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Photo by Ben Harmon "Imagine you're the rabbi at a small university Hillel center. Students of all denominations wish to celebrate Shabbat together and perhaps even hold community services, especially since one young man needs to say Kaddish. How would you approach this? What siddur would you use? Would there be mixed or separate seating? Would women be counted in the minyan?" This hypothetical scenario generated a lively debate among a group six women and four men participating in Rokem ("tapestry"), an innovative program for rabbis and rabbinical students representing all denominations—some from as far away as Mississippi, Arizona, Oregon and California.
Before the students dispersed that evening, some hurrying to catch buses or flights back to their hometowns, they joined in a spirited rendition of "Hinei mah tov u'mah na'im," clapping hands and drumming on the tables. "This learning experience is transforming—I'm not just acquiring new knowledge, I'm joining a new community," said Meira Welt, who attends the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in NYC. For more information, email samuelbarth@cs.com or visit rikmah.org. |
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On March 2–4, in the first of several intensive three-day seminars hosted by Hebrew College, under the academic guidance of Provost Barry Mesch, participants discussed similar imaginary scenes. Led by two instructors—a Talmudist and an expert in group dynamics—the class drew from both text examples and personal experience, exploring the common threads and diverse approaches they might bring to their real-life settings. Rabbi Samuel Barth of NYC designed and coordinates the program, whose aim is to create a microcosm of Jewish pluralism in the classroom—and online during the weeks between classes—and spawn new ideas for today's rabbis and Jewish religious leaders.