Partners n Learning

Yeshiva-based
Torah program is a
spiritual pacesetter
in Jewish adult
education.

Robert A. Sklar

Editor

I

t's a few minutes before 8 on a
Tuesday night at Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah. Laura Aronson, a Franklin
mother of three, awaits her study partner,
Janet Snider, a Yeshiva graduate, Torah
teacher and local pediatrician.
By 8 p.m., it's study time in the Yeshiva
learning center. The buzz of Jews of all
ages and backgrounds is electric and the
energy to learn infectious. There for the
taking are boundless nuggets of Jewish
knowledge and Yiddishkeit.
The two take part in Tuesday night
learning, the flagship of the Jean and
Theodore Weiss Partners in Torah pro-
gram. This hour of learning hosted by the
Southfield-based Yeshiva boasts at least
200 pairs of partners studying text and
ideas under the watchful eye and tender
direction of Rabbi Avraham Cohen and
his staff. The program is Orthodox-led
but free of judgment or ulterior motive.
The common thread is a sincere desire to
study Torah in a non-threatening, easily
accessible environment. The program is
Detroit Jewry's largest for ongoing adult
education.
Before meeting Rabbi Cohen, Laura
Aronson yearned to soak up more of the
sunshine radiating from the push and
pull of her faith. As a child in Chicago,
she discovered what being Jewish meant
through her observant grandparents.
"Everyone has their own journey
through life," she said. "I needed to give
something to my Jewish soul, though I
didn't exactly know what it was or how to
do it."

Strong Learning Timbers

Still fulfilling for both after eight years,
Rabbi Cohen's shidduch (match) of

Tuesday-night partners Laura Aronson and Janet Snider in the study center of
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield

Aronson and Snider truly has God's bless-
ing. Aronson, now a member of Adat
Shalom Synagogue, a Conservative shul
in Farmington Hills, likes being able to ask
questions without fear of stirring up a
spiritual hornet's nest.
"Partners is a vehicle to whatever you
want to learn," she said. "I have never felt

judged. I have made my learning experi-
ence as deep or shallow in a subject as I
have wanted."
Sessions have spanned the pillars of
Judaism, from the weekly Torah portions
to the biblical (Book of Ruth), ethical
(Pirkei Avot), philosophical (Talmud) and
grammatical (Hebrew). Each year, they

review the history, practices and customs
of the upcoming holidays and other sig-
nificant days.
"Partners provides a program tailor-
made for each individual," said Snider,
who attends Young Israel of Oak Park
and Agudas Yisroel Mogen Abraham in
Southfield. "There is no pressure. Each
pair decides what it will study, at what
pace and for how long. It's up to you!"
A special friendship has grown from
the hours of informal study together,
underscoring the human aspect of
Partners. The bond is fueled by mutual
respect and concern for each other and
their families. We have shared holidays,
simchahs and life passages," Snider said.
Snider's investment of volunteer time
isn't lost on Aronson. She lauds Snider's
willingness not only to teach, but also
research and learn along with her. Snider
is quick to share with Aronson what she
teaches through Machon L'Torah/Jewish
Awareness America in Oak Park and Ann
Arbor. They also attend lectures and
lunch-and-learn programs together.
"We both bring different assets to the
table and it just works," Snider said. "I
value Laura's insights, questions and
observations so much that I try to review
with her any classes that I give in other
programs. I look forward to her comments
and suggestions."
Partners is a family affair in the Snider
household. Janet's husband, Stuart, and
their 16-year-old daughter, Rivka, also
are mentors. Rivka came on board this
past summer. Stuart has mentored me for
three years.
"My weekly preparation requires me
to relearn and deepen my understanding
of the material because I now have to
explain it to someone else with a differ-
ent background," said Stuart, a Detroit
attorney. "It also has afforded me the
opportunity to deepen a friendship that
had previously been only casual."

Helm Of Leadership

A hush falls over the room during the
last five minutes of each Tuesday night
session as Rabbi Cohen and Rabbi Leiby
Burnham share wisdom about the weekly
parshah (Torah portion).
Rabbi Cohen, who spends nearly
every day learning 1-on-1 with Jewish

Partners In Learning on page 18

April 12 2007

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