Since 2005, Coastside Jewish Community’s Holy Books Study Group has alternated annually between studying Jewish scriptures and holy books of other religions. Our intent is to read each text completely, and discuss those aspects we find most interesting, touching, frustrating, or puzzling. This objective has occasionally been a bit challenging as some religions don’t have an official central text, and later Jewish writings are diverse and vast. In these instances, we have read books that are said to be representative, or more approachable.
We begin each year around Simchat Torah, and end before the following Rosh Hashanah. Being non-structured and without a leader is an important aspect of this group. At the beginning of each year, we figure out an approach that works with the current reading. Consistent attendance enables us to develop a cohesion that facilitates our discussions, so members generally make this group a priority in their lives. Participants must be members of Coastside Jewish Community.
We meet on Tuesdays from about 10am (we always start with schmoozing!) to 12pm. We meet at each other’s homes on the Coastside.
Next year we will read the Torah (Five Books of Moses) again, with a focus that is new to our group. We will study the Torah through the lens of women’s commentaries. If interested and you wish to learn more or discuss joining, contact Vaughn Harrison or Laura Alster-Martin. Our first meeting is on Tuesday, October 10, at which time we will begin with Parashat Bereshit.
We are all teachers; we are all students. We choose not to have a leader.
The texts we have studied are:
2005/2006: The Torah
2006/2007: The Koran (Islamic)
2007/2008: Began the Prophets (Nevi’im)
2008/2009: Began the New Testament (Christian)
2009/2010: Completed The Prophets (Nevi’im)
2010/2011: Completed the New Testament (Christian)
2011/2012: Writings (Ketuvim)
2012/2013: The Bhagavad Gita (Hindu)
2013/2014: Pirke Avot (from the Mishna, often referred to as “Ethics of the Fathers”)
2014/2015: The Dhammapada (Buddhist)
2015/2016: Legends of the Jews, by Louis Ginzberg, a collection of stories from Midrash
2016/2017: Gnostic Gospels
2017/2018: The Torah (seemed time to revisit our foundation)
2018/2019: The Book of Mormon
2019/2020: Haftarah – selected passages of the Prophets which correspond to weekly Shabbat Torah portions
2020/2021: Daoism, the Dao De Jing by Lao Tzu
2021/2022: The Apocrypha
2022/2023: American Indian Myths and Legends, selected and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz