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Jewish World Review May 3, 1999 / 17 Iyar, 5759
GLOBALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY, Devora Beller and Joan D. are miles apart.
Beller lives in the rich Orthodox trappings of Monsey, NY, footsteps from
Manhattan's sprawling metropolis. She is openly observant, her husband studies
religious texts at night and their five children attend Jewish day schools.
Joan D. resides in rural Eastern Washington. She is intermarried and mother of
three sons who know little of their Jewish heritage. And unlike Beller's
neighborhood, Joan D.'s touches on white supremacist soil, prompting her to
agree to this interview on strict condition that neither her hometown nor her
last name appear in this story.
Thousands of miles apart, their dissimilar lives came together more than a
year ago through an innovative program that knows no borders.
"We live in a culture like no other," said Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, national
director for the nonprofit outreach group Partners in Torah.
"Unlike certain parts of Europe, we're free to go where we want and do what we
want. But these privileges have also spurred an unprecedented illiteracy about
our heritage.Partners in Torah is trying to help reverse that trend."
Partners in Torah does not believe in shoving religion down the throats of the
skeptic. Its aim is to encourage Jews to dedicate one hour a week to Jewish
texts. Of course, if participants choose to take on additional religious
observances, Gewirtz, an Orthodox rabbi, won't complain.
"Whether you're strictly observant or religiously passive, most Jews feel some
kind of connection with their heritage," he said. "This program lets them
explore that heritage."
The program mirrors a shidduch (matchmaking) service.
A Partner's staff member from the New York office interviews interested
participants. Instead of hair color and profession, callers are asked about
their religious backgrounds and goals. Within two weeks, a shidduch (match) is made.
Typically, the relationship -- too often like romances -- is long distance. But
unlike the dating scene, Partner's springs for a pre-paid calling card for the "mentor."
"Generally," Gewirtz said, "we try to match up someone of a religious
background with someone who may not have been skilled in Jewish learning. From
there, it's up to them to decide the details. We don't tell them what to learn
or when to learn. It's like any relationship, the partners have to work out
the details. We're there for backup to make sure both sides are happy with the
arrangement."
Actually, Gewirtz is being humble, says Joan D. of Washington State. Isolated
with few Jewish resources, she says Partners in Torah sent her at no cost an Art Scroll Bible to replace the American Translation Bible she had used. The
organization also provided her with books on the holidays, the Books of Ruth
and Esther, and a primer in Jewish practice.
Joan D. says she learned about Partners while surfing the Internet. (http://jewishworldreview.com/pit/) In
addition to its own website, Partners has distributed more than 30,000
bookmarks touting the program to day schools, beginners' services, Jewish
bookstores, libraries and synagogues. With a shoestring budget, Gewirtz is
relying on participants like Devora Beller and Joan D. to sell the program.
It's an easy sell. Beller says.
Although considered the "mentor" in this shidduch, Beller has as much to learn
as Joan D.
"She," Beller said of Joan D., "is really Middle America, the heartland. You
get an appreciation of how hard it is to be Jewish for someone so isolated."
Beller, who learned about Partners in Torah through a friend, encourages others to
join as mentors, or as pupils. "In the same way I wouldn't think of denying my
children a Jewish education, I couldn't dream of denying anybody who wanted
the opportunity to learn about our rich heritage."
"I could not live with myself if I didn't give what I'm capable of giving.
That's how I was brought up."
Their weekly hour-long sessions have evolved into a friendship. The two women,
one 39 the other 40, share stories about their children, their communities,
their lives. And for Joan D., it's given her a sense of belonging to a
tradition absent in her life.
"We've done two Passover celebrations, my husband and I. He's real supportive,"
she said. "My mother's mother was a Holocaust survivor and didn't want anyone
to know she was Jewish.
"Now I have the opportunity to light candles Friday night and say the prayers
thanks to this
Outreach's "calling"
has unusual ring
By Mitch Morrison
Partners in Torah has brought thousands of Jews of
varying backgrounds together by phone. And at no cost to participants.
"They've sent me at least a half-dozen books," she said. "They go out of their
way to be helpful. My husband and I are always amazed by their sense of
dedication to help me live a Jewish life. That's a real commitment and they
don't even know me."
Mitch Morrison is a New Jersey-based writer.
