My first exposure to Hebrew was learning how to read the consonants and vowels. For me this study began in the Hebrew school of a Reform congregation in the fifth grade of American grade school (a year late). This was in the Chicago area where I was born. I continued with Hebrew school classes, twice a week after the hours of public school, until I was fifteen years old. At graduation, the congregation devised a program in Israel for us graduates shortly after the Six Day War. Informally, I studied the weekly portion of the Torah in Hebrew during my first year of college. I did this by myself from the Soncino Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Hebrew and English, with a commentary by Dr. J. H. Hertz, Chief Rabbi of the British Empire.
In the summer of 1971, when I was almost 20 years old, I enrolled
in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for what was called "junior
year abroad." The summer was spent in a class (ulpan) to
improve my Hebrew skills in order to mainstream into Hebrew
language courses, which I did. I continued to study the weekly
Torah portion alone and continued hearing the weekly Torah portion
when it was read for the congregation every week on Shabbat
(Saturday) morning. I had already been hearing the weekly Torah
portion when I attended the Hillel's synagogue during the previous
two years. This was at the University of Illinois in
After the first trimester at the Hebrew University, I had an opportunity to study in one of Chabad's yeshivas (yeshivot) as a beginning student. The curriculum started with studying a chapter of the Six Orders of the Mishnah. I was then introduced to Talmud study, first in English and then in a class delivered in Hebrew. From the beginning of yeshiva study, I was also taught Chabad's Hasidic philosophy in English from Hebrew texts. After two semesters in the yeshiva in Israel, I transferred to one of Chabad's yeshivas in Brooklyn, New York. After two more years, I moved on to a job and studied aspects of the Torah on my own and occasionally in small study circles on Shabbat for all the years since – for 47 years and counting.
To say that I am fluent in most parts of the Torah is an understatement. My weakness, though, is that I've had very little experience in studying the Zohar as such. This is not a subject that is readily taught in any context, especially not in yeshivas. On the other hand, Hasidic teachings are often underpinned by the knowledge of the Zohar on the part of the Grand Rabbi – Rebbe – who elucidates it for the congregation. At the same time, the Grand Rabbis of seven generations have taught snippets from the Book of Formation. See the page Sources.