| From the Rabbi: 5769 Resolution TALMUD TORAH |
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| Friday, 31 October 2008 15:32 |
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We have just finished the very busy season of the High Holy Days. I am sure that each and every one of you had the opportunity to reflect and talk about our Jewish heritage from different aspects of the services or during Yom Tov meals (we had so many!). It is very significant that the final day of this season is not Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, but the hakafot of Simchat Torah. We may ask “why?” and “what does it mean to us?” The answer and message, according to my knowledge is: Being a Jew is based on the Torah. Without the Torah we are not complete. During the year here in Wellington and especially after Rosh Hashanah, I was thinking of what we, as a community, really need in order to upgrade our Jewish lives. I must say, that the Wellington Hebrew Congregation has every reason to be proud of all the facilities it has to run the Jewish community; from the kindergarten, school, kosher co-op, Chevra Kadisha, Social Club, Care of the Aged etc. etc. I am really proud of all of the above, and there is no doubt that we are one of the leading Jewish communities in this part of the world, if not the leading. Nevertheless, there is one important issue that we as individuals and a community are lacking. This is the learning and study of Torah. When I say “learning Torah”, I mean all kinds of studies; bible stories, Jewish history, siddur, mishna, Ethics of the Fathers, Talmud and many more. I regret to say that most of our members knowledge about Judaism is from what they learnt in their formative years to the age of Bar or Bat Mitzvah. And for most of them it was thirty, forty or even fifty years ago. Today there are many ways to study through the internet and to read in English about every subject you can think of. I refer you to the website www.aish.com In order to leave a legacy when I finish my job here in Wellington, I come to you with a new suggestion. I hope that you will accept and adopt it: I call upon every leader in each community organisation, (who do such a marvelous job), to take this into consideration. Start every meeting with 7-10 minutes dedicated to learning something/anything connected to Judaism. Start with reading from the first book ‘Bereshit’ If you want, I can give you a list of subjects and sources to read in the meeting, and by doing so during the year, multiplied by the number of participating members, this will amount to huge hours of Torah learning. I wish you all the best. Rabbi Chaim Dovrat |
