Journeys of the Soul

published in Mishpacha Magazine November, 2009

Congregation Ariel, an outreach shul in the Dunwoody suburb of northern Atlanta, just completed a poignant learning program memorializing Holocaust victims. It began last Tishrei when Rabbi Binyomin Friedman challenged his members to collectively learn 1.2 million minutes of Torah in memory of the 1.2 million Jewish children killed during World War II. The program was open to men, women, and children, and it included topics such as hashkafah and mussar in addition to in-depth learning.

“The program created an awareness and excitement that Torah study is a priority here,” says Rabbi Michoel Friedman, a member of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel kiruv organization that oversaw the program. He notes that the Torah learned formed an incredible bond between the shul’s members and the children they were memorializing. “Rav Saadia Gaon writes that the one thing that has united the Jewish people around the world currently, and throughout the ages, is the Torah. We’re all connected through the timeless Torah that we study.”

Participants recorded their minutes on pocket-sized cards and handed them in each week for tallying. In total the program surpassed its goal with 1,318,722 minutes learned. The minutes also helped many people to realize the power of their learning.

“Our Torah learning, minutes plus more minutes, will never replace these righteous souls, nor can it come close to replacing their lost cumulative Torah learning and Jewish life experiences. However it makes me more aware of the opportunity for learning that we have here in Atlanta, connecting us to Hashem in a way they could not,” says Ilene Miller, a congregation member.

Any topic, or length of time was allowed to be recorded on the cards, from a five minute dvar Torah at the Shabbos table to an hour-long chavrusa. Many minutes also came from the numerous classes offered by the kollel. To encourage people new to learning, a list of suggested books, Torah websites, and one-on-one study programs was printed on the back of the cards.

Another primary goal of the program was to show people how every minute is valuable and how much can be accomplished in even limited amounts of time.

“Those children who never had the chance to live their own lives to their fullest should serve as a reminder to us to take advantage of the time we’re given, to recognize the value of life and the importance of time,” Rabbi Michoel Friedman says. “The Chofetz Chaim discussed the value of even one word of Torah. Every word of Torah studied is a remarkable achievement.”

Every minute, every word of Torah learned in Dunwoody left a mark on the community. It’s a fitting tribute for the Holocaust victims.