Weekly Torah Studies
New Season Starting Thursday, Oct 16 2025!
These days, it seems like nothing has a shelf life longer than a week. Every day brings another superhero franchise, fashion trend, or dieting fad. News cycles shift by the hour, social media feeds and timelines by the second. With everything flickering, flashing, and constantly updating, it’s little wonder life sometimes feel so impermanent.
For me, there’s no better way to slow things down than to pull back, if only for short while, and try to see things from a more timeless perspective. Our own Jewish traditions are filled with so many breathtaking insights, and they won’t fade away into irrelevance in a few days. Connecting to our own heritage, and ultimately to a divine wisdom, makes the all very human things we do feel richer, more meaningful, and part of something longer lasting.
The Torah Studies program at Chabad on Tampa tries to make this happen every single week. Each class take a topic or idea in Jewish thought to explore, tease out, and bring into play with our own lives. Each one is built around texts that we’ll learn together so that you can see these ideas for yourself, argue over them, and apply them to life your own way. Below, you can see an outline of a few of the upcoming sessions, and I’d love if you could join me for what promises to be a fun, engaging, and deeply rewarding learning experience. They are open to everyone, of all abilities, so bring along a friend too!
Shalom, and have a great week,
6616 Tampa Avenue Reseda, CA 91335-5013
Born This Way? Think Again
Why Your Nature Doesn’t Have the Final Say
Are we stuck with the traits we’re born with, or can we rise above them? This class explores the Torah’s radical view of human nature, showing how connection to something higher empowers real change—no matter your wiring.
Don’t Walk into the Ark Alone
Giving Up on Others Is Never an Option
When someone close to us is drifting from a spiritual or moral life, how far are we expected to go to help them? Through the Torah’s complex portrayal of Noach and a powerful debate in the Zohar, this class challenges us to think differently about responsibility, prayer, and the meaning of never giving up.
Obedience, Not Inspiration, Is the Heart of Judaism
Judaism isn’t a system of values or a path to personal growth—it’s a relationship, and G‑d defines the terms. Learn how Avraham’s first step wasn’t about what he believed or felt but about simply doing what G‑d said.
Not My Thing? Not the Point.
Stepping Out of Character When the Moment Demands It
Avraham was the embodiment of kindness, so why did he confront G‑d with harshness? Because when a soul is on a mission, comfort doesn’t matter. This class challenges us to rethink what real service looks like, and how far we’re willing to go for it.
Judaism Isn’t Just for Jews
Judaism was always meant to be a global force for good, and why even the Torah’s most private miracles were world events.
Finding Your Voice inside the Tradition
Does following a tradition mean losing yourself? Not at all. This class unpacks how Judaism doesn’t ask you to silence your individuality—it invites you to channel it. Real authenticity isn’t about walking away from what you’ve inherited but about making it unmistakably your own.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Finding G‑d’s Purpose in Your Detours
Life doesn’t always go according to plan—but what if that was the plan? Discover how Yaakov’s journey shows that every twist in the road is Divinely charted, and every challenge holds a spark waiting for you to uncover.
Will the Real You Please Rise?
Wrestling with Your Own Greatness
Yaakov didn’t just fight an angel—he fought the part of himself that was scared to lead, scared to rise. This class explores how growth often means stepping into a version of yourself that feels too big, and why that’s exactly what G‑d wants.
When things go right, we like to think we earned it. But the Torah teaches otherwise. This class reveals how all success is really G‑d’s doing—and how recognizing that truth opens the flow for even greater blessing
Fighting Back against Fitting In
The Greeks didn’t try to kill us—they tried to make us just like them. This class explores Chanukah as a battle for identity and what it means to be visibly, unapologetically Jewish in a world that prefers you weren’t.
The Man behind the Clothing
How to Stay Whole in a World That [JM1] Won’t Sit Still
Life demands constant reinvention, but your soul doesn’t need to change with your outfit. This class dives into the story of Yosef to uncover the secret to staying grounded and spiritually centered—even as the world pulls you in every direction.
Don’t Get Too Comfortable
Jacob had everything he needed in Egypt—comfort, family, and freedom to live Jewishly. But he still begged to leave. This class challenges the illusion of exile as a resting place and calls us to yearn for something more.
6616 Tampa Avenue Reseda, CA 91335-5013 www.chabad.com
YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF JEWISH INSPIRATION
Torah Studies is a program of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute
