Learning at TAA

BoysWe are a community of learners.

Some struggle with beginning Hebrew; others study Torah in depth. We welcome world-famous lecturers; we hold living room discussions. We have seminars with our rabbi; we have peer-led groups. We hold forums about difficult topics. We make sure to have dessert. We engage.

We expect our young people to do the same. Learning is fun and serious; it is about language, tradition, spirituality, culture, ritual, and art.  

We are a community of learners.

Some struggle with beginning Hebrew; others study Torah in depth. We welcome world-famous lecturers; we hold living room discussions. We have seminars with our rabbi; we have peer-led groups. We hold forums about difficult topics. We make sure to have dessert. We engage.

We expect our young people to do the same. Learning is fun and serious; it is about language, tradition, spirituality, culture, ritual, and art.  

Carole Sharoff

Starting in the late 1970’s, I began my first of several “serial joinings” of TAA. In other words, I was a new member of TAA more than once. I would join, allow my membership lapse and then at some moment of inspiration would join again. But the last time I joined about 18 years ago seems to have worked! At that time I went to the new member dinner as an existing member to welcome new families. However, like the new members, I was given one of the centerpieces. “You’re a new member, then you’re not, then you are,” was how the centerpiece was presented.

What changed? My marital status for one, and being the mother of a young son for another. I wanted to raise my son to be strong and confident and to understand his heritage as a Jew of mixed race. My husband is not Jewish. Jonathan and I attended several pre-school gatherings at TAA where we met parents and children with similar but different stories. We connected. Jonathan was later enrolled in the TAA Hebrew School, was Bar Mitzvahed and went to Israel with Y to I (Youth to Israel.) I got involved with the school, joined the Board of Directors and was TAA President from 2007-2009. It’s amazing what one seemingly small step can lead to!