Shteiging with Infectious Enthusiasm: Interactive Gemara and Hashkafa with Rabbi Yaakov Israel
About 7 years ago, Rabbi Yaakov Israel, a Yungerman in the Milwaukee Kollel, was very content spending the bulk of his time plumbing the depths of Hashem’s Torah. Like everyone in the Kollel, mornings and afternoons were spent learning at a high level together with the rest of the Kollel, with other times, primarily night Seder, dedicated to learning with “baalei batim,” members of the greater community.
Rabbi Israel became aware of 4 individuals who wanted to learn Torah during the morning, but weren’t equipped to do so without a teacher. After seeking the guidance of the Rosh Kollel and the Rebbe, Shlit”a, Rabbi Israel recognized that Hashem was presenting him with the next stage of his life’s journey. That was the beginning of “Interactive Gemara and Hashkafa,” a Chabura which has now grown to over ten people learning together 5 days a week. Some of the participants have changed, but the shiur has never paused. Even during Covid, the shiur simply shifted to Zoom and carried on. A bit of a blessing in disguise, the addition of new technology allowed people who have moved to continue being part of the shiur, so that today there are participants in other parts of Wisconsin, in Florida, and even one in Israel!
Together, this group of men from very divergent backgrounds have worked their way through two Masechtos, Sotah and Megillah. At the advice of the Rebbe, Shlit”a, after their last Siyum they began an ambitious undertaking, Maseches Bava Basra. One of the longest and more challenging Masechtos, we know that under Rabbi Israel’s tutelage, the group will keep plugging away and Shteiging (growing) together.
Enter Jonathan Chernin, the group’s newest member. It is not unusual to hear of someone retiring and moving to Florida, but Jonathan, and his wife Linda, chose a different kind of warmth. The story of how the Orlando-based Chernins connected to Milwaukee and a Frum lifestyle is one for another time, but when Jonathan was ready to sell his business and retire, they knew that Milwaukee - they had already owned a home here for several years - would become their full-time residence.
But Jonathan’s new daily schedule was not part of the plan. In his own words, “I always enjoyed learning. I had attended classes at the Kollel before. But I didn’t think I would be spending three to four hours a day there!
“What happened was that Jim Goldman (who has attended Rabbi Israel’s shiur from nearly the very beginning) told me that I absolutely must come to the Kollel. He basically dragged me there. And the truth is, I was very intimidated to be sitting with this group of men who had been studying together for so long. I didn’t know how to learn Torah! But after a couple of days, I was hooked. And I’ve never looked back.
“Rabbi Israel just made me feel so welcome. He immediately treated me like a part of the group, and his warmth and enthusiasm just made any intimidation fade away. It was truly a life changing experience. Every day I learn more about how important it is to learn Torah. I love it!”
Rabbi Israel begins and ends each day with teachings and stories about Torah philosophy, and one of the group’s members, Rabbi Dr. Richard Zussman, reads each day from Praying With Fire, a book about connecting more deeply with davening. This is the Hashkafa part of the learning.
The bulk of the time, however, is spent delving into the Gemara. Just like in any Yeshiva in the world, each day they review the previous day’s material before going further. As they go deeper into the Gemara, lively discussion regularly ensues, and this is where you begin to get a new appreciation for the term “interactive.” Rabbi Israel gently guides and teaches, while giving everyone the opportunity to share and debate their own perspectives. “What impresses me most about Rabbi Israel,” says Jonathan, “is when he discovers a new insight. Even though he has learned the subject many times, he just bursts with infectious excitement! May Hashem help that we continue to learn together for many years to come.”
All we can say is, “Amen!”
