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Q: What is the goal of learning at Mekom Torah? A: The goal of learning at Mekom Torah is to help your Jewishness becomes a strong and meaningful aspect of your identity. We read ancient words with an openness to multiple meanings, but without giving up our commitment to seeking truth. At Mekom Torah there is never pressure to move farther along any path of Jewish belief or practice. Only to learn. For those who delight in scholarship, this learning will support that quest. For those inclined toward piety, this learning can support that inclination. But the deepest goal of Mekom Torah is personal, not pietistic or academic: to use study as a key to take ownership of the Jewish tradition.
Q: How does this compare with other Jewish education programs? A: Many other serious Jewish learning programs model themselves on the university, where people complete courses in order to attain expertise in a subject. Mekom Torah is modeled on traditional institutions of the Jewish past, where learning follows the cycles of the Jewish year, of the Bible, and of the Talmud, and where the goal of learning is more learning.
Q: What is the relationship between Mekom Torah and the local congregations? A: Mekom Torah supports and enriches Jewish life. It will succeed best in a community that has a rich set of congregational options where people can live the Judaism that they learn. Mekom Torah works with the leaders of the local congregations to make sure that the offerings are well coordinated with the goals of the congregations and that the needs of their members are served. Jewish congregations in communities that draw on the resources of Mekom Torah can expect to become more vibrant as a result. In addition, Mekom Torah offers an alternative entry point to Jewish life and identity for people who have not, or who have not yet, found their way to congregational life.
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