|
|
  |
 |
|
Letter to the community
I was going to use this column to chastise you for missing out
on a wonderful learning opportunity at Pacific Northwest Mini-CAJE
last weekend. While you were sleeping in or shopping to celebrate
President’s Day, hundreds of your fellow community members
spend many joyful hours building their Jewish literacy and expanding
their minds.
Instead I will focus on all the other ways you can be a learning
Jew this year. If you doubt your need for more Jewish education
(perhaps you’re one of those who believe you learned everything
you needed to know by age 13) then start this journey by reading
Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. Read five chapters
— any five chapters — and then try to resist these
next 10 suggestions.
1. Read a Jewish book. If you need some ideas, check out the
Union of American Hebrew Congregations’ Web site, www.uahc.org.
The Reform movement’s leaders have done us all a favor
by creating an extensive list of books every Jew should read.
Under “Jewish Literacy Initiatives,” look at the “Significant
Jewish Books” list. The UAHC makes it so easy for you.
With each book suggestion is a list of discussion questions
so you can share this experience with a friend. Some of these
books are available as books on tape, so you can even learn
while commuting.
2. Go to a Torah study class. Nearly every synagogue in town
offers Torah study before or after Saturday morning services.
You don’t have to be a member to participate, and they
are almost always free. Every week, all around the world, all
kinds of Jews are studying the same section of the Bible. Become
a part of this continuum of Jewish knowledge by joining the
discussion.
3. Study at home. Look up the parasha or sidra on a Jewish calendar
or a Jewish Web site (try Jewish.com or the Web site of whatever
denomination you associate with). Print out a commentary, if
you wish. Look at the assigned section in your copy of the Torah
(during the week, you can study the part for the Shabbat that
is approaching), sit down with a friend or family member, read
it aloud and talk about it. There are many wonderful books that
can help you do this. More important than the books is your
study partner. Jewish learning is best done with another person
(or in a group) because you probably will learn more from each
other than you will learn from yourself or a book.
4. Ask your kid what she learned at Sunday School. Maybe she
will teach you something. Use this information, to go deeper.
If you have a Jewish bookshelf, pull out a book on the same
subject and see what the two of you can discover together. Turn
on the computer and do some research on line. The Internet offers
a wealth of Jewish knowledge. Go to your favorite search engine
and type in “Jewish” and one other topic, such as
“Purim,” and you can spend the rest of the day talking
about whether Queen Vashti was treated unfairly and what lesson
the Purim story offers for today’s 10-year-olds.
5. Visit a Jewish library. Spend some time in a synagogue or
Jewish public library. Our community has a wealth of resources
and you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of
most of them. At the library, pull out a volume of the Encyclopedia
Judaica and browse. Read a Jewish magazine. Bring a list of
books to explore and find out if you may want to add them to
your own Jewish library. Chabad-Lubavitch of Seattle welcomes
visitors to its Jewish Public Library, as does Temple De Hirsch
Sinai. The Jewish Education Council’s library is open by
appointment. For more information, check out the Guide to Jewish
Washington on The Transcript’s Web site, www.jewishtranscript.com.
Look under education or synagogues.
6. Watch a Jewish movie. You don’t have to wait until April
to watch Jewish movies at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
Look at the American Jewish Committee’s Web site, www.ajcseattle.org,
and check out one of the movie’s from last year’s
festival at your local video store or at Video Judaica in Seattle.
This is an easy way to learn about Israel or study the Holocaust
from your own couch. Then, in April, when the film festival
arrives, buy some tickets to go see some great Jewish movies
on the big screen. Not only is attendance educational, it’s
one of the most fun activities our community does together.
7. Take a class. Spend a few hours gathering tips to improve
your Passover seder. Learn why King David was a pretty complicated
guy. Explore some Jewish poetry. Commit an afternoon to learning
the alef-bet (the Hebrew alphabet). Check out this week’s
calendar on the Transcript Web site for classes or visit the
Jewish Education Council section of the Jewish Federation of
Greater Seattle Web site, www.jewishinseattle.org, and look
at the course catalog. This will also help you accomplish suggestion
No. 8.
8. Register for a course. Make a commitment to explore a course
of study over several months or even a year. Learn to read and
understand Hebrew. Build your all-around Jewish knowledge through
the Jewish Education Council’s Adult Learning Project (formerly
known as Melton). Ask anyone who has committed to the Melton
program how the weekly classes have changed their lives. Nearly
every synagogue also offers courses. Explore the JEC catalog
for ideas of places to learn all over the community.
9. Become a Jewish teacher. So far, these suggestions have been
pretty easy. This one takes more of a commitment. But if you
really want to increase your Jewish knowledge, you should become
a religious school teacher. You’ll have to do a lot of
personal study to master the subject you will be teaching. As
Rabbi Laurie Rice (principal of the Community High School of
Jewish Studies and rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami in Woodinville)
pointed out during a workshop at Mini-CAJE, it’s pretty
hard to fool a class of fourth graders. They’ll know immediately
if you are unprepared.
10. Sign up for next year’s Mini-CAJE. Mark your calendar
now or just remember that President’s Day is always learning
day in the Jewish community. Next year’s conference will
be Feb. 16 and 17 in Portland, so you will be able to combine
this wonderful learning opportunity with a tax-free shopping
spree. That way, you won’t have to miss out entirely on
traditional President’s Day festivities.
—Donna |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
