Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn, dean of Yavneh Hebrew Academy, will attempt to deliver the longest uninterrupted Torah lecture ever from Dec. 23, 11:59 p.m., to Dec. 24, 6 p.m. PST. The goal of the record-setting attempt is to raise funds in support of students who can’t afford Jewish day school and to educate the public on the importance of a Jewish education.
Einhorn, author of Judaism Alive, is a graduate of Yavneh. In 2005, he became the head rabbi of New York’s West Side Institutional Synagogue. Upon returning to Los Angeles as dean of Yavneh in 2012, he began giving Torah lectures across the city, to both Orthodox and non-Orthodox groups. He is known for his memory and his ability to quote from dozens of Torah sources, while at the same time referencing pop culture, heroes and self-help gurus. To prepare for the 18-hour lecture, he is training with a vocal coach to get in shape.
The rabbi will focus on a different topic every hour for the full 18 hours. Among the topics are The Chosen People and Three Other Arrogant claims; Two Jews, Four Opinions: Why Do We Always Argue?; John Lennon’s “Imagine” Experiment: What Would the World be Without Religion?; Jacob’s Ladder and “The Stairway to Heaven”: Does Secular Culture Have a Home in this Religion?; and Did the Israelites Miss the Train?: Did the Messiah Already Come?
Einhorn will be lecturing from Yavneh Hebrew Academy. At the end of the 18 hours, there will be a dinner celebration with the student body and community members, as the students celebrate their own achievement, mastering 18,000 questions on Bereishit, Genesis, the first book of the Five Books of Moses. With a goal of raising $200,000 towards Jewish education, viewers can watch and donate by going to longestshiur.com.