Torah Curious

Nehama Grenimann Bauch has accomplished a lot. A mother of two with an MA in the bag and a PhD on the way, she's lived in multiple countries working with diverse populations. And she's still figuring some of it out. Growing up Orthodox in Israel, rediscovering a love of Yiddishkeit through Reform, finding holiness in the balconies---Nehama doesn't fit into any box, nor is she trying to do so. Come and learn from Nehama about allowing our personal Gd to be the holiness that sets us on our way.

Benny Fischer is searching for the Torah we need. Former President of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS) and a former Moishe House Berlin resident, Benny is a deep thinker with a commitment to reflection. A real "Berlin Jew," Benny can trace his ancestry here for hundreds of years and yet he is persistently forward looking. He demands empowerment, while also wondering if we will continue to preach the same once we have the power. Come and Learn about Nachshon ben Amminadab with the one and only Benny Fischer!

When Laura Cazes speaks, young German Jews listen.  Laura has worked for the past five years at the ZWST, Germany's primary Jewish social and welfare organization. Whether it is about solidarity with minorities or uplifting the voices of women, Laura wants to push the Jewish community to do and be better----but for Laura, change comes from the inside. She has coined a personal motto of "Claim Your Space"----find the places that already exist, and stake your claim in its future.  Come and Learn from Laura as we explore the power of diverse identities and the story of Ruth and Naomi. 

Rebecca Blady is a powerhouse. Rabbi, Orthodox, Feminist, Partner, Mother, Daughter, Granddaughter, CEO and everything else. Come and learn her Torah as it oozes from her every word. She is one of the greats of the generation---don't miss her!

There weren't any other Avitals in her West Berlin Kindergarten as a child---but anyway, she made a place for herself. Whether it is as a Jew in a German world, a woman in a man's world, or a student in an establishment world, Avital is putting her voice, and her narrative, inside the bubble. Come and learn how Avital is making change throughout Jewish Germany, and how change is in the wind for this growing community. 

David Schapiro grew up speaking four languages at home---and can be himself in any of them. At the young age of 21, he's developed a life philosophy which is at once consistent and profound: Be Yourself. Come and Learn with David as we talk about wholeness, family, and the importance of having a foot in multiple worlds. 

For Anna Sirkina, Home is an emotion. So is creativity. It's about imbuing your feelings and yourself into a space or a moment or a time and allowing those feelings of comfort, of taking your shoes off and sitting on the floor, to be the ritual expressions of feeling one's self. 

Join Anna on her journey from Hanukkah parties in Hamburg to airport floors in Israel, as she creates her home, wherever she is. 

Valentin Lutset is constantly making connections. Between throwing big Jewish gatherings in Berlin to seeing behind and between the text, Valentin (or Velvel as he is known) wants to bring people and ideas together. His whole life is a synthesis---Torah and Music, Russian and Jewish, Modern and Hassid. Come and learn the deepest meanings behind the simplest of ideas, and see the world of Torah in a whole new way.

Nastiya Pletoukhina is deeply rooted. Raised by three generations of ancestors, her knowledge of her heritage came later but she was born with a deep sense of identity and belonging. Join us on her journey of moving to Germany, relearning her great grandmother's chulent recipe, and fighting to show that the next generation of leaders can come from anywhere, especially those who might be at the margins. Meet Berlin's Social Priestess!

At the age of 5, Martin Schubert's mother told him he had a direct connection to God. The rest, as they say, is history. Join us as we take a look through Martin's theological and spiritual explorations, from the plains of Germany to the hills of Tzefat and Nepal. Martin's Torah is a part of Berlin's spiritual renaissance----come and learn what it's all about!