Or maybe you feel that it's time to join a regular Jewish studies class but can't make the commitment to show up on the same night every week. Well, there is an alternative. Now you can be part of a virtual classroom that's as far away as your keyboard. Still others are conducted via e-mail and a Web site. The instructor posts a lecture or assignment on the Web.
Participants have a few days to do the required work.
Classes are often free. However, courses that are offered by degree- granting universities normally charge a fee. Access to online materials in those courses is usually restricted to enrolled students who have a password. Most universities view their distance learning courses equal in workload and as demanding as their classroom-based courses and offer comparable credits. This year you can delve into the Judean Desert Scrolls with Hanan Eshel.