Question

I walked away from the Jewish religion over 30 years ago. I was going
through teenage difficulties and I was searching for G-d. I came up against
the barrier of not knowing Hebrew, having to go to synagogue and I never felt
satisfied when I came out. I never felt that I had really learned something
that I could take into my life and use. I have spent over 22 years now,
exploring spirituality...apart from Judaism...and now I would like to learn
about my own religion. I am wanting to learn about Judaism and its teachings,
but I am seeking to learn about the 'Heart and Soul' of the teachings. Where
do I go to find this? How do I go about this? I can't buy a Torah and learn at
home. Again I find that there is a barrier between this knowledge and myself.

Answer

Thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts. We all have our road to travel, and it seems that yours has reached an important point.

There are a lot of resources on the Internet. The first thing to do is sign up for some Torah email lists. Go to:
http://www.aish.com/lists.

I recommend attending a Discovery seminar. It provides an excellent framework and overview of the entire gamut of Jewish history, philosophy, and literature. The seminar is given in hundreds of cities throughout the world. For a current schedule, email discovery.usa@aish.com or go to: http://aish.com/seminars/discovery/Info/schedule.htm.

You can also listen to classes on audio cassette. "Voices From Jerusalem" has thousands of titles to select from. For info, call 1-800-VOICES-3 (in the U.S.) or write to voices@aish.com. You can also listen to classes on-line via RealAudio at http://www.613.org. There are great Jewish books available in English on every topic. For a recommended reading list, go to: http://aish.com/literacy/reference/. Books can also be ordered at http://www.eichlers.com, or at http://www.amazon.com or calling Judaica toll free 877-758-3242. A list of local Jewish bookstores is at http://www.artscroll.com/stores.html.

Finally, if you live in North America, you can learn on the telephone with a personal Torah trainer, and explore any subject, at a time that's convenient for you. If you are interested in experiencing one-on-one Jewish learning with Aish.com, in conjunction with Partners in Torah, please send your home/business phone number to rabbi@aish.com.