On Wednesday, June 18, the last Torah on Tap of the season took place at the home of Marcy and Paul Terkeltaub. Co-hosted by Lisa and Murray Rosenbach, the 25 people who attended ranged in age from 24 to ‘80-something.’
Since its inception, the discussions during Torah on Tap have been engaging and thought provoking. This meeting was no exception, blending current events with biblical teachings. The evening’s topic, “Is Prisoner Exchange A Jewish Value,” centered on the recent kidnapping of three Israeli teens from the West Bank and what, if anything, Israel should do to get them back. These events were compared and contrasted to the kidnappings and prisoner exchanges for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl.
Rabbi Jeffrey Arnowitz led lively discussions of biblical commentaries, which showed how the Jewish viewpoint has evolved from one of using massive force to negotiating for the return of prisoners. He suggested that the latter position was due to compulsory military service required of Israeli men and women. Their parents wanted to ensure that the Israeli government would do everything in their power to get their children back if captured.
As always, there was a great deal of learning and in-depth discussion. Torah on Tap has proven a great way to discuss interesting Jewish topics in a setting outside the synagogue.