Life Long Learning
Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? One who learns from every person
Lifelong Learning
Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? One who learns from every person, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99)."
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Throughout my rabbinate, I have designed accessible, creative, and interactive educational opportunities for a multitude of ages. I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor. What we learn is not simply knowledge about a topic, but it opens us up to learning about ourselves. We learn in order to have a deeper sense of the world and our place in it. The following are small samples of the classes that I have led in the past, but by no means is this an exhaustive list because I’m always wanting to learn what inspires and intrigues others.
Topical Sessions
These classes are often presented as "lunch n learn", a chance for us to gather with a little food, a little learning, a little togetherness. Our sessions blend historical texts with modern experiences.
Most are one session, but some can stretch to three or even four.
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Some topics have included:
- Ethical Kashrut
- Angels: more than chubby cherubs
- Concubines and Polyamory
- 5 Questions of Passover
- Judaism and cannabis
- Reincarnation in Judaism
.... and so many more!
Deep Dive Discussions
There are times when we want to devote a good chunk of time to a single book or topic. We are willing to put in the efforts outside of the structured class time to read or watch materials. Often, in the midst of studying something, we also study ourselves. There can be vulnerability when we delve into a topic and open our hearts. Some of these foundational items for discussion I have taught include:
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Some of these foundational items for discussion have included:
- "Lights in the Forest: Rabbis responds to twelve essential Jewish questions" (Theology)
- Shalom Hartman Institute, iEngage Foundations (Israel)
- "The People and the Books: 18 Classics of Jewish Literature"
...dozens and dozens more topics and books await our dissection.
Parshat Shavua: Weekly Torah Portion
I encourage each of us to try to find commentators across the ages with whom we can engage frequently. My favorite medieval commentator is Ibn Ezra, with Nachmanides in second.
For a more modern day study, that I use on a weekly basis is, "The Torah: A Woman's Commentary". I have also begun studying with the recently published "The Mussar Torah Commentary" and "The Social Justice Commentary". Finally, I love that the website Sefaria now exists and is expanding the reach of Jewish texts in ways never before done. Learning from these texts through dissection, various commentator’s, our ownexperience, and analyzing the myriad of angles available will allow us to connect with tradition, with ourselves, with God, and with each other.
As Ben Bag Bag said, "Turn it over, and [again] turn it over, for all is therein. And look into it; And become gray and old therein"
-Pirkei Aovt 5:22
The Torah can be a fascinating book, filled with creation stories, dramatic families, laws that make you wonder what these people were doing to warrant these rules, nation-building narratives, and a budding relationship with the Divine. Some weeks there is so much packed into a single verse, all our energy could be spent on it.
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Other weeks, I have to search for that haystack needle to find something. But no matter what, week after week, I keep coming back to this foundational thousands-year old text. However, in the days of the internet, there are opportunities to expand our Torah studies.
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