Annex Offering Jewish Education ‘A La Carte’

ENCINITAS, CA — About 100,000 Jews live in San Diego County, yet at least 70 percent are unaffiliated with any formal Jewish institution, said Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort of Chabad at La Costa.

“That’s a big problem,” the rabbi said. “There is something wrong, some disconnect.”

To help nonpracticing Jews reconnect with their roots or discover their heritage, Eilfort and others have launched the Jewish Learning Annex, offering a variety of classes on Judaism and related topics at the Seacrest Village Retirement Community in Encinitas.

“We are trying to give folks an avenue to learn more about what it means to be Jewish,” Eilfort said. He hopes the classes will help people want to be more active in their faith. If they don’t, that’s OK —- at least we give them an opportunity to learn.“

Likening the annex to ”Judaism a la carte,“ Eilfort said the classes deal with a variety of topics, including learning about the Hebrew language, studying Israel and its leaders and exploring aspects of the mystical Kabbalah.

While walking into a temple or synagogue may be a bit intimidating for those looking to explore Judaism, the annex is sort of a neutral territory, he said.

”We believe in a style of teaching that is very informal. People are free to engage in conversation and ask questions. People have a lot of questions about their Jewish faith. It is very complex; it has rituals and customs that are very, very old.“

The ”Rap With the Rabbi“ class is particularly designed to attract teenagers, said Rabbi Michoel Shapiro, assistant rabbi of Chabad at La Costa.

”It’s Judaism 101,“ he said. ”They can throw any question they want at the rabbi. … Jewish kids going to public schools are not learning much about what happened during the Holocaust, and also what is the Jewish response to evil.“

Enrolling requires no background in Judaism of any sort, he said. Those interested may also sample a class before deciding whether to officially enroll, according to the annex’s Web site, jewisheducationsandiego.com.

The annex launched its inaugural session in March. A new session begins Monday and runs through May. Among the latest offerings is ”Understanding Israel Today,“ taught by Dr. Harvey Raben.

Raben said the weekly class will touch on many subjects, including Israel’s evolution from a pioneering society to a high-tech one, its conflict with the Palestinians, and its politicians.

”We tend to know, at best, who the players are in the last three months, which is relevant from a political standpoint,“ he said of Israeli political figures. ”But in terms of understanding how we got to where we are, it’s important to have some historical perspective.“

Raben said conducting the classes at the Seacrest Village Retirement Community, a development of San Diego Hebrew Homes, will also help connect young and old within the Jewish community.

”We see this as a multigenerational program,“ Raben said. ”Our hope is that individuals will share perspectives.“

Anna Mintz, who enrolled in a class during March, said she learned a great deal from it.

”I was drawn to the class because I love learning and trying to understand the meaning behind everything,“ said Mintz, 44, of Encinitas. ”I want to know why is it we eat matzo, why is it we celebrate all these holidays. I want the real, true meaning. There has got to be more to it.“

She said her questions were answered.

”I found it very, very fascinating because you learn the inner meaning of what Kabbalah really is,“ she said. ”It’s more than things you read from the Torah.“

The classes range from about $40 to $100, and discounts are available for couples or those who refer others. In addition to the session starting next week, another begins in June with offerings such as ”Judaism and the Afterlife“ and ”Do the Right Thing.“

Eilfort said plans are to make the annex a permanent fixture, with more sessions slated for fall and beyond. Attendance was a bit low in the inaugural session, but the upcoming round of classes should have dozens of students, he said.

”We have already seen the beginning of the growth, and we know it will become wildly successful,“ he said. ”We are committed to this. If we touch the life of one person, and make their life more meaningful, we have succeeded.”