Q.1 Where should a person, who has Jewish roots yet little to no Jewish knowledge/identity, begin in their search to connect with yiddishkeit/Judaism? Given that Jewish history/culture/philosophy/spiritual approach is so vast- what’s the starting point?
I received a pretty extensive Jewish education – brought up in an Orthodox community in New York, I attended Jewish day school from kindergarten to 12th grade, and was always part of a strong, supportive Jewish community. However, during University, I felt that I wanted more, I wanted to achieve real mastery of traditional Jewish texts, I wanted to make them my own, rather than have them remain material that I once studied in high school and barely understood or cared about. So, I went to Israel, to Jerusalem, to a Yeshiva, where I studied for many years, eventually becoming a teacher and Rabbi. The fact is that Israel offers the best and most varied range of options for someone who wants to start the journey of claiming his or her Jewish heritage as his own, at whatever entry point he may be at. The many Yeshivot and seminaries, the academic institutions, the Hebrew language and the Jewish character of the country all make it the ideal place to engage in Jewish study, on any level. So, my basic answer is – go to Jerusalem and go to Yeshiva.
However, I do understand that many people are simply unable to take the time and make the adjustment in their lives to pick up and go to Israel, even for a relatively short time. For them, I would recommend the next best thing: spend some time in an institution of Jewish learning in some other center: New York, or London perhaps, if that fits into your plans more easily than a trip to Israel.
If, however, one needs to remain in a location without options for serious Jewish study, then try to find a chevrutah (study partner) – someone local, who may not be more advanced, with whom you can start studying something basic – Mishna, Bible with Rashi, Maimonides’ code of Law, the Mishneh Torah. These things are available with translations, and are basic. I would also recommend going on line and searching for sites on basic Jewish topics. One, called myjewishlearning.com is very good, you can just go there and dig in. Aish.com is similar. Obviously, looking at the Torah and basic commentaries is a good place to start, as it is basic, and translated into many languages. There are many parshat hashavua sites you can look at – I have one at weeklyportion.byfi.org, and on google you can find dozens.
So, if you can’t go to a serious Yeshiva in Jerusalem or elsewhere, good luck with a chevruta or on line!
