Pre-Service Torah Study

Shabbat morning begins at 8:30 with an hourlong Torah study class, led by Rabbi Greenstein and focused on the weekly portion. Seated around a table as in a college seminar, shul members delve into, tease out, and debate the ideas, stories, history and meanings layered beneath the words of our Scripture.

This is an intellectually omnivorous group of people, able and willing to draw on the entirety of Jewish history, culture, tradition, and 3,500 years of commentary to make or challenge a point. The scope of discussion can be as immense as the universe, or as small as the innermost voice in our hearts. The conversation, in English, is free-ranging, with everyone bringing his or her very best to the table – and is frequently punctuated by peals of laughter, or by a collective sigh that speaks volumes.

As much as we set out to cover, of course, the running joke is how little text we actually get to in any session. And it’s true: rarely do we cover more than four or five lines of Torah. Yet within each Hebrew stanza we find deep wells of meaning, we refresh and renew stories that are quite literally as old as the hills, and we are always the richer for it.

All are welcome, and no prior experience is necessary – just a desire to learn and share insights. Coffee, tea and cake are served.

Information: Rabbi Greenstein, dgreenstein@shomrei.org