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Consider this class an easy-to-use guidebook on Judaism.

Basic Judaism 101 is designed to answer questions for Jews, for adults with Jewish family members, and adults of any background who are simply interested in knowing more about Jewish ethics, holy days, worship, spirituality, literature and theology.

“This is not a lecture; this is very interactive,” said Boaz Avraham-Katz, the youth director at Beth David Synagogue, who is leading the class.

The class at times will look at contrasts and similarities with other religions.

“If I’m not sure of something, I ask Rabbi (Eli) Havivi,” Avraham-Katz said. “I research it online. Sometimes people in the class are only too happy to explain. It’s a nice thing.”

The class, open to the public, is from 7 to 8 p.m. for five Thursdays, beginning Oct. 22, at the synagogue. When previously offered at Beth David and Temple Emanuel, the class has been popular with non-Jews, said Havivi, who leads Beth David.

“The majority are non-Jewish folks from the Greensboro community who either have an interest in exploring the Jewish roots of their Christianity, or they have someone Jewish in their families or someone who has converted to Judaism, and they want to find out more about it” Havivi said. “And then there’s a group of Jewish adults, for whatever reason, who want to find out more about their own Jewish heritage.”

Even clergy of other faith traditions have taken the class.

Because Judaism is the foundation of Christianity, Christians, for example, enjoy the field trips to the sanctuary, where they can see a Torah and the ritual bath referenced in the Old Testament.

“It’s a lot of show and tell,” said Avraham-Katz, also a Jewish studies teacher at B’nai Shalom Day School who has a teaching degree from Israeli Teachers College.

This year, a new focus is on ethics and will draw from “The Ethics of Our Fathers,” which comes from the Mishnah. The Mishnah began as an oral commentary to the Old Testament that was passed down from generation to generation, before being written down. The “Oral Torah,” as it is also called, discusses everything from Jewish sayings to civil law.

“You open up the newspaper or turn on every news channel and everyone is upset with everyone else,” Avraham-Katz said. “We need to be reminded of ways we should do things and how we should behave and relate to other people.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com