Okay, so you’ve got the day off because it’s a legal holiday, be it Thanksgiving, July 4th, or any other day when businesses are closed. You’ve got plans to visit family, go out to a nice restaurant, or just sit at home and relax.
But a day off is also a great opportunity to spend some time engaged in Torah study. And you can make it happen without impinging on any of your other plans. For eight years, the Denver Community Kollel has been giving Jewish Denverites the opportunity to add a dose of Torah to their day off with its Legal Holiday Learning program.
Harvey Milzer enjoyed his morning off on December 25th and January 1st studying with the Kollel at Aish Denver. “The Kollel provided an intriguing, thought-provoking class, and it was great to be able to spend my morning off learning Torah with the Kollel.”
Michael Marcus agreed. “I really enjoyed the Kollel’s Legal Holiday Program on the Jewish Leap Year (on January 1st). It was fun and informative – a great way to start the secular new year.”
Yanky Werther, a long-time West Side resident, appreciated the learning – and the breakfast. “It’s wonderful to have a day off to be able to learn,” he said. “And get a great breakfast!”
Danny Woodrow, on the other hand, noted that the Torah study may be conducive to keeping one’s weight down during time off from work. “Learning while having breakfast whets your appetite for the former and curbs it for the latter,” he explained. “I would recommend starting a legal holiday this way so you can forgive yourself for some of the frivolousness likely to follow.”
The Legal Holiday Learning series is held on Labor Day, Thanksgiving, December 25th, January 1st, Memorial Day, and July 4th, the program has become a mainstay for many Jews in Denver. This year, the Kollel expanded the Legal Holiday Learning to four different places: the Kollel’s Bais Medrash on the West Side, EDOS and DAT Minyan on the East Side, and Aish Denver on the Southeast. At each location, shacharis(morning prayers) is followed by breakfast and a class on subjects such as The Laws of the Jewish Leap Year and The Origins and Laws of the Shamash.
“The Kollel continues to provide high-level, sophisticated Torah study throughout the Denver community,” said Rabbi Daniel Alter, Head of School at Denver Academy of Torah. “Their Legal Holiday Learning series provides individuals in the community with one more great way to imbue our lives with Torah. The Denver community is spiritually stronger because of these programs.”
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