"כִּי נֵר מִצְוָה וְתוֹרָה אוֹר”

“For the commandment is a lamp, and Torah is light.”

- Proverbs 6:23

We are living in dark and uncertain times. The tragic events of the current Israel-Gaza war have devastated communities, increased hatred around the world, and left us grieving. To navigate this moment, we need the light of Torah—both to sustain us, and to grant us the understanding we need for the future. Azara is here to give everyone the chance to go deep into our sources, with no limits on where they may take us. We are asking for your support so that we can provide accessible Torah to the UK Jewish community.

For a month this summer, yeshiva students of all genders, backgrounds, and denominations created a community of learning in Edinburgh. For the first time, people in the UK could develop their Jewish text skills in an inclusive, extended programme—without leaving the country to do so. More than that, we built the sort of caring community that we desperately need, where everyone is responsible for each other’s living and learning, and all are welcome in the beit midrash. Participants brought their own experiences to the yeshiva, using poetry, art, and zines to teach us their own Torah. We shared our learning with open week participants who didn’t have the luxury of a month to learn in, and with the wider Edinburgh Jewish community.

We believe that text learning is vital for building meaningful connections to our tradition, and creating community with room for thoughtful and nuanced debate. At its best, Jewish learning can be transformative—our summer participants have already gone on to full-time Jewish learning, to start an initiative on disability access in UK synagogues, and to teach others. Following the success of the summer, we need the resources to make this learning sustainable. We want to nourish Anglo-Jewry through Torah, and to help each other to connect to our own tradition.

Wishing you and your loved ones a safe and joyful Chanukah.

- Azara Open Week Participant, summer 2023