Host a Torah in your home!
- Have you ever wished you could learn more about the Torah in a smaller, more personal setting than weekly services or classes?
- Do you have any burning questions about the Torah in general, or specific portions or topics that interest you, but were afraid to ask?
- Are you interested in a small-group discussion to interpret the teachings of the Torah?
- Do you have a child with a Bar or Bat Mitzvah coming up in a year or so, and would like to learn more about their Torah portion?
- Would you like to re-connect with the Torah portion from YOUR Bar or Bat Mitzvah, and share it with your family? Or see if you can still chant it all these years later in the comfort of your own home?
- Is there a particular season or Jewish holiday that you enjoy that would be made that much more meaningful by including the Torah in your celebration?
If the answer is yes to any of the above questions, read on to see how you can host a Torah in your home.
How do I sign up?
Beth Or offers a program aimed at making the Torah experience more intimate and personal for congregants. Families can request to reserve a week during which they can gather with friends and family to share an evening’s discussion, led by Rabbi Marx, Rabbi Gerber, or Cantor Green, and actually “host” a Torah in their own home.
There is absolutely NO COST to members of Beth Or. You are encouraged to invite as many friends and family members to your home as you wish to participate in the short Torah discussion tailored to that week’s portion.
With the exception of High Holidays, school vacations, sabbaticals and other events, the program’s goal is to generate enough interest to allow home-stays for the Torah three weeks out of every month, with Rabbi Marx, Rabbi Gerber, and Cantor Green taking turns leading in-home discussions.
Beth Or members who are interested in participating in the program are encouraged to email Barbara Murtha at bmurtha@bethor.org.
What happens next?
On designated weeks, the Torah will be brought to the congregant’s home in a protective Ark on either a Monday or Tuesday evening by Rabbi Marx, Rabbi Gerber, or Cantor Green, who will then lead a discussion on that week’s Torah portion with the host family and invited guests.
Host families are encouraged to invite others to join in the evening’s events at their home, to share the experience of “personalizing” the Torah in their lives. Host families are also encouraged to incorporate the presence of the Torah in their home in their own studies, discussions, etc. the rest of the week as well.
Host families will be expected to return the Torah and Ark to Beth Or prior to the commencement of Shabbat services.
Confirmation of requested weeks will take place on a rolling basis a month or two in advance of the requested date. Every attempt will be made to accommodate everyone’s requested date. However, in the event of multiple same-week requests for the Torah, factors considered in the final decision will include the specific basis for the request, whether an alternate date would also work, and the number of family and friends anticipated to attend the first evening’s discussion with the Rabbi or Cantor.