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On Shabbat morning the Torah is brought out to the community with pomp and a parade, and set down in the center of the room. Members of the shul give voice to the words in the scroll, and we listen to these ancient words that guide our lives. In our shul, Torah is at the center communally, as well as physically. We believe that Torah belongs to all of us, and that it can have an impact on our lives.
Where do we see this? Start with Shabbat morning. Our rabbis weave together ancient texts, modern issues, and modern meaning. Each week is an opportunity to discover anew how Torah speaks to us, offering learning that can lead to action – around sitting shiva, saying b’rachot, “chewing by choice,” political engagement, and much more.
But Torah is not just taught by the rabbis. We have benefitted from many teachers over the years, as our learning extends beyond Shabbat morning. Classes in phonetic Hebrew reading, in biblical Hebrew, and more, have been offered. The community shared in the joy of Phyllis Gorin’s students as they read Torah for the first time, and adult B’nai Mitzvah class members who led parts of the service, read Torah, and shared words of Torah - all learning that led to action.
Thanks to the generosity of Mickey and Harold Smith (z”l), our scholar in residence program brought master teachers and great thinkers to the congregation - Rabbis Judith Hauptman, Elliot Dorff, Shai Held and Art Green, to name just a few. And just a few years after our founding, Randi Roth initiated a remarkable exchange with a group of churches in Western Minnesota - a “meeting of people, places and faiths,” with the hope that personal contact between urban Jewish and rural Christian communities might help to undo prejudices and misunderstandings. Learning through the exchange unfolded on a number of levels, including a discussion in our chapel that turned toward the idea of resurrection of the dead, and a Christian farmer reflected, “Each morning when I get up and look out on my fields, I see resurrection.”
And yes! Torah for our children. Some would say this is seen most clearly when our B’nai Mitzvah read Torah, lead a portion of the service, and teach Torah to the congregation, all with the sense that this is theirs, and something they can contribute to their community. But this process of learning doesn’t begin with Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation. From our early years through today it begins with serious study of Jewish texts, Hebrew, and values. And this can lead to action as well, by continuing to lead services, reading Torah, serving as madrichim in our Shabbat morning programs, and involvement in BJUSY.
In a famous passage in the Talmud we learn: “Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper story of Nithza’s house, in Lod, when this question was posed to them: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon answered, saying: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered, saying: Study is greater. [The Sages] agreed with Akiva that study is greater than action because it leads to action.” (Kiddushin 40b) - At Beth Jacob, we agree with the Sages.
Sara Lynn Newberger
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