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April 26, 2002
Cross-cultural teaching
Rabbi Daum teaches Judaism to Christian leaders.
KYLE BERGER REPORTER
In a continuing series, the Bulletin looks at rabbis who may
not be standing behind a dais, but who influence the community in
profound ways, nonetheless.
Rabbi Robert Daum is a familiar name in the area of religious studies
at the University of British Columbia. However, while Daum has certainly
dedicated his time here to education, it has not predominantly been
directed toward the Jewish community.
Daum, who moved to Vancouver from California in 1997 because he
liked Canadian society, is a lecturer in the biblical division at
the Vancouver School of Theology, as well as in the department of
classics, Near Eastern and religious studies at the University of
British Columbia (UBC).
Sponsored by the Anglican United and Presbyterian churches in Canada
and the United Methodist Church in the United States, the Vancouver
School of Theology is a multi-denominational community whose graduates
serve as clergy, lay leaders and active lay people in churches around
the globe.
Daum, who is a member of Beth Israel Synagogue, admitted that he
gets some strange looks from people when he tells them where he
works.
"Even though we have some Jewish students [at the School of
Theology], most of the students are Christians and most of the students
are going to be going on serving in leadership positions in Christian
communities," he explained. "[Jewish and Christian] history
is so densely intertwined, for better or for worse, that I think
it's wonderful that the Vancouver School of Theology, like many
other theological schools in the Christian world, is making a greater
effort to teach more about Judaism and how Jews live out our traditions
in ways very different than theirs.
"It's a fascinating and very rich experience for those of us
who are doing that work," he added of teaching Christians about
Judaism. "I think it's generally a good idea for a person to
learn about religious traditions from a practitioner of that religion."
Daum had served as a congregational rabbi in San Rafael, Calif.,
just outside of San Francisco, for seven years. He enjoyed his responsibilities
to his congregation but his desire to teach led him to further his
own education. This past December, he completed his PhD in Near
Eastern studies, an accomplishment toward which he spent 11 years
working.
Aside from his work with the Vancouver School of Theology and his
lectures at UBC, Daum is also in the final stages of a three-year
project for Vancouver Talmud Torah elementary school.
The rabbi is working on a curriculum development project for the
Jewish day school that includes a comprehensive review of the Jewish
studies programs for kindergarten through Grade 7.
Daum, who is also on the executive board of Canadian Jewish Congress,
has been here for fewer than five years but he insists Vancouver
is where he calls home.
"I found the community to be incredibly warm and welcoming
and that's why I feel so at home here," he said. "I plan
to retire here, although not any time soon."
According to Rabbi Lipa Dubrawsky, the most important thing for
any Jew to have is knowledge. Dubrawsky, who has been working for
the Lubavitch Centre since he came here more than 12 years ago,
told the Bulletin that more people in the Jewish community should
educate themselves about Judaism.
"I think there is nothing like knowledge, nothing like knowing,
nothing like being informed and nothing like tasting from our wealth
of wisdom to help a person in every area [of their life],"
he said of the free classes he teaches. "And all it takes is
just to come and taste."
On Tuesday evenings, Dubrawsky teaches an advanced level of kabbalah
and Chassidism, based on the Torah portion for each week, at his
home at 6290 Oak St. On Thursday nights, the father of nine teaches
a more introductory class on the Torah portion. The rabbi also offers
counselling for couples and individuals. And Dubrawsky's wife, Dena,
teaches about the weekly parashah on Tuesday nights, specifically
for women.
Rene Ragetli is one of those who has taken advantage of the wisdom
Dubrawsky imparts by attending his Tuesday night seminars.
"His classes are a stimulating blend of scholarship, mystical
imagery and practical wisdom," said Ragetli. "Most of
the participants (on average 12 - 15) were familiar with Judaism's
basic texts and concepts in Yiddishkeit generally and Chassidut
and kaballah specifically. Thus, the discussion, while free-flowing,
was informative and topical. His are easily the best classes I have
ever attended in Vancouver."
For more information about Dubrawsky's courses, call the Lubavitch
Centre office at 604-266-1313.
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