20 | JANUARY 26 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
W
hat does it mean to belong
to the Jewish people? What
are our strengths and
challenges in this ever-changing world?
These are some of the questions that
will be asked in JLearn’s new class titled
“Thoughtful Judaism: Peoplehood and
Practice in Today’s Changing World.”
The class is described as an exciting,
thought-provoking learning experience
offering fundamental concepts of
Judaism and Jewish life while exploring
compelling questions in Jewish thought.
Designed by the Shalom Hartman
Institute — a think tank for world
Judaism — the class is being led by
Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, Rabbi Emeritus
of Ann Arbor’s Beth Israel
Congregation where he
has served since 1988.
Dobrusin was ordained
from the Jewish Theological
Seminary and, in 2015, was
named one of the 33 most
inspiring rabbis in America
by The Forward.
JLearn is the Adult Jewish Learning
department of The J-Detroit.
This is a 12-week course beginning
March 1, fully taking place on Zoom on
Wednesdays from 10-11:15 a.m. Tuition
is $175. This is a pluralistic class for all
levels of learners.
This class represents the first two
units of a four-unit class. Series 2 (Faith
and Ethics) will be offered next fall.
The Hartman Institute provides
study material for the course, including
traditional and contemporary texts
addressing these issues.
“Those who facilitate the class, like
I’m going to do, bring in additional
material that we think fits in with the
material presented, with the idea of
engaging in conversations on these
significant issues that give people of
all different Jewish backgrounds an
opportunity to talk together, learn from
each other and explore these issues in a
serious way,” Dobrusin said.
Dobrusin, who taught the material in
a class last year, said the experience was
extraordinarily successful in terms of
opening people’s thinking in areas they
hadn’t considered before.
In the first unit, discussion will take
place about where considering yourself
part of the Jewish people fits in the
hierarchy of priorities and values.
“How important is it for a Jew to feel
part of the Jewish people, as opposed
to other things, engaging in prayer or
ritual traditions? What does it mean
when we talk about the Jewish people as
a family?
“How do we deal with disagreements
and conflicts within the Jewish
community? How do we deal with
the different aspects or priorities that
different Jewish communities might
have?
“How do we connect with our
brothers and sisters in Israel as Jews?
Those are the kinds of topics we’ll be
talking about. but grounded in specific
texts which will serve as a trigger for
the discussions,” Dobrusin said.
“This is not intended for people
of one particular level of Jewish
background or another. It’s really an
opportunity for everybody to come
together, whatever their backgrounds
are, and whatever their perspectives are,
and learn from each other.”
To register, call (248) 205-2557 or visit JLearn.online.
Rabbi Robert Dobrusin offers new JLearn course.
What Does It Mean
to Be Jewish?
Rabbi
Robert
Dobrusin
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER