My Vision for Our Community Part 2

The Leadership of Zohar Yisrael

B"H

I graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in 1996 with a degree in engineering. The logical step would have been to continue with a master’s in business or engineering. But my heart was inclined in a different direction. In 2000, the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies (which would become the Siegal College of Judaic Studies) had a vision of reaching students beyond Cleveland. They opened cohorts, i.e., learning groups, in various cities, i.e., Minneapolis, Kansas City, Atlanta, Houston, and most importantly for me, Dallas.

The program provided aspiring students with a master’s degree in Jewish studies. The rabbis and professors would travel to each cohort and then continue their lectures via a live teleconferencing system. It was there that I would study with Rabbi Dr. Moshe Berger, Rabbi Dr. Ronald Brauner z"l , Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Schein, and many others. From there I would continue my doctoral Jewish studies by traveling to Chicago at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. I would meet and study with Rabbi Dr. Byron L. Sherwin z” l, Rabbi Dr. Bernard Grossfeld z”l, Rabbi Asher Lopatin, and many others. These and other rabbis and professors represented the full spectrum of Jewish movements, and this provided me with a unique experience. During this time at the Spertus Institute, I was recommended a yeshiva, and I was accepted into the joint ACSJ/Yeshivat Mesilat Yesharim rabbinic ordination program.

I say all this to highlight that from start to finish, it would take fifteen years for me to complete all three programs. I saw this as critical to helping a small community that needed trained leadership. But I was not the only one. The president of Zohar Yisrael was also pursuing a master’s degree at Hebrew College in Boston and then continued with Rabbi Brovender’s Halachic Mastery Program for three years. This was in addition to his already extensive work in developing Hebrew studies materials.

I say this to emphasize two things. The leadership of Zohar Yisrael is Jewishly academically trained, but our goal goes far beyond this. We want to see our community foster the training of future leaders. We want to see men and women trained in graduate certificate programs, master’s degrees in Jewish studies and Jewish education, and doctoral degrees in Hebrew literature and studies. For men we also want to see future rabbis trained that will have the training as well as the heart to continue with ZY's approach to Judaism.

Help us make this vision a reality. Zohar Yisrael has a unique perspective which the Jewish world needs. But to accomplish its mission of genuine Jewish practice and theology coupled with humility and a desire to embrace the sincere individual, it needs trained individuals to carry on that idea.

L'Shalom

Rabbi Dr. Juan Marcos Bejarano Gutierrez