A MIDDLE-AGED man had lived for years with a problem that bothered him greatly.
He knew he was Jewish – there was no doubt about that – but he knew very little about his religion.
His longing for information got so acute that one day recently he could stand it no longer.
So he took the bull by the horns . . . and walked into Beis Menachem, the Chabad-Lubavitch learning centre in Park Lane, Salford.
He couldn’t have picked a better time. For a dozen students of Yeshivas Lubavitch were embarking on a unique Summer Learning programme while on a summer break from their regular studies.
They make themselves available, day or night, to help any Jew with a quest for knowledge.
It could be that they want to learn basic Aleph Beis – the Hebrew alphabet. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, they might want to study the deeper concepts of mystical Kabbalah.
But most of the 50 people who have taken part in the one-to-one sessions are more interested in a vast range of topics in between.
It could be Talmud, the weekly sedra or halochah (Jewish law), for instance. Whatever their choice, help is at hand.
But let’s return for a moment to the chap who walked in with a yearning to know more about his religion.
Student Gershon Klein, 18, of Manchester, explained: “We talked about anything and everything connected to Judaism.
“We discussed the issues that make Judaism unique – and, if there were any doubts, we talked about the proof of the existence of God.
“Our knowledge-hungry friend was able to learn how Hashem had revealed Himself to the Jewish people at Mt Sinai and how, since then, we have studied the Torah throughout the ages.
“After all, we aren’t called ‘The People of the Book’ for nothing!”
Gershon also told of an Irish-born man who walked into Beis Menachem with the question: “Can you teach me a little more about Judaism?”
“Because his father was not Jewish, he was unable to learn very much about his religion as a youngster at home,” said Gershon.
“But he recently became interested in discovering more about his heritage and I was able to teach him how to read basic Hebrew.”
“However, not all the people who come in ‘off the street’ are beginners. A man of about 45 from Manchester was obviously more frum and learned. He wanted to know more about the evolution of Torah through the ages – and we were able to oblige.”
Another of the yeshiva boys, 17-year-old Mendel Lazar, from Moscow, had a pleasant surprise when a Lithuanian in his early twenties walked in.
“It meant that were able to talk in Russian – which was nice for both of us,” smiled Mendel.
“It turned out that he worked in a local Jewish shop and came to us in his lunch-hour and after work.
“The result was that he learned about the meaning of prayer and how to be a better davener.
“He is a regular shulgoer and is now able to put into practice everything that he has learned.”
There is no age limit to the thirst for knowledge, explained Mendel.
“One man in his seventies comes to learn more about the cantorial notes and melodies.
“He is planning eventually to lehn (read from the Torah) in his synagogue.”
Student Eli Nochum Block, from San Antonio, Texas, told of a man in his thirties who had suddenly found out he was Jewish.
“He had lived in a non-Jewish area and, by chance, discovered that his mother was Jewish. That, of course, made him Jewish, too,” said Eli.
“He wanted to know about basic Jewish ideas and concepts. And, in the process, he is learning to read Hebrew, too.
“He is thrilled and motivated by the knowledge he has acquired . . . and plans to continue his studies throughout the next year.
“It’s cases like that which make it all worthwhile.”
Susan Yagman wrote...