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Nov. 18, 2011
Enhanced Jewish study
Local courses highlight Torah in modern life.
OLGA LIVSHIN
The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) was founded in 1998 by a group of Chabad rabbis, with its headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y. According to one of its instructors and an editorial board member, Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman of Chabad of Richmond, the group’s goal was “to combine their efforts to build a strong Jewish adult education program worldwide.”
Today, a dozen years later, JLI has 325 chapters on six continents, including 22 in Canada, two of them in British Columbia. More than 220,000 students have taken at least one course with JLI since its inception. The institute has developed 37 separate six-week courses, offering three courses annually. For the convenience of travelers, each course is offered around the world at the same times.
Baitelman established the Richmond JLI branch in 2004. The program differs from other Torah studies that Chabad offers, Baitelman explained in an interview with the Jewish Independent.
“The JLI program is the foremost program of Jewish adult education in the world; it has the highest number of participants,” he said. “It combines a high level of academic study with the openness to learners of any level of knowledge. Judaism is a great intellectual exercise, a lifelong study. It belongs to the Jews, and we want to give our people something that is rightfully theirs. I strongly believe we should know the richness of our heritage.”
The latest course offering is Fascinating Facts: Exploring the Myths and Mysteries of Judaism. It started in November at all 325 of the JLI branches. It addresses such questions as Did Moses have horns? and What kind of fruit grew on the Tree of Knowledge?
JLI courses, including Fascinating Facts, augment a student’s Torah learning, but also provide a broader look at commentaries and interpretations of biblical events, including those that have become part of mainstream culture.
“The Torah is not a book of stories,” clarified Baitelman. “It’s a guidance book; it teaches us lessons. To understand those lessons, you need a teacher who knows not only the text of the Torah but also the commentaries and interpretations made through the ages by Jewish philosophers. Sometimes words have different meanings and, if you misunderstand one word, the entire passage might switch its meaning or not make any sense at all. That’s how the erroneous ‘little fact’ that Moses had horns came into being.”
It’s the students who help to determine whether a course is offered more than once. “Sometimes we do repeat courses, based on feedback, but mostly we don’t,” said Baitelman. “There are so many things to study in Judaism without repetition. We have limited resources and a limited number of teachers, and repeating a course stretches those resources. Some students have been with us from the very first course and they still find something new to learn. Even I learn something new as I prepare for the sessions.”
Several JLI classes even offer professional development credit. “Six of our courses have been accredited by the Legal Society of British Columbia,” said the rabbi. “Among them were our recent course You Be the Judge II: Explorations in Jewish Civil Law, the courses on Talmud ethics, business ethics, medical ethics and others. Some of our courses, like Medicine and Morals: Your Jewish Guide through Life’s Tough Decisions, are accepted as continuing education credits, not only in Canada but in the U.S. and the U.K. We’re working on courses to be accredited by universities, but that’s in the future.”
Local JLI students come from a diverse range of background, Jewishly and otherwise. “Our students come from different age groups, from 20 to 60 mostly, and different professions. Some courses target specific professions, like doctors and lawyers, but everyone is welcome,” said Baitelman.
“We never turn anyone away because of financial considerations,” he added. “We don’t refuse learning to non-Jews either, although we don’t encourage them. And you don’t have to be religious to participate; our students are all of different levels of observance. If you come here to study Torah, you’re observing the mitzvah to study Torah.”
Baitelman facilitates the JLI program over and above his duties as the rabbi at Richmond’s Chabad Centre, but he approaches the courses as a rewarding challenge. “One of the biggest challenges is probably to present the information in an engaging format, so the students are part of the discussion. Sometimes, a student is stubborn, doesn’t want to entertain a different opinion – it’s a challenge, too. But we welcome discussions. There are many arguments and discussions in the Talmud. We’re not asking everyone to agree but to study the Torah’s perspective on the subject. We don’t establish Jewish laws. We discuss them.
“The sweetest reward,” he added, “is when the students learn something new. They would then say that they never thought of such an angle to look at the issue. Our session opened their mind. And the more I teach, the more I learn. That’s why I thank the students for coming to the sessions.”
Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].
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