days for three years now and we always are inspired by Rabbi Karen [ Soria].  In one of her sermon's this year she challenged the congregants to further their Jewish knowledge.  Temple Shalom has many members who have converted to Judaism or have returned to practice after a long period of time away.  It was my inspiration to develop the Back to Basics program.," she added.

" If those interested in furthering their Jewish knowledge are required to research and learn on their own, they are less likely to do it, but if we create a safe space where we can all learn or be reintroduced to some of Judaism's basic concepts, we can all feel better about the choices we make as modern day Jews.  With a small child of my own I feel it's important to continue the search for knowledge and pass it down to the generations to come," Emanuel noted.
Temple shalom describes the course facilitated by Emanuel as follows:

As modern day people trying to practice Judaism in a way that is personally meaningful, it's important to know the roots and reasons for our traditions, new and old. This series of interactive workshops presents the traditional foundations for Jewish practice in order to bring it into the modern day and make it relevant in our lives.
 
*Use of Jewish Ritual Objects - Why do some people wear a kippah? When do I wear a tallit? Why do some people have a mezuzah on every door and some people only at the front door? These questions and more answered.
 
*Judaism in the Home:
 
Pt 1 - From lighting the candles on Friday night to lighting the Havdallah candle on Saturday night, this workshop will focus on the simple ways to bring your family together on Shabbat and create a comfortable, restful space.
 
Pt 2 - Chanukiah, Ketubah, Mizrach, Blessing for the House - beautify your home with Jewish objects of art and learning.
 
Pt 3 - The Choreography of the Shabbat Service - Stand, sit, bend, bow, rise up - learn how the body can get involved from head to toe.
 
Pt 4 - High Holiday traditions - From Elul to Sukkot, did you know it's more than just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
 
Bonus: Session 6 with master baker Sherman Lang
 
Bake Your Own Challah... Wednesday, February 16th
 
[$5.00 fee for ingredients will be collected]
REGISTER BY FRI Jan 7
EMAIL [email protected]
PHONE: 453-1625 (leave message)
 
 
Other adult courses:
 
Reading Hebrew: the Crash Course 
Monday evenings, 7:15 - 8:30 p.m.
Beginning January 10th
For info or to register: contact [email protected]
 
Watercolour for the Absolute Beginner
Sunday afternoons, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Beginning January 9th
For info or to register: contact [email protected]
 
 
Taiji-Chigong 
with physiotherapist Rebecca Atkinson
Saturday afternoons, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
beginning January 8th
For info or to register: contact [email protected]