(Courtesy of OU) Leading rabbinic scholars, educators and Jewish communal leaders will be featured at the Orthodox Union’s (OU) third annual Torah New York on Sunday, September 22, 2019. The event, hosted by the nation’s oldest and largest umbrella organization for the North American Orthodox Jewish community, is expected to draw more than 2,500 men, women and children to Citi Field in Queens, New York, for a day of Torah study and to address topics and questions facing the Jewish world today from the perspective of Jewish law and thought.
Torah New York, the largest event of its kind in North America, will feature over 20 shiurim that will be divided into categories including halacha (Jewish law), Jewish life, Jewish history and Tanach, as well as sessions focused on various aspects of the Yamim Noraim, including teshuva and prayer. The event will also feature a screening of a never-before-seen recording of Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik teaching one of his famed annual teshuva drashas.
There will be sessions appropriate for individuals of all backgrounds, from beginner to scholar and every level in between.
“Learning Torah is a key component to Jewish life – it impacts our daily life from how we interact with Hashem, our interpersonal relationships and how we conduct ourselves in business,” said Orthodox Union President Moishe Bane. “Torah New York is designed to bring the community together for a dynamic day of Torah study and discussion. People from all across the Orthodox spectrum join us and we structure the shiurim to have broad appeal. The timing of this year’s program will help put us all in the appropriate mindset for the upcoming Yamim Noraim.”
The blue-ribbon list of scholars that will teach sessions throughout the day includes: Dr. Henry Abramson, Rabbi Moshe Elefant, Rabbi Eytan Feiner, Rabbi Dovid Fohrman, Rabbi Joey Haber, Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky, Rabbi Yaakov Neuburger, Mrs. CB Neugroschl, Mrs. Sivan Rahav Meir, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, Rabbi Shaul Robinson, Dr. Smadar Rosensweig, Rabbi Yonason Sacks, Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker, Mrs. Shira Smiles, Rabbi Zvi Sobolofsky, Mrs. Shani Taragin, Rabbi Ya’akov Trump, Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, Rabbi Steve Weil, Dr. Ora Wiskind and Rabbi Dr. Jeffery Woolff.
Topics addressed will include:
How AI will impact Shabbat observance
Teshuva in a world where the internet, and your mistakes, are forever
Forgiving unforgivable sins
“Torah New York has become the annual Torah learning program unifying our community,” said Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Allen Fagin. “Each year, thousands of people come to hear top notch speakers who share their diverse perspectives on Torah thought.”
“As Torah New York grows every year, it’s a testament to our community’s core values that our marquee event celebrates Torah, in the most vivacious, sophisticated and animated way,” added Orthodox Union Managing Director of Torah Initiatives Rabbi David Pardo.
In addition to the main program, there will be programming for teenagers run by NCSY, including a “Torah Bowl” competition uniting tri-state high schools in Torah knowledge, as well as robust children’s programming, including GrowTorah, a shofar factory, a kosher chocolate factory and much more.
There will be free parking at Citi Field. Entry fees are as follows: Ages 0-5: Free, 6-12: $10, 13-17: $20, 18-64: $50 and 65+: $36. There is a family rate of $100. For more information about Torah New York, and to register, please visit https://www.ou.org/torahny/.
