Rabbi Jeremy Gerber - Teaching and Tutoring

10/07/2026

I sent this message out to my congregation today:

Dear Beth El community,
Sometimes when I sit with mourners, soon after a very close loved one has passed, we discuss the difficult emotions of grief. During the funeral and shiva, their mourning is front and center. Everyone rallies around and comforts them, and they are free to wail and express their grief fully. Then, weeks pass. Years even. The world returns to normal, but the heaviness of grief won’t lift. “How does the world keep on turning, people keep laughing and celebrating, and business returns to usual… when I am still in this much pain?” It can become a whole new layer of grief and alienation from those around you.

Today, on October 7th, many of us feel like those mourners. The horrendous attacks, slaughters, and kidnappings that occurred three years ago today remain vivid in our minds and in our hearts. It hurts perhaps even more when many people around the world say we have no right to mourn. The atrocities of that day and its aftermath have become overshadowed by war and other people’s pain.

I just wanted to acknowledge our sadness today. Whether others around us feel it too, or whether it goes unseen; it is still valid. I see you. And I feel it too. We get to still mourn and cry. Today is a hard day. But remember also that we - the Jewish people - are still here. Hineini. And we share this experience with one another.

יהי זכרם ברוך
(Yehi Zichram Baruch)
- May the memories of the victims of October 7th, 2023 always be remembered for a blessing.

עם ישראל חי
- Am Yisrael Chai - The Jewish People Lives.

With love,

Rabbi Ge**er

09/10/2026

Shanah Tovah, everyone!
As I’ve shared here many times, I have been working off-and-on for years with a Jewish community in Mbale, Uganda. The conditions there are quite terrible, especially in the last couple of years, and the congregation is struggling. I know that it is sometimes difficult to determine the validity and authenticity of these kinds of requests. Nevertheless, I do know many people who have visited the multiple Jewish communities there, and I have been working with the same group of people in Mbale (teaching Hebrew and doing occasional Torah study) since years before Covid.

So I'm wondering if you could help me send a donation to my friends, Jonathan Mwosuko and Kulabe Avi Esau, in order to buy food and supplies for the entire community to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. It isn't for the two of them, it's for the Nasenyi Jewish community and others in their area. I'm not requesting major gifts; small amounts make a difference. Even $5 from ten people allows me to send them $50. I'm including my ID for both Venmo and PayPal (my strange bank no longer does Zelle).

Venmo: -Ge**er-3
PayPal: **er1134

FULL TRANSPARENCY: I know we all *want* to be trusting individuals, but we're skeptical and cynical in this world. I will send a screenshot of the total amount I raise, as well as a list of donation amounts (with redacted names, perhaps, for people's privacy) upon request, and then a screenshot when the money goes via Remitly to Jonathan in Mbale. I will then also send images of food receipts and pictures of the community celebrating Rosh Hashanah. I want you to know where 100% of the funds are going.

I also know that there are endless causes out there asking for donations. I receive many, many appeals as well. I totally understand if it is all too much, and you just can't respond to another request for yet another contribution. Regardless, thanks for considering it. Shanah Tovah u'Metukah (a Happy and Healthy New Year) to everyone, and to our fellow Jews all around the world.

09/03/2026

This year, I am once again offering teaching and tutoring, either in-person or online. Here are some of the classes starting this fall:

First off, I continue to teach courses online with Mekom Torah (www.mekomtorah.org). Please see below for details about my classes and registration information:

1) How to Read Hebrew: Unlock the Hebrew Alphabet and Discover the Joy of Reading Hebrew
Whether you’re brand new to Hebrew or looking to refresh what you may have forgotten, this course will give you the tools to confidently sound out Hebrew as it appears in the Jewish prayer book and the Hebrew Bible. Step by step, you’ll learn the Hebrew alphabet, the vowel system, and the foundations of Hebrew reading in a relaxed, supportive environment.

For more information and registration info:
https://www.mekomtorah.org/how-to-read-hebrew.html

2) Reading the Prayer Book: What Do We Say When We Pray?
If you've already dipped your toe in the water of the Hebrew language, please join us for a deep dive into the Siddur - the Jewish prayer book. In this ongoing study group we will explore the history, meaning, and traditions behind some of the most important prayers. In each session students will read sections of the Siddur in Hebrew, learning translation skills and improving pronunciation. This is your path to rich and fluent participation in synagogue services.

For more information and registration info:
https://www.mekomtorah.org/reading-the-prayer-book.html

******

Separate from Mekom Torah, I am offering *two* Bible Study classes; one in-person and one online. The in-person class meets in Delaware County, PA, on Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m. The online course will be discussed with interested participants to find a mutually agreeable time. The topic for both study courses is:

Torah, Torah, Torah! Our Ancient, Ancestral Texts Unlocked.
By the end of the High Holidays, we’ll be restarting the Torah cycle with the Story of Creation. But how does the Torah end? How do we transition from closure back to a new opening? What is the text *really* about??? Together we will learn the Torah as it was meant to be studied, and bring our own lives, wisdom, and insights into this age-old Jewish conversation.

PLEASE NOTE: I am also available for one-on-one tutoring in Hebrew, Bible, Judaism 101, B’nai Mitzvah prep, or for lifecycle officiating. Please be in touch with me directly with any questions or inquiries.

What do we really say when we pray? If you've already dipped your toe in the water of the Hebrew language, please join us for a deep dive into the Siddur - the Jewish prayer book. In this ongoing...

04/22/2026

My latest blog post is now online! Check it out and feel free to share comments/thoughts/responses. Thanks!!

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim, 5786 (2026) - Even After Pain, There is Gain

Most weekends, we get just one Torah portion, but several times throughout the year, we actually read *two* of them back-to-back. That is, in fact, the case this Shabbat, where we combine the parshiot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. Acharei Mot literally means “After the death(s),” and talks about laws and rituals given after two of Aaron’s sons are killed for angering God. Kedoshim means “holy,” and gives us a long series of mitzvot, commandments, that lead to sacred behavior. What if, however, we set aside the contextual meanings of these readings and just spent a minute looking at the titles in relation to one another: “After death – holiness.” In this case, I imagine “death” represents tragedy of all forms: illness, pain, suffering, accidents, and of course, actual death. These terrible calamities certainly don’t seem like opportunities for holiness, sanctification, or meaningful insights, do they?

Keep reading here:

https://www.rabbijeremy.com/post/acharei-mot-kedoshim-5786-even-after-pain-there-is-gain

03/05/2026

Hello friends!

I am working on my new professional website, and appreciate everyone who has written testimonials or offered feedback. I am adding more and more content all the time, including my new weekly “blogette,” Torah for Real Life. Right now, I’d love to upload more pictures, so I wanted to reach out and invite people to share photos from any lifecycle events I’ve officiated with you. You don’t have to post them here, just send them to me directly. I’m mainly looking for B’nai Mitzvah pics at the moment, but all snapshots are welcome! Thanks so much. And here’s a link to my website again, if you want to check it out:

www.rabbijeremy.com

02/23/2026

I decided to start writing a blog again. I sent out my “Take on Torah” for 14 years; now it’s time to launch “Torah for Real Life.” A fresh start seemed like a good Idea. I’m half-jokingly calling it a “blogette,” because I endeavor to pick one idea each week, based on something in the Torah portion, and share a bite-size thought to keep with you. Here’s installment #1 from this past Shabbat:

This week's Torah portion is Terumah, from the middle of the Book of Exodus. It's kind of an odd place to begin a new blog, being heavy on laws and not a lot of narrative. However, we really think of the whole Torah as a circle that we go around every year, with no beginning and no end, so I guess any place is just as good as any other. Much of Terumah focuses on building plans for the construction of a Tabernacle, which is sort of like a synagogue-on-the-go for the Israelites wandering in the desert.

With God decreeing such specific plans for how to construct this holy space, it's fascinating to me that the Tabernacle looked nothing like the later, permanent structure in Jerusalem, namely the Temple of Solomon. A thousand years later, after two Temples had been destroyed, we shifted over to synagogues... which again looked nothing like either of these ancient models!

Do any two synagogues look alike today?? This may seem surprising, given the Torah's instructions, except there's a key phrase at the start of our Torah portion which might help us make sense of this. God instructs Moses to accept gifts for the construction "from every person whose heart is so moved." Worshipping God isn't meant to be uniform. In each generation, our hearts have moved us to pray, connect, and converse with the Divine in our own unique ways. Our prayer spaces across Jewish history reflect that diversity, and it sounds to me like God is thrilled that this was, and still is, the case.

My new website: www.rabbijeremy.com

02/05/2026

Hello friends!
I know I haven’t posted in a while, but I wanted to share with you a new website I just launched. I’m trying to increase my presence online and spread some information about counseling, teaching, and tutoring that I offer. Please feel free to check it out, and if we’ve ever worked together and you’d like to give a testimonial of some sort, that would be most appreciated! Shabbat Shalom!!

I believe questions create relationship and engagement, and that spiritual care begins not with solutions, but with presence and conversation. You don't need to arrive with answers, clarity, or the right words. This is a place to come exactly as you are - with questions, uncertainty, faith, doubt, o...

09/09/2025

Hi friends!
Excited to share that I’m going to be teaching a couple of courses with Mekom Torah, thanks to my wonderful friend, Rabbi Helen Plotkin! I’ll be teaching a beginner’s Hebrew course in October and an intro to the prayer book in January. All courses are live on Zoom. Please share with others, and I hope you’ll consider joining.

I’m also available for individual tutoring, group classes on Bible, Hebrew, and other Jewish topics, as well as one-on-one spiritual counseling. Please let me know if you’re interested or would like to learn more. Bye for now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DOWj_E0AaCQ/?igsh=cmJyY2c0b3d5aXVo

08/19/2024

Hi everyone!
As the summer winds down and we prepare for the start of the new Jewish year (Rosh Hashanah is getting closer! Yikes!! 😱), I wanted to reach out to everyone here on Facebook:

- Are you looking for a B’nai Mitzvah tutor for your child?
- Are you considering an adult Bat/Bar Mitzvah ceremony for yourself? Learning Torah reading, Haftarah, leading services, or other Jewish ritual and life skills?
- Looking to learn more about Judaism in general?
- Interested in working on your Hebrew skills, either starting at Alef-Bet or more of an intermediate level?
- Curious to delve into the Bible, whether the Five Books of Moses or a later book somewhere in the Tanach?
- Hoping to study one-on-one or set up a group?

I’d love to work with you! I currently have a few students already, and am preparing to start an adult B’nai Mitzvah class. I am always excited to start new endeavors and learning opportunities. Feel free to DM me anytime! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer and has a great launch into the fall.

Bye for now!