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New Season Starting Hi! These days, it seems like nothing has a shelf life longer than a week. Every day brings another superhero franchise, fashion trend, or dieting fad. News cycles shift by the hour, social media feeds and timelines by the second. With everything flickering, flashing, and constantly updating, it’s little wonder life sometimes feel so impermanent. For me, there’s no better way to slow things down than to pull back, if only for short while, and try to see things from a more timeless perspective. Our own Jewish traditions are filled with so many breathtaking insights, and they won’t fade away into irrelevance in a few days. Connecting to our own heritage, and ultimately to a divine wisdom, makes the all very human things we do feel richer, more meaningful, and part of something longer lasting. The Torah Studies program at Chabad on Tampa tries to make this happen every single week. Each class take a topic or idea in Jewish thought to explore, tease out, and bring into play with our own lives. Each one is built around texts that we’ll learn together so that you can see these ideas for yourself, argue over them, and apply them to life your own way. Below, you can see an outline of a few of the upcoming sessions, and I’d love if you could join me for what promises to be a fun, engaging, and deeply rewarding learning experience. They are open to everyone, of all abilities, so bring along a friend too! Shalom, and have a great week, Rabbi Hershey Spritzer 6616 Tampa Avenue Reseda, CA 91335-5013 Thursday, Oct 16 2025 Born This Way? Think Again Why Your Nature Doesn’t Have the Final Say Are we stuck with the traits we’re born with, or can we rise above them? This class explores the Torah’s radical view of human nature, showing how connection to something higher empowers real change—no matter your wiring. Thursday, Oct 23 2025 Don’t Walk into the Ark Alone Giving Up on Others Is Never an Option When someone close to us is drifting from a spiritual or moral life, how far are we expected to go to help them? Through the Torah’s complex portrayal of Noach and a powerful debate in the Zohar, this class challenges us to think differently about responsibility, prayer, and the meaning of never giving up. Thursday, Oct 30 2025 Just Do It Obedience, Not Inspiration, Is the Heart of Judaism Judaism isn’t a system of values or a path to personal growth—it’s a relationship, and G‑d defines the terms. Learn how Avraham’s first step wasn’t about what he believed or felt but about simply doing what G‑d said. Thursday, Nov 6 2025 Not My Thing? Not the Point. Stepping Out of Character When the Moment Demands It Avraham was the embodiment of kindness, so why did he confront G‑d with harshness? Because when a soul is on a mission, comfort doesn’t matter. This class challenges us to rethink what real service looks like, and how far we’re willing to go for it. Thursday, Nov 13 2025 Buy Local, Reach Global Judaism Isn’t Just for Jews Judaism was always meant to be a global force for good, and why even the Torah’s most private miracles were world events. Thursday, Nov 20 2025 Make It Yours Finding Your Voice inside the Tradition Does following a tradition mean losing yourself? Not at all. This class unpacks how Judaism doesn’t ask you to silence your individuality—it invites you to channel it. Real authenticity isn’t about walking away from what you’ve inherited but about making it unmistakably your own. Thursday, Nov 27 2025 Wherever You Go, There You Are Finding G‑d’s Purpose in Your Detours Life doesn’t always go according to plan—but what if that was the plan? Discover how Yaakov’s journey shows that every twist in the road is Divinely charted, and every challenge holds a spark waiting for you to uncover. Thursday, Dec 4 2025 Will the Real You Please Rise? Wrestling with Your Own Greatness Yaakov didn’t just fight an angel—he fought the part of himself that was scared to lead, scared to rise. This class explores how growth often means stepping into a version of yourself that feels too big, and why that’s exactly what G‑d wants. Thursday, Dec 11 2025 Jewish Success Story It’s Not You, It’s Him When things go right, we like to think we earned it. But the Torah teaches otherwise. This class reveals how all success is really G‑d’s doing—and how recognizing that truth opens the flow for even greater blessing Thursday, Dec 18 2025 Loud and Lit Fighting Back against Fitting In The Greeks didn’t try to kill us—they tried to make us just like them. This class explores Chanukah as a battle for identity and what it means to be visibly, unapologetically Jewish in a world that prefers you weren’t. Thursday, Dec 25 2025 The Man behind the Clothing How to Stay Whole in a World That [JM1] Won’t Sit Still Life demands constant reinvention, but your soul doesn’t need to change with your outfit. This class dives into the story of Yosef to uncover the secret to staying grounded and spiritually centered—even as the world pulls you in every direction. Thursday, Jan 1 2026 Don’t Get Too Comfortable Exile Is Never Home Jacob had everything he needed in Egypt—comfort, family, and freedom to live Jewishly. But he still begged to leave. This class challenges the illusion of exile as a resting place and calls us to yearn for something more. Chabad on Tampa
6616 Tampa Avenue Reseda, CA 91335-5013 YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF JEWISH INSPIRATION
Torah Studies is a program of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute |
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