There is a popular in-depth shiur every Tuesday and Thursday morning at Keter Torah.
It is called Torah in the AM. For me, it has been “heaven” in the AM.
Entering Keter Torah at 9:05 a.m. on a Tuesday or a Thursday, one hears a lively, stimulating discussion as Zalman leads a small group in an analysis of pesukim in the Chumash.
Then, at 9:45, Rabbi Menachem Meier enlightens us in understanding Talmud Berachot, daf by daf.
And I often wonder if this is what heaven will be like for me after 120 years.
Rabbi Meier dedicates himself to almost three hours of our learning each Tuesday and Thursday morning. He is a rabbi who seems to have the life force of a 20-year-old combined with the learning of a very wise chacham, who is so kind, patient and caring. He is certainly a true model of how to be as a Jew and as a human.
And we get to learn with him and from him.
Heaven is also sitting with a retired attorney, Chaim Zvi, who knows law and knows Talmud, and with Gittel, who is so well versed in Talmud that she becomes the substitute teacher on the rare occasions that Rabbi Meier cannot be with us.
And then there is Malka, whom I always make sure to sit near, for she explains to this baalat teshuva what I don’t yet understand with such patience and detail, adding helpful suggestions to increase my learning.
Sitting in front of Shmuel Chaim, a native Hebrew speaker and a very learned student of Torah, I gain so much from his generously sharing with me such clear and helpful explanations of each Hebrew term that is new to me.
And there is Rahel, with whom I can always commiserate when I get lost, and Reb Binyamin all the way in front of the room, who comes out with gems of concepts that come together for him, which he shares with us. And the wonderful Shoshana Shulamit, who sits directly in front of me and with whom I so enjoy speaking and who even gifted me with a learning aid for Gemara.
I also so appreciate the contributions of the knowledgeable Shmuel who often acts as our resident librarian and his learned wife, Michal, with whom I study often during the rest of the week.
There are so many in the shiur whom I have not mentioned but for whom I feel immense appreciation.
In the third hour, at 10:45, Rabbi Meier shares lessons that go deep and apply to our modern lives from the Rambam and also from the Rav.
Yes, for sure, for me, heaven will be sitting in a room like Keter Torah, learning with Rabbi Meier and with those whom, to me, are the high level Talmudic minds of our time, who speak their ideas, who question each pasuk and who also love from the bottom of their soul the lessons in our Torah.
How blessed we are to have such an experience, all year round, every Tuesday and Thursday in Keter Torah. And if you are in search of summer learning when most shiurim stop, Torah in the AM goes all year round. Join us.
By Chana Klein
Chana Klein’s book, “Light From the Darkness: A Different Perspective on Difficult Times,” is a motivational self-help book about a woman who has been through it all. Chana’s story includes surviving a Roman Catholic Children’s Aid Society Home for Girls and eventually finding meaning and joy in the religion she had been born into, Judaism. Purchase on Amazon at this link: https://tinyurl.com/ybrh5zpo.
