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Torah study a key to igniting
the spiritual fires within, rabbi says.

received half a million hits before
last Passover, Schiller notes.
Since its inception, the goal of
Ohr Somayach has been to make
he future of our people
Jewish education available to Jews
lies in connecting to our
on all levels. The expression, Shivim
past as a people, says
Panim L'Torah — there are 70
Rabbi Nota Schiller,
aspects (literally
founder and dean of
"faces") to the
Ohr Somayach
Torah
— means
International.
that Torah learn-
Rabbi Schiller was
ing is approach-
in town from
able from many
Jerusalem Nov. 18 to
different angles.
present the Tree of
Some students
Life Award to
may be attracted
Rosalind and Larry
to the philosophi-
Nemer of Bloomfield
cal aspects of
Hills at an Ohr
Judaism, some to
Somayach Detroit
the mystical, some
dinner in Southfield.
to the intricacies
The native New
of halachic study,
Yorker established the
etc.
school in Jerusalem
By assembling
with Rabbi Mendel
a
large
staff of dif-
Weinbach 27 years
ferent
personali-
ago. They were con-
ties from around
vinced most Jews were
the world, all with
estranged from their
Rabbi Nota Schiller
serious academic
heritage, not through
backgrounds, Rabbi Schiller
conscious decisions, but lack of
explains, Ohr Somayach was able to
opportunity to study, what Rabbi
"offer something for everyone.
Schiller calls, the beauty, meaning
"We wanted to create an all-star
and wisdom of Judaism.
team"
of instructors, he says. The
The rabbis set out to remedy this
faculty attracted a high-caliber "Ivy
situation. Beginning in 1972 with
League" student body, which, in
five students, they opened their
turn, created the magnetism for oth-
school on less than a shoestring.
ers to come.
Instructors volunteered their time;
The Detroit branch of Ohr
one neighborhood yeshiva donated
Somayach,
directed by Rabbi David
classroom space and another donat-
Shapero,
sponsors
a variety of educa-
ed food. Today, the Ohr Somayach
tional
outreach
programs,
including
Jerusalem campus instructs 650-700
lecture series, lunch-and-learns, one-
college-age men, with an additional
on-one tutorials, and the "Jerusalem
100-150 in the summer months.
Vision" videoconference seminars,
Classes are offered in English,
run by Rabbi Eric Krohner.
Hebrew, Spanish, and Russian to
Participants span the gamut of
better serve the diverse student body.
Jewish
observance. A recent survey
More significantly, Ohr Somayach
of
Ohr
Somayach Detroit program
has now branched out to over a
participants
ascertained a mix of 3%
dozen locations around the world,
Orthodox, 26% Conservative, 31%
providing Jewish education to nearly
Reform, 3% Humanistic and 37%
10,000 adult men and women.
unaffiliated.
Ambitious to make Torah learning
"Jews today are like the biblical
ever more accessible, the organiza-
verse,
'I am asleep, but my heart is
tion has tapped into the potential of
(Song of Songs 5:2), says
awake"'
modern technology. The Ohr
Rabbi
Schiller.
"They're looking to
,
Somayach Web site, www.ohr.org.il
reconnect."
fields hundreds of questions a day. It

SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News

7

"

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(248) 360-0600 for available dates.

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