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LearnJewish:  EVERY JEW. 

Alienation in the Jewish world is real…

 …and it’s a problem.   While Every Jew together comprise a single soul, everyone feels some form of loneliness and estrangement, some more acutely than others.  Maybe it’s our family or single status; maybe its our age or cultural differences; maybe substance abuse challenges or past destructive behaviors; maybe our different Jewish upbringings and educations.  Maybe we feel like we just don’t fit in.  Maybe we just feel judged.

Learn Jewish exists to ADDRESS REAL PROBLEMS.  And to create programs aimed at being part of the solution.  We are here to use Jewish Creative Expression to unite and excite the Jewish community – ALL Jews, as well as our non-Jewish friends – and then to harness and channel that energy and momentum to SOLVE PROBLEMS and get real results on the ground.   Whether bringing in hip-hop artists from Tel Aviv for a benefit concert, providing Jewish addicts and incarcerated Jews with transitional assistance and Jewish learning opportunities, running companionship programs to address loneliness among Senior Citizens, or just plain bringing together Jews from all segments of our community to do Jewish stuff together, Learn Jewish is there executing our mission of solving problems.

“A lot of people out there really don’t feel like they fit in anywhere due to their background and just say ‘forget it I’m not taking part.’   What LJ is offering is community, friends, learning and knowing there’s people who care that are also different and cool.  IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.”    – Bobby in Denver

Our Co-Founders, Yosef and Elyah, so believe in this mission that they have merged their divergent backgrounds and former careers to dedicate themselves completely to the Learn Jewish mission.

Whatever the case may be, Learn Jewish is a community organization of Jews and our allies – from ALL backgrounds, of ALL viewpoints – who are seeking to create a bridge across the chasm of alienation.  A space for those that may feel alienated from the normative community. We have a strong culture of artistic creative expression and both conventional and unconventional programs, services, and events to make ALL Jews FEEL and KNOW that they have a place and a home among our people.  This is how we learn as Jews to be Jewish. This is our culture and community at Learn Jewish.

NO ONE GETS LEFT BEHIND.  We live by our motto: Create Jewish, Learn Jewish, Be Jewish.

Learn Jewish is also here to help other Jewish organizations execute their own Missions – we aim to complement, supplement, enhance, and catalyze the effectiveness of other Jewish groups. We are not competing with you – we channel Jews to you. And help you connect Jews with each other. We are Allies with Everybody.  We are your Boomerang.

We are an unconventional organization led by a team of people from unconventional backgrounds, whose goal is to connect with unconventional audiences and direct them to existing, established Jewish resources and organizations.  We aim to support everyone in SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF JEWISH ALIENATION, one good deed at a time.

“To all the Jews that never were able to even…. begin learning… and therefore, never even got to start this magnificent journey!”   – Anon. Donor

Our big-picture vision for the outcome of our work is twofold:

(1) Strong, motivated, engaged, and healthy Jews and Jewish communities whose neshamas have been sparked by our work, and for whom Jewish culture, community, learning, and mitzvah-doing are important and valued components of our collective identities.

(2) Robust Jewish organizations whose ability to execute their Missions has been enhanced as a result of teaming up with Learn Jewish.

“Learn Jewish, Elyah and Yosef, your mission and your creative output is SO NEEDED right now – thank you for your work, that LJ should grow and grow and help other Jewish organizations, Jewish artists, and Jews and non-Jews everywhere!!~”                                         –   Chava in Littleton

OUR PROGRAMS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND SERVICES

Examples of the great work Learn Jewish is already doing, or is in Buildout of – both in Denver and worldwide – include:

1.     Artists and Musicians:  Collaboration with and giving a platform to fantastic up-and-coming Jewish artists and musicians of all stripes, ranging from hip-hop to folk-contemporary, based in both the U.S. and Israel.  Our current Featured Artists include Ohad, Lev King D, Izzy Gilden, Avi Beer, Judah Fire, Simcha Brodsky, and J Rose.  And Learn Jewish is hosting Nissim Black in Denver during Pesach, as part of the Nissim Black Pesach World Tour 2019.

Ohad, hip-hop (center); Simcha Brodsky, electro-house (right); Avi Beer, Jewish contemporary (left). Visit our Featured Artists at www.learnjewishstuff.com/featured-artists/

2.    Kindness/Chesed Campaigns: in partnership and collaboration with Jewish (and other) organizations and persons, including senior care, addiction/recovery support, transition assistance for incarcerated or in-transition Jews, and support resources for at-risk Jewish youth.  All touching on and addressing the central theme of ALIENATION.

Reish Lakish had a rough past before becoming the great Torah Sage we know him as today. In this spirit, Beis Midrash Reish Lakish is our project to serve the needs of, and set up one-on-one, private, non-judgmental learning opportunities for, community members from unconventional backgrounds, difficult pasts, having unique needs, dealing with addiction/recovery, or who feel they just plain don’t learn well with conventional models.

3.     Our 613 BLOG: containing short, interesting, and story-oriented divrei Torah and snippets of Jewish thinking from various writers – thus expanding each writer’s potential audience to give him or her a worldwide scope. We intend to invite other rabbis from across the spectrum – local and worldwide – to post their divrei Torah on our blog or to grant us permission to post their work, thus enhancing their exposure to diverse global audiences who initially visited LJ due to our LJ Streetwear offerings, and whom they might not otherwise be reaching.

Visit our 613 Blog at https://learnjewishstuff.com/blog/. More to come, very shortly, thanks to your support!

4.     Community Engagement, Cross-Collaboration, and Support:  Through various programs our diverse, unconventional members and partners are already providing or developing.  In development (or already in action): Career Transition and School Admissions Assistance for both adult and ‘student’ members of the Jewish community;  platform-support for Jewish artists and/or those wishing to develop their own Jewish programming or service;  one-on-one learning and tutoring programs with members of our community who are unconventional in background, at-risk, or simply have their own unique learning needs.  Much more to launch, thanks to your support.

5.     Media:  Development of short films, documentaries, and other creative content showcasing the incredible diversity of individual Jewish stories.  Current projects-in-progress include a short docu-film featuring the real-life story of a former addict who found strength for recovery in his Judaism and now uses his past as a vehicle for helping and inspiring others.

6.     LJ STREETWEAR:   Contemporary designs expressing Jewish themes, in support of Jewish affinity, identity, and pride, and in support of our common mission as Jews.

Find Jewish-messaged clothing and accessories (fully NOT FOR PROFIT – all proceeds go to support of our Mission) at https://learnjewishstuff.com/store/

JOIN US IN STRENGTHENING JEWISH IDENTITY, JEWISH PRIDE, AND JEWISH COMMUNITIES EVERYWHERE

We at Learn Jewish are utterly committed to the principles of  Transparency, Accountability, and Good Governance in our use of resources, funds, and in our relationships with partners, affiliates, and donors.

We now seek to expand our offerings and continue to build our internal capabilities and our external reach.

PLEASE INVEST IN OUR SHARED JEWISH FUTURE, WHICH DEPENDS ON STRONG, MOTIVATED, AND HEALTHY JEWS TODAY.   THIS IS WHAT Learn Jewish IS ALL ABOUT.   Our momentum is tremendous – help us keep growing.

 Our mission is needed, and we need your help. Your Mitzvah of enabling our Chesed and Jewish Affinity work means that you have a share in all the many future Mitzvot that will be generated as a result of your generosity.

Our momentum is tremendous – help us keep growing.  Join our mission – together, let’s build a strong Jewish future, and turn the tide of alienation plaguing our shared Jewish world.

Letter of Rabbinic Endorsement: