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.
This year we are going to study Zoroastrianism, and will begin on September 30, earlier than Simchat Torah since the holiday is very late. We will continue until approximately Rosh Hashanah 2025 (5786).
Being non-structured and without a leader is an important aspect of this group. Consistent attendance enables us to develop a cohesion that facilitates our discussions, so members make this group a priority in their lives. We welcome new members, and if interested you will be welcome to attend a few times to decide whether you want to make that commitment this year. Participants must be members of Coastside Jewish Community. We start each year by figuring out how we will approach our current subject.
We will meet on Monday mornings. 10:00-11:00am is for catching up on each other’s lives, i.e. schmoozing. From 11:00 to noon we study. We meet at each other’s homes on the Coastside.
If interested and you wish to learn more or discuss joining, contact Vaughn Harrison or Laura Alster-Martin.
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
2023/2024: Genesis