Shavuot, which marks the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, is typically a time for prayer, study and celebration. This year’s annual Tikkun L’el Shavuot program Saturday, May 23, at Kehilath Israel Synagogue features Rahel Berkovits, a senior faculty member at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Her keynote topic is “Darkhei Shalom — The Path to Building Community …Text Study of Mishnah Tractate Gittim.” (For more information about the event, see box.) The Kansas City Jewish community has celebrated this Shavuot tradition for more than 30 years
Berkovits lectures widely in both Israel and abroad on topics concerning women and Jewish law, and has published entries in the CD “Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia.” {mprestriction ids="1,3"}She is the editor-in-chief and halachic editor of “Ta Shma — JOFA’s Halakhic Source Guide Series.” She is an expert on women and Judaism and recently published the book “A Daughter’s Recitation of Mourner’s Kaddish.” She is a founding member of Congregation Shirah Hadasha, a progressive halachic minyan, which is enriched by both male and female participation in synagogue ritual. Berkovits hails from Boston and has lived in Jerusalem for the past 18 years with her family.
Berkovits has never been to this area, however she has met many people from here who have studied either in the Pardes year program or attended executive learning seminars. Those acquaintances include Howard Haas, head of school of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, and Alan Edelman and Patricia Werthan Uhlmann, both of the Jewish Federation.
People from several synagogues of various denominations throughout the city attend this Shavuot program every year, and that excites Berkovits because it’s similar to what she sees at Pardes. She explained the institute “is an open, co-ed and non-denominational Jewish learning community.”
“Diversity is at the core of Pardes and students represent a broad spectrum of the Jewish world. The result is a vibrant community constantly engaged in honest, dynamic and constructive debate leading to serious personal reflection and growth,” she said.
Berkovits said the mix of people from all different backgrounds at Pardes who come to learn and grow together is really something very unique in the Jewish world, “which can be so fragmented and at times in conflict with itself.”
Another reason Berkovits is looking forward to meeting people here is because she has encountered many Jewish communities in both Israel and the U.S. where Jews of different stripes and flavors do not interact in any way with one another, let alone to come together in study.
“Pardes is beginning to branch out from its main base in Jerusalem and to establish a U.S. presence and I hope this encounter with the K.C. Jewish community will be the first of many learning experiences together. Of course you are always welcome to visit Pardes in Jerusalem for any of our many programs — the summer, year, educators or executive learning programs.”
Berkovits said she suggested the Mishnah as a topic for the Shavuot program because that’s what she loves to teach. She also teaches Talmud and halachah at Pardes. She received her B.A. in religion from Barnard College and studied for many years at Midreshet Lindenbaum and the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
According to Berkovits, many people mistakenly think Mishnah (codified circa 200ce in Israel) is just a dry code book of ancient Jewish Law but actually it is a vibrant philosophy and theology book as well.
“The rabbis are working through what it means to build a Jewish community post-Temple destruction and they address many of the essential questions that are still relevant and challenge us today. If one were looking for a clear code of legal practice one would have difficulty finding guidance in the text of the Mishnah as it contains so many differing and at times conflicting voices. It is these different voices that create a rich fabric of experiences and ideas from which all different Jews today can find something that speaks to them.”
Berkovits will teach two classes that evening. She explained the first will examine a text about areas where one must compromise the letter of the law for the interests of peace between people.
“At first it seems that the Mishnah brings some very obscure examples. But on closer examination one sees that the text is painting a picture of one’s whole community from those that attend your same synagogue, and might share similar beliefs and practices and expanding outwards to include those who might be very different from yourself.”
“The Mishnah advocates that we should live in harmony with all of these people and treat them with respect.”
Berkovits’ second class will look at texts that examine woman and man’s relationship with God and with each other.
“Shavuot is the holiday in which the Jewish people celebrate and remember the giving of the Torah. For me the Mishnah, the oral tradition, represents the human partnership in that unfolding revelation. It is this oral codex and its study and interpretation for generations, which turns the written Torah into Torat Haiyyim — the living Torah of the Jewish people today.”
Berkovits hopes this Shavuot program will inspire others to engage in a new experience of Jewish text study. In her opinion, even people with a strong Jewish background don’t usually study Mishnah on its own, using it instead as a jumping off point for the “real” serious study of Talmud.
“However, Mishnah was originally edited and codified to stand on its own as a body of unified literature. I believe this methodology of looking at it from a literary and thematic perspective is somewhat unique in the Jewish world. This type of study also enables people with less of a background to also engage in the study for all you need is the words in front of you and your brain. The most important thing is to ask good questions. It is usually the places where the text seems awkward or hard to understand that the most interesting ideas are unfolding,” Berkovits said.
Berkovits truly believes text study empowers the learner. “The actual text is right there in front of you. You are not being told about it second hand or reading about it without an exact citation in an academic article. This encounter enables the learner to ask their own questions, make their own analysis and draw their own conclusions. Clearly the teacher as the facilitator will offer up some ideas, but when the learner has the text in front of them they are far better equipped to evaluate and absorb the information being taught. Also depending on people’s different backgrounds and life experiences different parts of the text might speak to them in different ways — having direct access to the texts enables this personal encounter with tradition.”
Berkovits said those who don’t have any previous experience studying ancient text shouldn’t be afraid to begin.
“After years of teaching I have learned that those coming to text study with minimal or no pervious knowledge therefore view the texts through clear untainted ‘glasses.’ They sometimes notice ideas and nuances that I have missed because I have read the text so many times and have a lot of background information that I bring when studying. My best moments as a teacher are when I learn something new from my students that I had never thought of or noticed before.”
Berkovits believes it is important to study ancient texts for two reasons.
“First of all no matter where you identify on the Jewish spectrum and no matter your practice and beliefs, these texts are your heritage and culture and affect the structure and body of Jewish practice no matter which denomination of synagogue you attend. Your own practice and the choices you make will be more meaningful and powerful if they are done based on knowledge.”
“It also may surprise people that although these texts are ‘ancient,’ many of the issues, challenges and questions that are raised in the Mishnah are very relevant today. The very broad question of how do I create a religiously meaningful and spiritual life while building a real and physical community and society with all it’s this world problems is still something we are all trying to work out.”{/mprestriction}
