“What does OHT stand for?” you might ask as you stand before Ohr HaTorah. Ohr HaTorah means “The Light of the Teaching”. This place has two main focuses. It provides a center for wisdom. It also offers online Jewish religious Sabbat and Holiday services and programs.
Ohr HaTorah started in 1993. It was co-founded by Rabbi Mordecai Finley and his wife Meirav Finley. Rabbi Finley is not only a rabbi. He also has a Ph.D. in Religion-Social Ethics from the University of Southern California.
As a Center for Wisdom, Ohr HaTorah offers learning opportunities. Starting in the summer of 2024, these are online. You can find both live and video-on-demand content. They help you master skills. These skills are for good interpersonal relationships. They are also for inner life growth. You can also deepen your spiritual search for meaning and purpose.
The basics of this wisdom involve virtue. Virtue means your moral character and how you act. Rationality and reasoning are important. This means thinking well and communicating thoughtfully. Insight and transformation are also key. This involves understanding and transforming your inner life. Wisdom also guides you in a life of depth.
The wisdom taught here includes teachings from world religions. It also includes spiritual traditions. Various schools of thought in philosophy and psychology contribute. They all teach practical and spiritual wisdom. This wisdom aids human growth and transformation.
Much of this wisdom comes from Wisdom Works. Rabbi Finley formulated this practical approach. It focuses on the skills of virtue, rationality, and insight.
Ohr HaTorah also provides weekly Shabbat online gatherings. These are open to everyone. The gatherings include a brief religious service. Teachings address virtue, thinking well, and inner life work. They also explore the spiritual search. Torah is studied with a focus on the inner life. Archetypal-psychology dimensions are considered. Current events are sometimes discussed. The focus is on rational, factual understanding. Moral analysis is also important.
Services and teachings are also offered for major Jewish holidays. Other teachings cover Jewish religious topics. The focus remains on the inner life dimension.
Rabbi Finley also taught at the Academy for Jewish Religion. He taught Liturgy, Jewish Mysticism and Spirituality, and Professional Skills. He is a former president and provost of the AJR.
Rabbi Finley also has a small counseling practice. He focuses on wisdom and virtue. He helps people manage consciousness. He specializes in interpersonal relationships. His counseling integrates insights from various schools. These include Philosophy, Stoicism, Jungian psychology, and more. He also draws from Hindu, Buddhist, and Sufi traditions.
Rabbi Finley was born and raised in Southern California. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He then spent a year in Israel on a kibbutz. He attended the School of Religion at USC. He later went to rabbinical school.
Ohr HaTorah responded to terror attacks in Israel. Like many, they were shocked and horrified. They saw pure evil. They felt reminded of the Shoah. They believe Hamas must be eradicated.
Ohr HaTorah seeks to be a light. It is a place for learning and growth. It provides a space for spiritual exploration.