Community Torah Learning

Simchat Torah to Shavuot 5778

(For a listing of current FTJC course offerings, click here)

Let's climb a mountain of Torah! We are thrilled to launch the second year of our community-wide learning campaign that will take us from Simchat Torah to Shavuot! Torah learning is the beating heart of a vibrant, engaged Jewish community -- let's show ourselves what we can do!

Our goal is 613 hours of learning. We came very close last year, but we know we can do it this time!

Beginning after Simchat Torah (October 13, 2017), individual members of the FTJC community will be able to pledge a certain number of hours of Torah learning, via the form below, which you commit to fulfilling by Shavuot (May 20-21, 2018). Our goal is for the community to pledge a total of at least 613 hours.

The initial pledge period runs from October 13 to November 15. Enter pledges below or click here.

Once all of the pledges are in, the learning commences! As you fulfill your pledges, you will be able to input your fulfillments via the form below. As a participant, you'll be updated to our progress as a community and individually - all the other participants, as well as the percentage of their pledged hours that they have fulfilled so far. Our goal is to fulfill all 613 hours by Shavuot!

Adults and children are both welcome to participate. This is a great opportunity even for young children to participate, with parents' encouragement and guidance. Parents: make a personal pledge, then help your children fill out the form for themselves! Maybe some of your hours will be fulfilled by learning together?

What is "Torah learning"? Pledges must be fulfilled by engaging in Torah study, broadly understood as Jewish learning that is at least partially rooted in our sacred texts such as the siddur, the Torah, or rabbinic literature (as opposed to, say, just seeing a movie about Jewish characters). But it doesn't have to be traditional "text study."

What "counts"? Learning should ideally happen in relationship with other people (not alone or in an anonymous lecture hall). Learning that you are already doing for a program you are enrolled in doesn't count!

The options are many: FTJC classes, learning with a chavruta (study partner--counts for both of you!), attending classes and programs offered by other organizations, parents studying with children, etc. If you're not sure whether to count something, please get in touch with Reyzl Geselowitz.

We look forward to celebrating together the achievement of our goal in June! As a community, we can do it! Additional ideas, suggestions, comments, or questions? Please talk with Reyzl Geselowitz.

Track our Progress

Pledge Hours or Enter Fulfillment Hours