ADULT LEARNING

Etz Hayim Synagogue Adult Continuing Education Program

Hot Topics & Cool Contemporary Stuff

2026-2027 (5787)

 Programs are held in person on the Second Thursday of the month

at 7:00 PM at Etz Hayim Synagogue, 1 ½ Hood Road, Derry, NH 03038

Etz Hayim Synagogue’s successful Hot Topics, Cool Contemporary Stuff continuing adult education series offers presentations on topics that are designed to provide fun and interesting learning opportunities, foster cross-cultural understanding, and provide access to information that will help to create an enlightened citizenry.   The programs are open to the public at no cost (although donations are gratefully accepted). We hope you’ll join us!

 Questions?

Stephen Soreff, MD
📧 soreffs15@aol.com
☎ 603-895-6120

Thursday, October 8, 2026

Jews and the American Revolution, Steph Landau 

Discover the key roles Jews played in the War for Independence. This offers fascinating insight into our history as we celebrate our nation’s 250th Anniversary.

Thursday, November 12, 2026

AI The Toddler: Learn or Be Schmalzed, Wayne Kurtzman

What happens when the world’s most disruptive technology is currently in its toddler phase? You learn how to guide it. The benefits of AI are already amazing, but they skyrocket when you bring human curiosity into the mix. Led by Wayne Kurtzman, a research vice president of a global market intelligence and advisory firm, this session explores how to tame current AI, what’s coming next, and how the workplace is fundamentally changing. Hint: The future isn’t cold and robotic; it’s remarkably human but requires us to work in entirely new ways.

Thursday, December 10, 2026 

How to Pray with Your Whole Body, Arielle Welch

Join us for How to Pray with Your Whole Body, an experiential program led by Arielle Welch, owner and lead instructor of Nahar Yoga and Hebrew School teacher at Etz Hayim. Explore alternative ways to connect with G-d beyond traditional prayer, including meditation, movement, and connecting with nature. Through guided meditation, breathwork, and simple yoga postures, we will cultivate a deeper, embodied sense of spiritual connection. Participants will also have the opportunity to share personal experiences of connecting with the Divine in everyday life.

Thursday, January 14, 2027

Hadassah, Michele Bank, President of the Manchester Chapter of Hadassah

There will be a discussion on the history of Hadassah and the dream of its founding member, Henrietta Szold. The presentation will cover the impact that Hadassah has today through its medical centers, youth villages, and advocacy programs. Additionally, we will explore the many ways that Hadassah members can get involved.

Thursday, February 11, 2027

Startup Nation: How a Tiny Country Became a Global Innovation Superpower, Ed Kershenbaum

Israel, a country of just 9 million people with few natural resources beyond its people, has become one of the most innovative nations on earth.  It is the birthplace of technologies from drip irrigation and cherry tomatoes to GPS navigation, cutting-edge cybersecurity, defense tech and AI.  In addition to its homegrown successes, almost every leading US tech company has a major R&D operation in Israel.  What explains it? Join Ed Kershenbaum for an engaging look at the people, culture, and history behind "Startup Nation":  the immigrant waves that have shaped it, the role of the IDF as an entrepreneurship bootcamp, and the national culture of chutzpah, teamwork, and questioning authority that runs through it all.  Along the way, we'll meet some of the inventors and ideas that have changed the world, and explore what makes this small country's success story so impactful and inspiring.

Ed Kershenbaum is a veteran technology executive who has helped lead startups and enterprises in industries ranging from online gaming to satellite communications.  A dual US-Israeli citizen, he has worked closely with Israeli companies and entrepreneurs, giving him a firsthand view of the culture, chutzpah, and ingenuity behind Israel's outsized success in tech innovation.

Thursday, March 11, 2027

Genetics and Jewish Ancestry: What DNA Can Tell You (and What it Cannot), Jill Madden

Jill Madden is a PhD geneticist and certified genetic counselor. She worked at Boston Children's Hospital for 6 years before joining a biotech company last year, where she now educates colleagues and health care professionals about genetic testing and the genetics of rare conditions.

Her talk will cover an introduction to the basics of genetics and the ways Jewish ancestry can influence health risks. She will explore commonly asked questions, such as: Can traits skip generations? Why do I have a condition that’s never been in my family before? What role does Jewish ancestry play in my health? When is the right time to talk to a doctor about genetic testing? And more!

Thursday, April 8, 2027

What’s Happening in Our Schools? Antisemitism and K–12 Education, Dana Stangel-Plowe, Chief Program Officer North American Values Institute, (NAVI)

K–12 education has become increasingly politicized. This conversation will explore how ideological bias — which has become institutionalized across our nation’s education system — is fueling the rise of antisemitism in our classrooms. Learn how schools have drifted from their focus on academic excellence and civic preparation, why it matters for Jewish families and democratic life, and what communities can do in response.

Thursday, May 13, 2027 (Tentative)

Jewish Life Cycle Events: A Focus on Death, Rabbi Lisë Stern

Learn about Jewish traditions, rituals, and customs surrounding illness, death, mourning, and remembrance, and the values that guide families through life's most difficult transitions.

Thursday, June 10, 2027

Jewish History from where the Torah leaves off, approx. 1240 B.C.E to 1492, Sandra Whitman

We can trace how the forms of leadership evolved and how that led to the Assyrian captivity and 10 lost tribes and Babylonian exile.  We can briefly look at our history under the Greeks and Romans, rise of Christianity and Islam and then the Crusades.  This leads to 1492 and the Jewish expulsion from Spain.  And of course that triggered the Jewish population immigrating throughout the world.