The Open Talmud Project is a grassroots initiative designed to facilitate serious, skills based, open minded and cross denominational learning in London. We launched in 2009 with great success; 25 students gathered for a 4 day intensive course at Moishe House London, some who were entirely new to Jewish text study, some who had years of experience. Our subsequent year in 2010 and 2012 were even more successful, attracting 40 participants and a range of high profile educators. A strong and vibrant community was formed, here’s what some participants and teachers had to say:
'This was Talmud as I imagined the Rabbis did it - engaged, meaningful, deeply personal, and loudly argumentative'
Rabbi Natan Levy
'Grass-roots, post-denominational, quality Torah study - that's what the Open Talmud Project embodied'
Rabbi Shoshana Boyd Gelfand
'Like studying in Jerusalem again, but saving on the carbon credits'
Adam Driscoll – participant
The programme is for everyone, but especially; those that want to go beyond one off sessions and shiurim, those that want not just to be taught but to become independent learners, those that want to experience an egalitarian yeshiva and those that want to spend several days in a uniquely friendly and enriching community. The programme features Talmud in the morning, in which participants will be divided into 3 groups, based on how much experience they have of the Talmud study. Each group will engage in traditional ‘chevruta’ (paired) learning, and all groups will cover texts that engage with philosophical issues as well as technical ones. In the afternoon’s participants will choose between classes on a range of subjects, including Halacha (Jewish law), Tanach (Bible) and modern Jewish philosophy. We will also celebrate Shabbt together including a Friday night meal, Shabbat lunch and a special programme on Saturday evening until Havdalah.
The Open Talmud is unique in the UK – there is no another course offering serious cross-denominational learning, and no other opportunity to engage in high quality learning in such an open mind environment. Come and be part of this new way of doing Judaism!