The Book of Jonah: Study and Discussion Guide

This discussion guide, written by Rabbi Rachael Pass, examines six topics from Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz’s The Book of Jonah: A Social Justice Commentary. Over the course of six sessions, facilitators and participants delve simultaneously into the biblical Book of Jonah, Rabbi Yanklowitz’s social justice interpretation of that sacred text, and the learners’ own lived experiences. Incorporated into each session are touchstone texts from the Book of Jonah and from The Book of Jonah: A Social Justice Commentary. 

The discussion guide is aimed at synagogue adult education, for learners of all ages and all backgrounds. This curriculum is entirely reading-and-discussion based. While there are many texts and questions prepared for each session, the facilitator should use their best judgment in guiding the conversation based on learner interest and engagement. The discussion guide is also appropriate for high school students, likely in synagogue Confirmation or post-Confirmation programs. As with the adults, teens will be asked to dig deep into personal spirituality, Jewish theology, and global social justice issues. To differentiate the teen learning experience from the adult curriculum, each session entails at least one hands-on activity, contained in a text box. While we do not expect that every single question from every session will be asked and answered, we do suggest incorporating these activities into each session for the teens. The activities are geared towards the teen audience, but can, of course, be used for the adult learners as well.

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