Portland picked for Talmud class

By Jewish Review

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This January, a new program promises to make the tomes of the Talmud accessible to interested adults.

The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, Chabad Lubavitch’s adult Jewish education worldwide network, invites dedicated learners in 15 cities, including Portland, to participate in MyShiur: Advanced Learning Initiative Talmud courses for serious students.

One of the goals of the program, according to Director Rabbi Levi Kaplan, is for students to acquire the skills necessary for self-study. Classes are not presented in a lecture form. The text-based course, he says, “is extremely involving and very engaging.”

Through this intensive program, students learn basic vocabulary, develop a Talmudic mindset and identify how the sages derived actual law from the sometimes esoteric Torah teachings.

Ultimately, MyShiur plans to run classes 30 weeks a year.

It’s not only the students who have to make a real commitment. The instructors chosen to present this series have dedicated themselves to adult Jewish education. Each class requires an average of 10 to 15 hours of in-depth preparation on the teacher’s part.

Rabbi Motti Wilhelm, a JLI instructor, said he is excited to bring MyShiur to his native Portland. He spends hours preparing for each lesson and said he values the well-researched resources prepared for the instructors.

“The classes introduce traditional Jewish knowledge in a way never before presented, and will help people comprehend the intricate and difficult aspects of the Gemara,” he said.

In Portland, the class will run for 10 Sundays at 9:30 a.m. in the Jewish Learning Institute beginning Feb. 10. To register, log on to www.myjli.com.

For more information, call 503-977-9947 or email jli@chabadoregon.com.