Today is January 8, 2026 ()
Today is January 8, 2026 ()
At B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation we believe that Jewish learning is a lifetime project. Throughout the year Adult Education presents a range of programming, including classes, lectures and movies. We also offer weekly Torah Study and an ongoing discussion of Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Weisbrot. Committee volunteers are always welcome.
Join our study group at 10 am Saturdays for a continuation of our 20-year tradition of sacred text study. We closely examine the weekly Parashat with the first Shabbat of the month devoted to the Prophets and the Writings. On Saturdays where there is a Shabbat Service at B’nai Sholom, we meet at 9:30 am.
All are welcome to participate and learn, reading sections aloud (if you desire) and discussing the context of the history of the Bible, including the sociology, archaeology, and politics of the land. No prior registration or experience is necessary! Sessions generally last 90 minutes with the Prophets and Writings often taking 2 hours.
These sessions are open to all on a drop-in, occasional, or regular basis. BYOB – Bring your own Bible (Having a variety of translations/interpretations increase the scope of our discussions.) Contact the office to receive the ZOOM link.
Author Talk with Holocaust Survivor Peter Balint
Thursday, January 8 at 2 p.m.
In-person at B’nai Sholom
Followed by dessert
Please join us for a talk with Peter Balint, author of the memoir, The Shoe in the Danube, the Immigrant Experience of a Holocaust Survivor.
A remarkable story of resilience and self-discovery. Born during an air raid in Budapest in 1944, Balint’s life was shaped by war, loss, and displacement. His father was killed on a bridge over the Danube during a death march from Mauthausen concentration camp. After fleeing communist Hungary, Balint’s family returned to Germany and eventually immigrated to Albany when he was just 13.
Drawing from his memoir, The Shoe in the Danube: The immigrant experience of a holocaust survivor, Peter shares his journey of understanding his origins and navigating the cultural divide between his German upbringing and his American academic and professional life. This heartfelt conversation honors the strength of refugees, survivors, and those who dare to begin again.
All are welcome! Non-members are requested to pre-register via website link here.
Jews and the American Revolution
Author Talk with Professor Adam Jortner (via Zoom)
Wednesday, February 4 at 7 p.m
In a very special program recognizing America’s 250th birthday we will be Zoom hosting Professor Adam Jortner, author of A Promised Land: Jewish Patriots and the American Revolution and the Birth of Religious Freedom (Oxford Univ. Press, 2024). The book is a lively and comprehensive account of the intersecting histories of Jews and the American founding. It details as to how Jewish Patriots not only fought in every major engagement but played a key role in making the right to worship freely a reality.
Adam Jortner holds an endowed chair at Auburn University where he is a professor of history. He specializes in the history of religion in the early nation, having written several books on the subject as well as a lecture series on Audible entitled Faith and the Founding Fathers. He is a frequent contributor to NPR’s Backstory.
420 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12208
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Tuesday through Friday 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Closed Mondays
