Building Knowledge, Friendships And Bridges
By Selwyn Isakow
“Yehoshua ben Perachiah said: "Make yourself a teacher; acquire a friend; and judge every person favorably.” Pirkei Avos (1:6)
Partners In Torah – San Diego is an independent local organization that utilizes the Beit Midrash at Congregation Adat Yeshurun in La Jolla as a study hall for an hour every Tuesday night at 8pm. Men and women are invited to learn one-on-one with a chavruta (study partner) for a traditional yeshiva study experience. There are chavrutas and mentors for all levels of knowledge and observance. Anyone looking to probe a Jewish topic of their choice at any level, whether affiliated or non-affiliated with any Jewish organization, is welcome to attend. Coffee, sodas and cakes are available and there is absolutely no cost to participate.
Participants customize their learning experience at their own pace, stopping for questions, comments and discussion. Study partners may choose to learn: Torah; Prophets; Talmud; Jewish History; Jewish Philosophy; or any other subject in which they are interested. In addition, the program provides a catalog of over a hundred structured syllabi for those uncertain of a subject to study. Sometimes partners merely discuss what is happening in the news or at home and assessing the implications in a Jewish philosophical, theological or historical framework. “No two journeys as a Jew are alike. The beauty of Partners lies in elevating your Jewish soul and expanding your understanding of what it means to be Jewish,” said Adam Kushnir, Program Director of Partners in Torah.
Rabbi Wohlgelernter can be found weekly in deep discussion and analysis of one or other subject with his chavrutas, a married couple. Once a month Rabbi Lenore Bohm holds a shiur on subjects of specific interest to women. Other Rabbis, teachers and mentors from schools, colleges and various congregations are heard vigorously conversing about Torah or life insights with their study partners. And during the last five minutes of each study session, everyone is quiet and attentive as one of the participants share, with insight and clarity, a message about the weekly parshah (Torah portion). A thought to take home and contemplate.
“This learning experience has brought my husband and I even closer together,” said Wendy Burk, CEO of Cadence Travel. “We actually have deep philosophical conversations with each other about the concepts discussed weekly with our chavruta.” Her husband Harold Frysh continued, “The program allows us to explore Jewish philosophy on subjects meaningful to us.”
The program, which was started earlier this year in San Diego, is based on the successful Partners in Torah program begun by Yeshiva Beth Yehuda in Detroit in the mid-nineties. I was fortunate to be one of three pairs of study partners when we first started, and the program grew to 400 people studying at the Yeshiva each week. This program truly cut across all levels of observance, knowledge, congregations and organizations and transformed the whole Detroit Jewish community by building one relationship at a time.
“Our San Diego program has three primary objectives,” said Kushnir. “Build personal knowledge though study; build personal and intellectual relationships though study partners; and build bridges among Jews of all persuasions and organizations in the community though studying as a group. We strive to empower Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations to maximize their potential for a meaningful Jewish life and build an informed, united and timeless San Diego Jewish community.” Kushnir went on to emphasize that, “While we hope to expand to 200 participants by the end of 2015, this program is designed to supplement, not replace, learning with a favorite Rabbi at a synagogue or at another educational organization.”
"I look forward to Tuesday evenings when I can meet my chavaruta, Rabbi Ertel, and delve into resolving an issue of the day or week and comfortably enjoy knowledgeable answers for an uplifting hour or so… in a Torah atmosphere,” said David Ellman, a regular participant in the Partners program.
If you are interested in participating, even for one session, please contact Adam Kushnir at (partnersintorahsd@gmail.com).