frontlines
Barbara Lewis
Contributing Writer
S
omething odd happened on
Sukkot 27 years ago when the late
Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem
Mendel Schneerson led the prayers at
his headquarters in Crown Heights,
Brooklyn.
Instead of putting the etrog down peri-
odically during the Hallel prayer, he held
it together with the lulav, the bundle of
three kinds of branches, the entire time.
He told his followers he wanted to show
that Torah was the key to Jewish unity.
Leibel Wiener of Oak Park wasn't there
but he heard about the lesson, and it reso-
nated with him.
At the Oak Park Lubavitch Center,
where he regularly prayed, Wiener said
maybe they should start a Torah study
group open to the community as a way of
fostering Jewish unity. Fine, his friends
responded: start one.
So Wiener did. He invited Rabbi
Hershel Zaklos, who teaches at the
Lubavitch day school, to lead it.
A few weeks ago, the study group cele-
brated its 27th anniversary. Come rain or
snow, the group has met every Monday at
8 p.m. at Wiener's home, except on Jewish
holidays. Even during
last August's rain del-
uge, a few stalwarts
sat around Wiener's
dining room table as
usual, discussing the
Members of the Torah study group
weekly portion.
The class usually
ends at 9 p.m., though sometimes the
tells you how to live. It can help make
students get so involved in the discussion
people more of a mentsh."
that they continue until 9:30 or even later.
Zaklos has the ability to "bring the
"Rabbi Zaldos is very patient:' Wiener
weekly Torah portion to life Wiener
said. "He takes the time to answer every-
said. He focuses on practical applications
one's questions"
for that week's Torah portion.
Wiener and Zaklos are Orthodox, but
As an example, Zaklos pointed to Lech
many of the other participants are not.
Lecha, the portion read in synagogues on
Wiener recruited the first group from
Nov. 1. The portion opens with God tell-
among his co-workers at New York
ing Abraham to leave the place where he
Carpet World. He now works at Say-On
has been living and go to a new land.
Drugs.
"It's the hardest thing in the world to
Though most of the students are men,
leave your family, your friends, your land,"
Wiener and Zaldos say women are wel-
Zaldos said. "Abraham had to leave his
come, as are teens.
comfort zone" In the class, he and the stu-
Students come and go. Wiener is the
dents discussed how they've had to stretch
only one left from the original group. But
and act beyond their own comfort zones.
a reunion in 1997 to celebrate the class's
Zaklos may be the teacher but he gives
10th anniversary drew 50 people.
credit to Wiener. "He's the pusher. He got
Zaldos said ignorance is the major cause his friends and co-workers to come the
of disunity in the Jewish community.
rabbi said.
"I hope through this class we can show
New students are welcome. For details,
what the Torah really says" he said. "It
call Leibel Wiener at (248) 495-9929.
❑
JN CONTENTS
Nov. 20-26, 2014
theJEWISHNEWS.com
27 Cheshvan- 4 Kislev 5775 I Vol. CXLVI, No. 15
Arts/Entertainment ... 41
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Terror Attack .... 16, 40
Torah Portion
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World
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Columnist
Danny Raskin
Shabbat Lights
Shabbat: Friday, Nov. 21, 4:47 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Nov. 22, 5:51 p.m.
Shabbat: Friday, Nov. 28, 4:43 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Nov. 29, 5:48 p.m.
Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
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