If you haven’t already heard about UJL (The University of Jewish Learning),
then let me fill you in. For years, one of our main regular events at the Aish Center has been our Monday night programs. Various classes and one-on-one learning opportunities have drawn new faces and old faithfuls to our doors for a long time now. People come, talk, learn and have something to eat – it’s rather nice, and we really enjoy it. But a short while ago, we decided that we were ready to make some really big changes. What if we truly had something for everyone? What if people could come and have the freedom to engage in compelling and high quality learning and dialogue on a really wonderful range of topics offered nowhere else in the city? And a lounge for people to learn on their own, chill out with other people, or form their own learning circles? What if classes were broken up by really great musical performances, or mini-lectures from really interesting and exciting people? And what if Aish Downtown had it’s own UJL as well? We had so much fun just envisioning the possibilities. And now, as the launch party on April 29th comes closer, we thought we’d announce some of the awesome people who’ll be teaching the first series of classes at UJL.

Originally from Australia, Tal Segel left the sun and surf to study Torah and education, first in Israel and more recently New York. He studied at the historic Mir Yeshiva of Jerusalem and Novardok Yeshiva of Brooklyn, focusing in particular on the study of character refinement techniques and Chassidic thought. He has a BA in Information Technology from the University of Technology Sydney and a Masters in Education from Yeshiva University. When not teaching at Aish, Rabbi Segel is making Torah educational software at Gaon Education for a new generation of techie Jews. Rabbi Tal’s 6-part series at UJL is the Positivity Workshop.

Kurt Stein in a Senior Vice President at Merrill Lynch.  He was a finance major at the University of Florida and was fortunate enough to spend six years learning at Aish in Jerusalem. He is a popular speaker and has lectured across North America for schools, colleges and Jewish organizations. Kurt’s 6- part series at UJL is entitled Jewish Daily Living.

Marganit Ramon, who we’ve previously profiled, was raised in a Yiddish speaking home in Israel. She calls New York home these days and is proud to be teaching both Hebrew and Yiddish at UJL! She’ll be teaching Yiddish during the first slot of classes (7 – 7.45pm) and Hebrew during the second slot (8.45 – 9pm).

Adam Jacobs is the Managing Director of the Aish Center and one of the center’s most popular teachers, as well as the driving force of Jew U. He also blogs for the Huffington Post, and his weekly podcasts are downloaded but hundreds of people every week. He’s also the author of  ”128 Reflections: Judaism’s Essential Wisdom on Personal Growth”. He’ll be teaching Introduction to Kabbalah as part of a 6-session series at UJL.

These guys are just some of what’s going to be on offer every Monday night, from April 29th and on wards. The launch alone will be great, and to celebrate, we’ll be serving beer, sushi, and burgers! So that’s a delicious bonus. We’re all booking in some really compelling people to speak between the slots, and we’ll be writing an awesome feature on them very soon. Until then, here’s the UJL Facebook event page, and here’s the UJL page on our site. If you’ve got any questions, comments or suggestions, then let us know! And we cannot wait to see you at UJL :-)

The Moth, NYC

Everyone loves a story. Since the beginning of time, really, a story has always been something with an incredible amount of power. From cave paintings, oral histories, campfire stories, to theater, cinema, literature – we constantly tell, and listen to, stories. As a kid, one of my favorite things was to be read to. My mother would read to us before bed, and the school teacher I remember most fondly used to read to us while we ate our lunches. And then a few years ago, with the supposed demise of radio, came an explosion of amazing podcasts. It took nothing to find myself hooked on programs like NPR’s This American Life, and I used to savor listening to people like David Sedaris, or people I’d never heard of, tell a story to me while I worked out at the gym, or rode the train. Truly, a delight. Live shows like New York City’s The Moth, started recording their popular shows and turning them into podcasts, making them freely available online.

“Storytelling,” wrote Alex Brown in a 2009 New York Times piece on The Moth, “has exploded into a thriving genre all its own, a new avenue to prominence for writers and, increasingly, for actors and comedians. In a sense, storytelling has become the new stand-up — a way to be noticed by the literary agents, actors and directors who increasingly populate the audiences.” And since 2009, it’s only gotten bigger. People come for all kinds of reasons –  to tell a story, sometimes for the very first time, or to listen. Have a person tell you a good story well, in person, is entertainment in it’s purest form. Which is why we’re so excited about Do Tell: Real People, Real Stories – our very own storytelling event this Wednesday, January 30th. Everyone has a story – or many stories – and we welcome all to come and tell it. And for those who just want to hear something new – and be amused, moved, inspired or entertained, this night is for them too.

Broadening the platform for young Jewish writers, performers and storytellers, allowing them a stage and audience to try things out in an amiable and non-threatening environment is something that we’re really excited about doing. We’re equality excited about providing some innovative and meaningful entertainment for those who attend our events. We hope to see some of you there! The events page has the details and guidelines, but basically, you sign up to tell a story on the night. It  needs to be true, it can’t be read off a page, and it should be 5 minutes long. Do it! Do tell. See you on Wednesday.

Shabbat Shalom!