The Jewish people have been telling stories that date back 4,000 years. Stories that inform us of our identities and our values; stories that help us understand the world around us and make sense of our existence and mission in the world; stories that ultimately shaped and continue to shape who we are as Jews individually and as a People collectively. The problem? The last time most of us have explored these stories was in high school and, if we're lucky, we remember a few important names and dates. Yet, our history has SO much more to offer us which is why I am so excited to be sharing this series "Unpacking Our Past," in which I will be offering various courses. In this course of Unpacking Our Past, we will learn all about the Second Temple period. Over the course of 4 sessions, we will explore the Jewish experience under Persian, Greek and Roman rule in the Land of Israel. This time period in our history is, in my humble opinion, probably the most important to learn. And that's because so many monumental events and changes happened during this time: our return to Zion following Babylonian exile, the rebuilding of the Second Temple, the story of Chanukah, the development of the Oral Torah, the birth of Hellenism and Christianity–and last but certainly not least–our foundational collective trauma, the Horban (destruction of Jerusalem and her temple by the Roman Empire) and our subsequent exile from our land for the next 2,000 years. The course includes 4 pre-recorded sessions (the first 3 sessions are about 40-50 minutes long, the 4th session is 1hr 20min long). As the sessions are pre-recorded, you can go at your own pace. I am also available for any and all questions :)