The Judaic Studies faculty of Torah Academy of Bergen County will present a series of 10 shiurim over the three-day Shavuot holiday weekend, beginning on Shabbat, Erev Shavuot, June 11 and ending on Monday afternoon, June 13, shortly before the conclusion of the chag. The adult education lectures are presented in cooperation with 17 synagogues in Teaneck and Bergenfield. The talks will be hosted by five centrally located congregations—Beth Abraham, Bais Medrash of Bergenfield, Keter Torah, Beth Aaron, and Bnai Yeshurun—to allow as many people as possible to participate. Each presentation will be a variation on the theme of Mamlechet Kohanim V’Goy Kadosh: Sanctity and Sensitivity. Topics will include Kedushat Yisrael: Sanctity in a Culture Adrift; Appealing a Halachic Decision: A Case Study of a Highly Sensitive Situation; Do You Think That You Have What It Takes to Be a Navi?—Preparing Yourself for Sanctity; The Sensitivity of Humility: Suppressing Personal Sanctity.
“TABC is the local yeshiva high school,” said Rabbi Ezra Weiner, who serves as mashgiach ruchani, “and we look at this as an opportunity to, in some measure, give back to the community that helps support the great Torah institution we have become.”
This is the third consecutive year that virtually all of the community’s shuls will officially include the Torah Academy of Bergen County lecture series with their other extensive holiday programming. TABC is proud that participating shuls include Ahavat Shalom, Arzei Darom, BMOB, Beth Aaron, Beth Abraham, Bnai Yeshurun, Chabad, The Jewish Center of Teaneck, Keter Torah, Netivot Shalom, Ohr Saadya, Ohr HaTorah, Rinat, Shaare Tefillah, Shaarei Orah, Young Israel of Teaneck and Zichron Mordechai. More than 250 people attended one or more of the lectures last year.
“We are excited to provide a full complement of shiurim to fill the long Shavuot afternoons with limud Torah,” said Naomi Knoller, a TABC parent who helped create the series. “While many people find it difficult to remain attentive all night long due to their family obligations, this is a great opportunity for adults to learn with some of the many beloved TABC rabbeim who live in our community.”
The faculty members who will be sharing TABC’s Torah will need to remain awake, however. On the first night of the chag, on Motzei Shabbat, they will hold an all-night Tikkun Leil Shavuot program for TABC students, culminating in an early-morning minyan. Over 80 students participated last year, enjoying shiurim on a variety of topics, and an opportunity to learn with their friends and rabbeim in the beautiful Beit Midrash.
This community-wide program is open to men and women, and is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Cedar Market, The Judaica House and The Leben Family in memory of Benjamin Leben z”l. Additional sponsorship and individual shiur dedication opportunities are available. Contact Sharon Rifkind at TABC at [email protected] or visit tabc.org/shavuot for the full schedule and to dedicate a shiur in commemoration of Yizkor, in honor of an individual or an upcoming event or for a Refuah Shleima for a loved one. Sponsorship deadline is June 6.
