Waldoboro — Rabbi Steve Shaw will be teaching a course “Exploring Jewish Life and Wisdom” for Coastal Senior College beginning Wednesday, Oct. 26 and lasting eight weeks. The course will examine how the Jewish tradition has dealt with basic human issues of marriage and divorce and little known ideas about birth, death and resurrection.

Other topics explored will include Jewish humor, theories explaining the disproportionate number of Jews who have won Nobel Prizes, why the overwhelming majority of American Jews tend to be liberals and why anti-Semitism has persisted for more than 4,000 years. Each session will begin with a brief lecture and then the instructor will encourage an open discussion by the participants.

Shaw studied philosophy and forest ecology at the University of Michigan, then spent two years studying in Israel, first at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at two orthodox yeshivots. He later spent five years doing graduate work at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City, where he received his rabbinical degree. For many years he served as director of the Department of Community Education at the Seminary. He also has extensive experience as a consultant to small non-profit organizations both in this country and in Israel.

Most recently, before coming to Maine a year and a half ago, he spent six years working with the Bedouin Arab community in the Negev desert. This is his first time teaching for CSC. Shaw’s class will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Waldoboro Fire Station on Route 1 in Waldoboro. To register, call 800-286-1594.