Arthur Kurzweill is the author of On the Road with Rabbi Steinsaltz: 25 Years of Pre-Dawn Car Trips, Mind-Blowing Encounters and Inspiring Conversations with a Man of Wisdom. The book is Arthur’s spiritual memoir about his experiences as a student and chauffeur for one of the great Jewish leaders of our time, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.
"So What's The Big Secret Anyway?"
"20 Profound Kabbalistic Ideas That Can Transform Your Life"
"Searching For God In A Magic Shop"
"Kabbalah, The Official Theology of the Jewish People"
"I was overjoyed to have attended the Scholar-in -Residence program this past weeked given by Mr. Arthur Kurzweil. I found his talks most inspirational and informative. I feel he lit a spark in me to become more informed about Kabbalah and the Talmud. I attended Hebrew School on a superficial level as a child but was not motivated to continue my Jewish studies. That has now changed due to this past weekend. I am motivated to read his book on Kabbalah and the other books he recommended. I look forward to checking his website and receiving his spiritual sayings on a daily basis. This is a most stressful and competitive world we live in, but I felt very much at peace listening to Mr. Kurzweil. It was truly an honor to have attended. I welcome more programs like this at the synagogue. Thank you for such a life changing program." Robin Schafer
"One day I will be daring and try an experiment. I'll take my copy of the Steinsaltz Reference Guide for the Talmud and read it on the F train going between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Maybe something magical will happen to me as it has for Mr. Kurzweill. Thank you for a wonderful weekend." -- Leslie B. Klein
Since January, 2008, Temple B'nai Shalom has had a Shabbat morning Torah Study Group. We meet in the library from 9 to 10 AM every Shabbat morning and study the portion of the week. We are a small group, and have learned a lot following the tradition of Havruta: studying in pairs.
In September, 2009, after having completed two readings of the entire Torah, we began studying the books following Deuteronomy, beginning with Joshua. Please join us. Havruta is a wonderful way of studying our tradition.
Havruta: Learning in Pairs
A modern emphasis on peer-guided text study--an approach with ancient roots--reflects new social realities in the world of traditional Jewish learning.
By Rachael Gelfman
Jews seldom study Torah alone; the study of Torah is, more often than not, a social and even communal activity. Most commonly, Jews study Jewish texts in pairs, a method known as havruta ("fellowship"). In havruta, the pair struggles to understand the meaning of each passage and discusses how to apply it to the larger issues addressed and even to their own lives. Sometimes they study to prepare for attending a lecture, and sometimes they meet to delve into a text independently of any organized class.
Often, a havruta chooses to learn in the bet midrash, a study hall, together with other havrutot. Together, havrutot (plural for havruta) create the atmosphere of the beit midrash (study hall) where the sounds of discussion and debate fill the air.
How and why did study in havruta become such an integral part of the Jewish tradition? The Jewish tradition has always valued learning with others, whether with teachers or other students. Recent historical research, however, suggests that learning in pairs--havruta--only became the predominant mode of learning in the last century.
Some of the earliest references to learning in groups, and particularly in pairs, occur in the Talmud. The Talmud asserts that the Torah is only acquired in a group, haburah (Babylonian Talmud [BT], Berakhot63b). The word haburah derives from the same root as havruta--haver, or, in English, friend. The Talmud also particularly extols the value of learning in pairs: "Two scholars sharpen one another" (BT Ta'anit7a)--two scholars, through discussion and debate, help to sharpen each other's insight into the text.
The most frequently quoted saying in the Talmud relating to havrutais: "o havruta o mituta" (BT Ta'anit23a), translated provocatively by Jacob Neusner as "Give me havruta or give me death." Many Jewish scholars cite this phrase to illustrate the centrality of study in havruta. In context, however, the phrase has nothing to do with learning in pairs. Rather, the phrase means that the individual needs society and the respect of others, and without them life is not worth living. Still, the very fact that so many Jewish scholars take this phrase out of context and interpret it as referring to study in pairs shows the importance of havrutain the Jewish tradition.
House of Learning 
Adult Education Classes, Fall 5770