Art of Marriage series explores time-honored traditions for keeping marriages strong

A provocative new series of classes on the secrets of successful marriage will begin on April 29 at Chabad of Larchmont and Mamaroneck. Regardless of marital status, all are invited to attend the six-session course, presented by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) and taught by Rabbi Mendel Silberstein.

The Art of Marriage will go far beyond platitudes, to cover topics at the heart of modern marriage. Does marriage still serve any purpose at all? How far should one go to make a marriage work? When is divorce the best option?

Included as well are Jewish bedroom secrets, from ancient texts, on how to increase intimacy in marital relationships.

“Beautiful, inspiring, but most of all practical,” says Dr. Patricia Love, author of How to Improve Your Marriage Without Talking About It. “Whether your marriage is magical or miserable, this vital course is designed for you.”

Judaism views a loving marriage as a spiritual as well as a human ideal. The Art of Marriage shows students how to attain that for themselves and for their spouses, with timeless lessons from both modern and ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud and Zohar.

"Judaism venerates marriage and therefore has a long history of looking to enhance the marriage experience. The course is not only about providing techniques for success in marriage, it's about changing your attitude toward your spouse and toward marriage in general,” said local JLI instructor Rabbi Mendel Silberstein.

Like all JLI programs, The Art of Marriage is designed to appeal to students at all levels of Jewish knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All JLI courses are open to the public, and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple, or other house of worship.

Interested students may call 914-834-8000 or visit www.myJLI.com for registration and other course-related information. JLI courses are at Chabad of Larchmont and Mamaroneck, 921 W. Boston Post Rd., Mamaroneck, NY 10543.

JLI, the adult education branch of Chabad-Lubavitch, offers programs in more than 350 U.S. cities and in numerous foreign locations, including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. More than 225,000 students have attended JLI classes since the organization was founded in 1998.