(Courtesy of PTI) In a new survey just released by the advocacy group Alums for Campus Fairness, 81% of college students said they avoid certain places, events and situations on campus. Sixty percent even claimed to have witnessed faculty making antisemitic comments to them or someone they know. “Antisemitism on campus has risen to a level never seen before,” reported the group’s executive director, Avi Gordon.
On Labor Day, 7,000 pro-Palestinian protesters flooded Manhattan before classrooms even opened, just as hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin was being laid to rest. Fearing even worse antisemitism, demand is higher than ever by desperate parents and students for Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar, hoping it will help them respond to antisemitism with greater confidence. Discovery is the most highly attended seminar in Jewish history, with over a quarter million attendees.
One of the seminar’s first U.S. stops was Passaic Torah Institute (Yeshiva Ner Boruch) on Labor Day. Over 120 people attended, breaking all recent records for the seminar anywhere. “Excellent for any venue, especially on a holiday,” said senior lecturer Rabbi Max Anteby, who has presented 500 times in all 50 states.
The program came just as school campuses are erupting yet again with antisemitic violence and harassment. Rabbi Steven Burg, executive director of Aish Global, said, “Discovery provides cogent responses for young students as well as professional adults who are constantly being challenged regarding their religious beliefs and political affiliations.”
The highlight of the program are the hidden codes found in the Torah. Attendees learn about statistically tested and verified clues in the Torah that defy rational deniers of the Torah’s divinity, and some which seem to reveal the future. Through an interactive, audio-visual examination of Jewish history and Jewish texts, participants gain a deeper appreciation of how a rational person cannot deny the divinity of Judaism.
The Q&A segment is far-reaching and varies widely. Anteby reports he’s faced some of the toughest questions, but hasn’t tired of answering them, sometimes for hours after the seminar is over.
The seminar’s agenda includes seeking answers to penetrating life questions such as what constitutes a rational foundation for a belief system, how to take steps toward being a confident and proud Jew, how one finds clarity on our purpose in this world, how to contemplate things that no human being could possibly know, and much more. Through the challenging seminar, many participants report coming away infused with a profound connection to Judaism, discovering its depth, beauty and practical significance in their daily lives.
“Rising antisemitism has spurred increased interest in the ‘why’ of Judaism, and people want answers,” said PTI’s Associate Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim. “Aish HaTorah’s Discovery Seminar covers many topics that interest and intrigue Jews, including why bad things happen to good people, the beauty of Shabbos, marriage and relationships, and proofs of the existence of Hashem and the Torah. Hundreds of thousands have attended these seminars and left inspired. No matter what background they came with, they leave with a life-changing new view of Judaism.”
Since the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel, there’s been a global surge of expression of Jewish identity and learning more about religious observance that hasn’t been seen since the glory days of kiruv decades ago. Chabads, Hillels, Birthright and other Jewish campus organizations have never been more crowded and applications to Israel Anglo yeshivas are at record highs. So too, PTI, which had been a relatively small yeshiva for adults, was flooded with new young adults after the start of the war and is now bursting at the seams. They’re planning for a new larger building and searching for dormitory housing.
To keep up with the demand for programming, PTI has five levels of classes for men and women every day and night, seven days a week, from the complete beginner with no background to the most advanced kollel scholar. “People of all backgrounds feel comfortable here,” said Bodenheim. “Everyone’s very sincere.”
PTI is located at 441 Passaic Avenue, Passaic. For info call 973-594-4774, [email protected] https://pti.shulcloud.com
