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There are probably more people involved in the serious study of Jewish texts than ever before. But you don’t have to have gone to yeshivah or sem to enjoy it.
If you want a taster of text, then London’s JW3 centre is running a “Pop-Up Beit Midrash” tomorrow night (Wednesday June 24, tickets £10 with supper).
It is being led by two tutors from the Pardes Institute of Jerusalem, Nechama Goldman-Barash and Rabbi Alex Israel.
Pardes is a non-denominational centre which offers high-level learning and its staff have been regular visitors to Limmud conferences.
UK-born Rabbi Israel, who has been teaching there for 10 years, said, “Our doors are open to every single Jew and anyone can come tomorrow night, it’s an open event.”
Pardes is a place “where you can engage with texts in an accepting environment”, he said.
The summer programme, which he runs, has increased its students from 70 last year to 100 this year – with 10 so far booked from the UK. “That’s a big increase,” Rabbi Israel says. “But we are still looking to raise our profile in the UK.”
And if you can’t make it this time, the Pardes Pop-Up Beit Midrash will be back here in November.
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