Class Offerings

Thank you for checking out my offerings! It is a huge honour to be invited to your community to share my research and passion for these subjects. We can work together to hone the specifics of any of these programs to the interests of your community. Every course comes with an overflowing packette or slideshow of sources, artwork, and discussion questions. We can plan for a single session or a whole semester!

I teach so I can celebrate lesser known parts of our tradition – and deepen my own understanding through the new questions and insights from the people I get to re-learn this material with. Let’s chat!

Please reach out to me at my Contact Form to talk content, compensation, and kavannah!

Below are some of my favourite subjects to teach! Click on the title or logo for more information 🌈

Women in Talmud

Our Talmud is filled with fascinating conversations and stories from the early Rabbis. But, in a text so dominated by men, where do we find our ancient heroines? When we do meet them, what can we learn from their stories? How can they inspire us and deepen our relationships with tradition? (Watch two past recordings with Rodef Shalom Pittsburgh!)

“Women in Talmud: Who Would You Be in the Third Century?” with Rodef Shalom Congregation (June 2023)
“Hairdressers, professional mourners, and magical healers find their spotlight in a new presentation from scholar Olivia Devorah Tucker. How does our Talmud – the conversations of the first generations of Rabbis – discuss the lives of women over 1500 years ago? What experiences are timeless? Which lost practices could enhance our lives today?”

The Jewish Monster Manual

How do you get rid of a dybbuk? Did you know Judaism has at least three different unicorns? From the giant Leviathan to the tiny Shamir worm, this class will offer a field guide to the Supernatural Jewish bestiary in bite-sized chunks which invite learners to find deep spiritual truths in Jewish fantasy. (Watch a past recording with Hillel International!)

“The Jewish Monster Manual” with Hillel International
(October 2021)
“From the larger-than-life Leviathan to the smaller-than-small Shamir, Olivia Devorah Tucker introduces us to a magical menagerie from Jewish Lore! What can our legendary creatures teach us about ancestral imagination? How can we see and utilize these fantasies in our lives?”

Jewish Demonology

What is a demon in Judaism? Where do they come from and where have they gone? In a class on Jewish Demons we can explore big names like Lilith (the baby-snatching terror turned feminist icon) and Agrat bat Makhlat (and her 180,000 angels of destruction), as well as average everyday mazikeen like Yosef Sheyda (Joe the Demon) or Sixty Demons Who Live Together in a Service-Berry Tree. Amulets, angels, and artwork await!

Find Your Jewish Magic

Judaism is not only full of magical creatures, it is also full of MAGIC! In this course we can learn about the history of bringing a Golem to life from clay and sacred incantations, making amulets and incantation bowls to ward of demons, and explore the history of Jewish Witches and Spell-Casting Sages. What practices will speak to you? What will you try your hand at? What magic is hiding in your daily life?

Gay Jewish Ghost Girls

Let me share one of my favourite Talmud ghost stories with you! In this program, we’ll explore the journey from ancient text (Berakhot 18b) to queer DIY theatrical production (Come Fly With Me: A Gay Jewish Ghost Story). Brave volunteers can do a live reading of the script as we discuss Jewish understanding of life (and love) after death. (Watch the original production on the Videos page!)

All Challahs Are Beautiful

This program invites participants of all ages to engage with Challah History, enjoy a scrapbook of challah sculptures, and braid together on Zoom. Participants receive my annotated challah recipe!

I love seeing the new shapes people come up with to interpret the week’s Torah portion or an upcoming holiday. Experienced bakers and first time braiders should know that truly all challahs are beautiful, when made with love and shared with community.

SVARA-style Learning

Let’s learn Talmud in the original language! Learning in the style of SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva means a multi-week course where chevrutas (learner pairs) go deep into a sugya/text from the conversations our early Rabbis. Going deep means that chevrutas work to break down each word of our passage by going on journeys through dictionaries and their own unique wisdom. Once chevrutas have prepared the text, we all come together to make learner-led communal translation of the text, raising questions and deepening our understanding of the words, their immediate context, broader implications, and what we want to do about them! As we move through the course learners practice internalizing the text for a recitation, reviving the Oral Tradition of the Talmud. On the final week, we will conclude with a Sugya-Show-and-Tell, where everyone is invited to share a creative interpretation of their learning, ranging from visual art to group meditation to recipe! (The Sugya-Show-and-Tell is my favourite part!)

I have studied for years in SVARA’s Teaching Kollel to develop and practice the skills to teach in their empowering and revelatory method. It would be an honour and a joy to share it with your community.