This is one in an occasional series about participants in adult education throughout our community.
Ali Begoun sat at a table surrounded by women.
“The Jewish response to having a dark room is to bring light,” she said. “If I see evil, I bring good. We have to take this into ourselves,” she said.
Begoun spoke to a diverse group of 12 women — mothers, empty nesters and grandmothers; members of Conservative, Reform and Orthodox synagogues; stay-at-home mothers and career driven women.
But the women shared an enthusiasm for the women-only class that Begoun teaches every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Judaism Without Walls Learning Center in Glendale — “Timeless Jewish Values for Our Contemporary Lives.”
The ongoing class draws between 10 and 15 women weekly, though not always the same women. It began in a private River Hills home and recently moved to the center.
For the session between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Begoun chose the topic “taking personal responsibility.”
“Macro-cosmically, societally or personally, it is so easy to point the finger outward,” Begoun said. “We know intuitively that we should not shift the blame, but it’s so hard.”
To illustrate her ideas, Begoun told stories from the Torah, from the lives of exemplary people living today and from her personal experience.
Heart and intellect
Class participants asked questions of Begoun and the other class members, and told stories of their own.
Dana Margolis, a member of Congregation Beth Jehudah and lecturer in Hebrew and Judaism at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said that this was the second time she had attended the class.
She came, she said, because her approach-connection-interaction with Judaism, in her work, is usually academic; but at this time, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, she wanted to focus on spirituality.
A close friend of Begoun’s, Margolis said, “Ali is so good about reminding us of the wisdom of our heritage.”
Dianne Spector, a member of Congregation Shalom, took a different class from Begoun prior to this. She said that the topics Begoun raises in this class are life issues, for which the answers can be found in Torah study.
“That amazes me, that Torah is as relevant today as it has been throughout the ages,” Spector said.
“I love hearing the stories of the baalei teshuvah [formerly non-Orthodox Jews who adopt observance of Orthodox Judaism] because they know what it’s like not to be religious. As I like to say, they remember the shrimp,” Spector said.
“You come in with whatever Jewish education you have and take the material you need,” said Laurie Roth of River Hills, who belongs to Congregation Sinai. “Judaism Without Walls wants you to come in where you are, and go from there. No one is trying to convert you.”
“Ali is a lovely woman and she’s very open. Learning is empowering; it gives us a sense of where our heritage is. And it feeds our hearts as well as our intellects.” Roth said.
Cathy Goldman is a landscape architect, mother of four children and member of Beth El Ner Tamid Synagogue. She decided to attend the class because of Roth’s enthusiasm.
“I like the informality and everybody’s openness,” Goldman said. She said that she also enjoys hearing from participants representing a lot of different ages and perspectives. “I appreciate the dialogue,” she added.
Aimee Kahn, raised Conservative, but now Reform, also came to the class, for the first time that Wednesday, because of a friend’s enthusiasm.
“I heard from Eileen [Leff] what a wonderful class it is,” Kahn said. “I am in a stage of transition now and this is something that interests me. And Ali gave me a lot of food for thought.”
“This class is designed to give people a chance to make Judaism relevant, meaningful and inspirational, to make people fall in love with Judaism,” Begoun said.
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