The Power of Adult Jewish Learning

Most Jews end their Jewish study either at Bar/Bat Mitzvah or Confirmation age but their Jewish lives continue to evolve. Just as you wouldn’t end your general education at age thirteen, you shouldn’t end your Jewish education at that age either. Adult Jewish learning is part of a life-long process of growth that will help you advance in your Jewish journey.

Being Jewish is like learning to play piano. The piano is considered the easiest instrument to learn but one of the most difficult to master. Judaism is a great faith for children, with rituals that make our tradition tangible even for the youngest in our community. However, Judaism is a text and idea based religion that demands time and maturity to explore to its fullest. Adult Jewish education programs allow you to explore Judaism with a new pair of eyes, bringing with you the skills and life experience needed to examine these discoveries.

Most adults interested in Jewish study are unsure where to begin. The Talmud, the central rabbinic text of the Jewish tradition, which boasts over 12,000 pages, is often likened to an ocean. To begin Talmud study, you jump in and make your way through the language, ideas, and arguments of the texts. Adult Jewish study can begin the same way, with learners navigating their studies through topics that interest them. Although this is a traditional way to approach Jewish learning it is not necessarily the best for a new student. The challenge of this approach is that it can often leave a learner frustrated when there are still gaps in his or her knowledge. Another method of study is one with a defined curriculum, which guides the learners systematically and comprehensively. Programs such as these will often include textbooks and series of graduated courses that help a learner build a strong foundation.

Organizations across Houston, including my own, offer both kinds of programs. As a new learner, you should definitely consider which type of program best serves your educational goals. Most importantly, you should not delay in getting started, or feel frustrated when the study seems overwhelming. Yalkut Shimoni (863), a medieval anthology of midrash aggadah, teaches: Do not say, "I cannot master the entire Torah and observe all its commandments." Think upon the following parable: A king asked two men to fill a deep pit. The first, upon looking into the pit, exclaimed in despair, "How can I fill so deep a cavern?" The other, a wise worker, said, “What concern of mine is it that the pit is so deep? I am hired by the day, and I shall, therefore, perform my work each day." G-d says to us: "What concern is it of yours that the Torah is so extensive and that there is so much to learn? You are hired to do My work from day to day. All that I expect of you is that you perform, each day, a full day's work in the study of the Torah.”

Our tradition has countless teachings on the value and reward of study. Most educators agree that Jewish learning at its best is a transformative experience. Adult Jewish learning is certainly an intellectual challenge, but should not be just an exercise of the head. Jewish learning should also exercise your heart and your hands. In Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiba’s debate between the competing values of study and practice, the rabbis determine that “study is greater because it leads to practice.” This rabbinic paradox suggests that the two are indivisibly linked, and what begins in our head will also shape the way we live our daily lives. Adult Jewish learning has the power to do just that and there is no better time to hit the books!