Ze Kollel – Talmud Love
Ze Kollel is a communal learning space geared towards in-depth, committed Jewish learning, and an incubator for developing new talent and creative Europe-based teachers rooted in the Jewish tradition.
Ze Kollel aims to be both open and deep, inclusive and dedicated. Participants of all genders and Jewish backgrounds commit to one day a week of intensive Bible and Talmud study. In addition, participants will be able to propose independent study paths and take part in diverse, comprehensive seminars with guest lecturers from around the globe. Ze Kollel is also a laboratory for exploring the notion of Jewish learning and teaching. All members of Ze Kollel will be offered opportunities to teach and to develop their skills as potential Jewish educators and leaders.
Ze Kollel aims to be a place of personal and spiritual growth with the text as our guide and our fellow students as our companions. Our name is both a nod to traditional Kollel environments which are often exclusive to men, while also being a transliterated form of the Hebrew words that mean, “It includes.” We are traditional, we are rooted, and whoever you are, we need your voice.
Ze Kollel is a commitment. The cohort meets every Monday from 9:15 until 13:00. To explore what it might mean to become part of the cohort, reach out to us!
Ze Kollel is a partnership with Hillel Deutschland. We are grateful to the Pincus Fund for Jewish Education for its support of the program and to Junction Europe (JDC) for its support of Kollel Shabbatonim.
Please see more information about the Kollel here!
Ze Kollel’s spring 2023 semester will run from February 27th to June 26th, 2023. Ze Kollel meets from 9:15 – 13:00 CET every Monday (except for the Monday of Pesach, April 10, 2023) for a total of 16 sessions. Participants are expected to attend a minimum of 12 out of the 16 sessions. Ze Kollel offers sporadic evening and afternoon classes taught by staff to build skills and energy and support students’ ongoing learning. A highlight of the Ze Kollel experience is the end-of-semester Shabbaton, which will take place in Berlin, on June 16-18, 2023.
Each session consists of a 75-minute parasha study in coordination with the weekly Torah cycle, followed by 2.5 hours of Talmud learning. Ze Kollel participants have the opportunity to lead their own parasha session, contribute Divrei Torah on social media, and write their own original commentary on the text. Participants work closely with mentors to produce teaching, writing, and creative expression that they are proud of!
Ze Kollel works on a hybrid model, meaning some of the participants meet entirely online while others meet in one of our hubs in Berlin, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and now Paris! Spaces are limited, and applications close January 24th.