A Jewish Studies program for university students, Montevideo, Uruguay

Morasha – Connecting the Next Generation with our sources

Location:Montevideo, Uruguay
Name of implementing organization:Instituto Yavne
Date of initial project approval:February 2006

Brief description of the local Jewish community

• 20,000 Jews
• The main formal institutions in our community are: 4 kehilot (Ashkenazic, Sepharadic, Hungarian and German); 3 Jewish day schools (Yavne, Ariel, and Integral); Hillel; and 8 youth movements (Betar, Maccabi, Chazit, Hashomer Hatzair, Hanoar Hatzioni, Israel Hatzeira, Bney Akiva, Habonim Dror).

Project aims and objectives

• Attracting young adults to serious Jewish learning
• Developing the next generation of scholars, educators, parents and lay leaders 

Project Description

This project offers a Jewish Studies program for university students, ages 18-30. The program is comprised of lectures presented by local rabbis and by occasional visiting scholars, for 2-3 hours daily on Monday through Friday. Topics include: Bible, Talmud, Midrash, Jewish Law, Jewish Philosophy, Prayer, Jewish History, the Jewish Calendar, the Jewish Life Cycle, and the Rambam.

Lectures take place in three community locations: Yavne school classrooms; the Bet Midrash, Hillel Uruguay; and the Achdut Israel synagogue. In addition to supporting the program through use of its venue, Hillel shares its database, in order to promote recruitment for the project.

Students are divided into groups, based on their interests and their Jewish education. Each group is comprised of a minimum of 18 students. Each student commits to attending 5 weekly hours of classroom studies, plus a cumulative one hour per week for other activities (eg. Shabbatonim, and community activities). Each student receives a scholarship of $100 per month. The scholarship's purpose is to free students from the need to work to support themselves. Instead, they will devote the time (when they would have been working) to Jewish learning.

Recruitment is through advertisement of the program in synagogues and via the Yavne and Hillel mailing lists.

Main budget elements

• Student scholarships
• Shabatonim and special events
• Faculty and Coordinator salaries
• Books and study materials 
   

The project's successes

Today, people talk about “Morasha”. Everybody knows what it is, and it is now “cool”to be a student at “Morasha”. More and more students are asking about the program, and even adults come to us asking about it and how they could try to bring their sons, nephews, etc., as they believe that they are “too far” from community frameworks, and that “Morasha” can become their “salvation”. Students themselves are grateful for the opportunity, and for the program. Parents keep coming to us, and letting us know how happy they are about their sons and daughters new frameworks…

We are witnessing on a daily basis more results of the “Morasha environment”:

The number of young people attending “Kabbalat Shabbat” has visibly grown

”Morasha” students participating in Shabbat dinners are no longer an exception. Students themselves have created a bond with their teachers which allows them to simply “invite themselves” to their homes.

Students have participated not only individually but also as a group, going all together to their teacher’s home to spend Shabbat.

Difficulties encountered along the way

• Difficulty  organizing guest lecturers, and maintaining order in classes
• The number of applicants exceeds the capacity of the program
• Lack of funds to organize an “Israel Experience”