INSPIRATION
LIGHT UP THE WORLD WITH PAL
Founded over fifteen years ago, PaL is a Phone and Learn organisation which partners up individuals who want to learn together. We asked the phenomenal PaL team Rivka Graham, Blima Bodner, Jessica Debson, and Tali Edwards to answer some of our questions on what PaL has to offer. How did PaL start? Rivka: PaL – Phone and Learn, was set up in memory of Sammy Homburger o”h who, as many will recall, had a larger-than-life personality and was a real people’s person. Everyone who knew him truly felt that they were his best friend, and learning and connecting to people through Torah was extremely important to him. At a large public gathering to mark his sheloshim, Rabbi Paysach Krohn, a close friend, gave an inspirational hesped and suggested that we set up a telephone learning organisation in Sammy’s memory. That very evening, six members of the Northwest London community stepped up and responded to his call to establish PaL. Our aim at PaL is simple: to connect Jewish people together by sharing the beauty of Torah learning. We believe that every person, no matter their level of observance, knowledge or location, should have the opportunity to learn about their heritage through Torah. Learning on the phone, skype or Zoom means that this can be done at any time and from the convenience of the home. Best of all, it is free of charge. Working closely with many of the educational and outreach programmes in the UK, our mission is as relevant and essential now as it was back in 2004 when PaL was launched. What services does PaL provide? Blima: We offer a unique opportunity for both men and women to expand their Jewish knowledge. Our fantastic volunteer tutors are well versed in different topics, and are available at a range of times to learn and connect with their PaL partner. For the initial sign-up, we have a registration process where we build a unique profile. Following this, we find the best-suited person for each individual, and then put the tutor and partner in touch with each other. Once a pair are learning, we provide constant follow-up with support and encouragement to both tutors and partners in order to facilitate the best learning partnership. We recently launched a library to loan books, which tutors and partners can use during the learning sessions. Our popular online tutor training sessions address various common questions that come up, and are an additional resource. PaL even cover the cost of any overseas calls, ensuring that no one is out of pocket. We are privileged to
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have Rabbi Yaakov Hamer, popular Rov of Bridge Lane Beis Hamedrash, available to answer any questions that arise; his knowledge, wisdom and insight are a massive asset to PaL. What topics do people learn and how long are the sessions? Blima: Learning sessions take place weekly and range from anywhere between half an hour to an hour. Each partnership chooses the topics that they want to learn, which results in a wide range of topics covered. I would say that the most popular topics would be the weekly Parsha, Pirkei Avos, and improving Hebrew reading skills. Other common topics for men are Mishnayos, Gemara and Hashkafa. We even have a partnership exploring the Jewish approach to Reiki! What’s the observance spectrum of your community? Jessica: Our PaL partners cover a full spectrum of different cultures, backgrounds and observance levels, for example, a tutor born and bred in an Ultra-Orthodox community may very well be matched up with a Jewish partner from a totally secular background. We recently received a phone call from a lady in West Sussex, England who had just found out a few days prior that she was halachically Jewish. She is now learning with a South-African born tutor who herself grew up in a secular home and became Orthodox later on in life. At the other end of the spectrum however, we also have a large repertoire of partners signing up post-yeshiva or seminary. At this point, they are about to enrol in their university or start their working career, but want to stay connected with a tutor that is on a similar observance level to them (known as a ‘chavrusa style’ partnership). Similarly, middle-aged men or women who have worked their way up in their careers and are yearning for a boost of inspiration and connection to their Judaism may very well be partnered up with someone of a similar academic or career background. While they come from totally different observance backgrounds, they unite for a 30-minute learning session during their lunchbreak. These partnerships add a weekly inspiration and spiritual boost during the busy routine of everyday life, irrespective of the observance levels of either partner or tutor. We absolutely love the richness of the large spectrum of observance and cultural backgrounds and marvel at what this diversity brings to each unique learning partnership.
