by Debra Rubin
NJJN Bureau Chief/Middlesex

March 17, 2009

From the Madoff scandal to Jewish humor to Israel’s prospects for peace, the 24th annual Torathon at Congregation Beth Ohr in Old Bridge had something for everybody.

The March 7 adult education program featured rabbis and Jewish leaders from across the denominational spectrum — and attendees from throughout the region.

“We have some people who have come every year from the beginning,” said Linda Benish, the program’s chair for more than 20 years. “We have people who come from Edison, Metuchen, Princeton, Somerset County, and Monmouth County.”

Benish said some presenters have also returned year after year with varying topics, although the latest program featured two new teachers, Rabbi Eli Garfinkle of Temple Beth El of Somerset and Rabbi Aaron Benson, who in November took over as religious leader at the East Brunswick Jewish Center.

“Certainly the depth of what’s being taught has changed over the years,” said Benish, a teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School of Raritan Valley in East Brunswick. “People are now interested in more serious study. We used to do the story of the seder or Purim or hallah baking.”

In contrast, Benish cited the session conducted by Rabbi Michael Monson, a Jewish studies teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union in West Orange. Monson explored the concept of brit, or covenant, in reference to the recent scandals of animal abuse and violations of immigration law at the Agriprocessors kosher meat plant in Iowa, as well as Bernie Madoff’s criminal financial scheme.

Rabbi Eugene Wernick of Beth Ohr, also a teacher at the West Orange school, chose to speak about the obligation to give blood, bone marrow, or stem cell donations to save a life.

The director of the Chabad Jewish Center of Monroe, Rabbi Eliezer Zaklikovsky, offered a lesson on Jewish continuity that managed to reference both the Dalai Lama and the Holy Ark.

The lesson was based on the week’s Torah portion and inspired by a 1990s meeting between Jewish leaders and the Tibetan Buddhists’ spiritual leader, who sought to understand how Jews had preserved their religious traditions over thousands of years of exile.

Referencing the Torah portion, Zaklikovsky explained that “the Holy Ark has two carrying poles on each side, which must never be removed, so Jews could carry it with them in their travels. This represents the struggle of the Jewish people. Wherever they moved, the ark also came with them to give them strength and guidance in whatever geographic location they settled.”

Benson offered “a provocative look” at how the concept of servitude or slavery may be religiously meaningful.

“Being a slave to God and God alone is, in fact, the ideal model for Jewish living because it is part of the human condition to be needed, and through being needed, to find meaning,” said Benson. “The servant-master model means we are needed by God and thus that elemental aspect of the human condition is fulfilled.”

However, he cautioned, “any attempt by humans to master or impose their will on other humans is something we Jews are called to fight against. God is perfection and is the only worthy master for us to serve.”

Garfinkle choose a lighter topic: what Jewish jokes can teach about Judaism.

“All jokes are based on a grain of truth; that’s why they’re funny,” he said. “By distilling these truths you can find out a lot about what it means to be a Jew.”

Also conducting sessions were Rabbi Shira Johnston, a teacher at the West Orange Schechter, who explored the right to self-defense and imminent danger to life as outlined in Jewish law; Rabbi Herman Cohen, an East Brunswick psychotherapist and social worker who has lectured extensively on Middle Eastern affairs; and Jerusalem native Yosef Bitran of East Brunswick, who explored the history of Israel’s conflict with its neighbors and the prospects for peace.

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