Fresh platform for adult education
MORIAH College will next week launch Kesher Academy, a new platform for adult Jewish education, with an opening talk tackling intermarriage.
MORIAH College will next week launch Kesher Academy, a new platform for adult Jewish education, with an opening talk tackling intermarriage.
Translated as “connection”, Kesher is about creating a connection between ourselves, our Judaism and the community, according to Moriah’s dean of Jewish life and learning Rabbi Benji Levy.
“We often seek out learning opportunities to develop our own relationship with our own Judaism, and to expand our horizons intellectually and spiritually – that’s what Kesher will be about,” Rabbi Levy told The AJN.
Kesher Academy will offer a keynote speaker approximately every two months, generally from outside Sydney. So far names include Jon Medved, CEO and founder of OurCrowd; and Rabbi Doron Perez, head of World Mizrachi.
“We seek out world-class educators who have something meaningful to say to challenge, engage and inspire,” Rabbi Levy explained.
Kesher will also offer mini-courses, presented by leaders from within the local community on a range of topics. The first will begin on August 10, with Lynda Ben-Menashe from the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, exploring the art of advocating for the Jewish State over five weeks in “Talking About Israel”.
Rabbi Levy noted that the initiative is directed towards Moriah parents as well as the wider community. “I think the greatest partnership in educating a child is that between the educator and the parent,” he said. “One thing we wanted to offer to our parents is a taste of the Jewish educational opportunities and high-quality presenters that we’re providing to their children.”
Kesher Academy will launch next week with its first keynote address by Mount Scopus Memorial College principal Rabbi James Kennard (from Melbourne), who will discuss “Will our grandchildren be Jewish?”
“Essentially when any Jewish person hears the question ‘will our grandchildren be Jewish?’ it resonates in some way. The real question is why – what is the purpose of Jewish continuity?” Rabbi Levy noted.
“I think that it would be in the top few most pressing issues of the global Jewish community, and specifically in Sydney we are seeing increasing numbers of apathy, attrition and assimilation, whereby fewer Jews are actively involved in their Judaism.
“I don’t think it’s anyone’s fault specifically, but I do think it is our duty to ask the question before it’s too late.”
The opening event is on Tuesday, August 4 at 7.30pm in Rose Bay. Exact location provided on sign-up at www.kesheracademy.org.
PHOEBE ROTH
comments