I just finished reading the New York Times Op-Ed section. I know... I know.... here in Toronto in the Jewish community the New York time is not exactly well regarded because of the perceived anti Israel bias..., and its liberal bias. I can't help it...I spent too many years in the New York/New Jersey area and I have always read the Op-Ed. This morning's piece was incredibly fascinating. David Brooks who will never be mistaken for the "Liberal" bias of the Times, wrote a fascinating article about Adult Education, and specifically his experience in Adult Jewish Education with a Jewish Educator. Apparently, in a place like Washinton DC, a place where relativistic morality pervades all aspects of life, this particular educator has offered a breath of fresh air as well as inspiration vis a vis Torah Study. Brook's point was that adult education can be a powerful method of building community.
I have to laugh. Not because Brook's point is ridiculous. Hardly. Brooks is spot on. I laugh because he sounds like he just discovered something new or that he just created some type of Chidush (new conclusion/interpretation). This adult learning community is as old as the Yeshivot of of Pre-war Europe, and as ancient as the Talmudic Academies. Learning had been a community endeavor. Within the walls of the Yeshivot, and the Talmudic academy, students would learn in Chavrusa - study partners. The Rebbe would give a Shiur - a lesson based upon what had been covered in the Chavrusa portion. Everyone would be learning together for the sake of the community not for the sake of individual accomplishment. Further to that end, community of Europe and even in some communities here in North America, including Toronto con sider it an honor to support a community of people who learn. This is known as the Kollel in which people learn and the community supports the learning even if some cannot actually participate in the daily learning. The result is that the entire community is focused on and engaged in learning for adults.
There is a moment in this week's Torah Portion, Shmot, after Moshe Rabeinu is born and is now being raised in the Pharaoh's palace as an Egyptian. Vayigdal Moshe VaYeitze... Moshe grew up and went out (Ex. 2:11). One could argue that this really was the turning point in the the 120 year life of Moshe. He grew and he went out from the palace. He went out and looked at the world outside of the palace. He grew up and he went out to absorb what the world had to offer. Of course when he did go out, Moshe saw the task master striking the Hebrew slave and after checking to make sure no one was watching, Moshe killed the task master who had been beating the helpless slave.
The point is that Moshe was not satisfied with what he had learned in the Palace. Even after he had grown, he remained intellectually curious. he was not willing to live in a gilded cage with his own set of assumptions, his own biases, and his own perspective of the world. Instead Yeitzeh -he went out to see the world, experience it, be challenged by it, learn from it, and draw a new set of conclusions if need be.
In a sense this is the first step towards adult education and adult learning. The adult has to be open enough and receptive enough and willing to engage in the learning, and the texts. The adult has to be willing to question his/her sets of assumptions, his/her pre-conceived understanding of the text as well as bias towards that text; and almost suspend all that baggage just long enough to Yeitzeh to go out from the comfortable confines of the self and learn. Underlying Brooks' piece is something quite substantial. As non-orthodox shuls across North America struggle to re-invent themselves, to attract young people who are either too busy, too dis-interested, or too suspicous; perhaps focusing on and creating adult learning communities should be the foundation upon which non-orthodox shuls re-invent themselves.
-Rav Yitz
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