KA CC Archive May 2025

A few weeks ago, Dan Senor gave the “State of World Jewry” at the 92nd Street Y.   In it he said that “Israel is going to be fine, I really do believe that. In part because of Israeli strength and resilience, backed up by the Diaspora’s continued commitment.”  He spoke about the importance of Jewish Education and finding our Jewish Why, echoing the lessons from freed hostages who spoke about Hersch Goldberg-Polin’s lesson - quoting the psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl: “He who has a ‘why,’ will find the ‘how.’”  Dan Senor wants us to have a “why” to rebuild American Jewish life, not just our support of Israel.

In the second part of the evening, Senor sat down with Rabbi David Ingber.  In it, they discuss an idea that really intrigued me.  They talked about how well Birthright Israel worked - taking many thousands of young people to the land of Israel to walk in it, experience it, fall in love with it.  What they didn’t do effectively was birthright Judaism - that is, showing excited young adults how to come back to the assimilated universe of North American Jewish life.  

They talked about giving people the tools to be engaged Jewishly, learning Jewishly, making decisions based in Jewish text and values, so that we walk the world with a sense of Jewish knowledge and Jewish pride.  

There are so many ways to find a way into Jewish learning.  Almost every topic and decision about life overlaps with Jewish thought and tradition.  Learning Jewish texts - in Beit Midrash style learning (sitting with a chevruta - a study-buddy and reading and learning and discussing a text together) has become a popular way for people of all ages to engage with Jewish texts and the rabbis of the past - to learn history.

My favorite setting for Jewish learning in the Tampa Bay area is coming up this week.  To celebrate receiving Torah on Shavuot, the tradition is to study all night and learn from as many people as possible.  We will not stay up all night, but we will learn from many people.

Sunday, June 1st at 7:30pm at Congregation Beth Am, we will partake in our annual Open Mic Study night.  Every person can bring a bit of teaching that lasts 1-15 minutes.  Everyone can also bring their favorite dairy or parve dessert to share.  This evening is always fun and includes a wide variety of topics and diverse teaching styles.  My interest is always piqued and I always learn something new.

However you choose to increase your Jewish knowledge, whatever your “Why” for showing Jewish pride and practicing our ancient religion, I hope you join us on Sunday night and I’ll see you (and all other Jews everywhere from all time) at Mount Sinai!

Chag Sameach!