What does it mean to be a lifelong Jewish learner—and what gets in the way? In this text-based session, we’ll explore Pirkei Avot 1:6 (“Acquire for yourself a teacher”) and 5:21 (“At five years of age, the study of Scripture…”) as frameworks for thinking about mentorship, growth, and imposter syndrome in Jewish life. Together, we’ll ask: How do these teachings shape our understanding of who belongs in Jewish learning spaces? How do we cultivate learning communities that support both confidence and humility? Come for the wisdom of the sages, stay for the reflection on your own Jewish journey.

Avidan Halivni is the associate director of the Jewish Learning Collaborative, a new platform for Jewish professional development that offers customized, one-on-one Jewish learning for professionals and lay leaders at Jewish organizations. He served as a Ramah Service Corps Fellow in Berlin for two years in a Hebrew-German bilingual school and on the Jewish Education team at Hillel Deutschland. Avidan has studied at Yeshivat Ma'ale Gilboa and Yeshivat Hadar, and was a Fellow with the Nachshon Project. He graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University in 2019 and holds an MA from the University of Chicago Divinity School in the History of Judaism.