Talia Bardash and Amira Pechet enjoy inspirational shiurim in their downtime. They have traveled across the metropolitan area to hear renowned speakers, often in town for limited engagements. This motivated them to create a group called Torah in Teaneck (TNT), where they could offer dynamic shiurim close to home.
Bardash was born and raised in Teaneck and went to Yavneh Academy and The Frisch School and studied at Sha’alavim for Women in Israel. She is currently a student at Yeshiva University and hopes to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant. Pechet was born and raised in Bergenfield and went to The Moriah School and Ma’ayanot High School for Girls. She spent two years learning in Israel at Tiferet and is currently enrolled in the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. Pechet hopes to start her own non-profit organization after she completes her degree.
What began as a small group of friends interested in bringing quality speakers to town has blossomed into a much larger entity. Bardash and Pechet have been energized by the growing interest in the program and, in addition to holding a weekly shiur, have brainstormed some exciting events for the upcoming months. They met with Rebbetzin Efrat Sobolofsky and are in the process of organizing a pre-Pesach shiur as well as a community-wide women’s learning event to take place during sefira in preparation for Shavuot. Additionally, they hope to organize an evening of learning on Shavuot that will be geared toward post-seminary women and beyond.
Torah in Teaneck is looking for sponsors to subsidize the program. There is a $10 admission fee per shiur, but that is often not enough to cover the speaker’s fee. Sponsorship opportunities come in many forms. Individuals may sponsor a shiur to commemorate a yahrzeit, for a refuah shelayma or in honor of a special occasion. In-kind donations are welcome as well; Grand and Essex sponsored potato kugel for a previous shiur, which was greatly appreciated.
“I am so excited about the new initiative of Torah in Teaneck. It is great to come home from a week at school to amazing shiurim led by rabbis and speakers that I wouldn’t have heard from without TNT,” expressed Bardash.
The shiur takes place on Thursday evenings at the Bardash home, 786 Washburn Street in Teaneck. The speakers and topics vary from week to week, occasionally focusing on the parsha or just an interesting Torah topic. To date, TNT has hosted speakers such as Rabbi Mordechai Burg from Mevaseret and Rabbi Yosef Weinberger, the rabbinical intern at Congregation Bnei Yeshurun. The upcoming roster includes shiurim from Rabbi Chaim Marcus (2/15), Rabbi Larry Rothwachs (2/22) and Rabbi Moshe Benovitz (3/15).
If you enjoy learning Torah and find yourself in Teaneck on a Thursday evening, check out TNT. To be added to the WhatsApp group please text 201-446-5507 or 201-286-7455, and follow them on Instagram @torahnteaneck.
By Andrea Nissel
