Our Story

Partners in Jewish Life, also known as PJL or simply Partners, was created to unite Jewish communities worldwide through the power of our shared Jewish values and heritage.

Our focus lies in peer-to-peer learning programs centered around the work, ideas, and teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l. Through this program, we bring together Jews from diverse backgrounds, fostering new relationships built on friendship and respect. With a united Jewish community, we can reimagine collaboration and shape a shared destiny, ultimately creating a better future for Judaism in the Diaspora and Israel.

Our History

The genesis of our initiative traces back to the resounding success of the Partners Detroit program, renowned for pioneering the transformative "across the table" model fostering weekly peer-to-peer learning. Eager to extend this impact to diverse Jewish communities, the Detroit model evolved into Partners in Jewish Life (PJL), an esteemed 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Proudly rooted in Michigan, PJL has garnered invaluable support from the State of Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.

In its nascent stages, PJL was guided by a distinguished panel of advisors, including revered Jewish luminaries such as Gary Torgow, Rabbi Efraim Mintz, Yoni Torgow, Rabbi Bentzy Shechter, Rabbi Raphael B. Butler, and Dvir Kahane. During a pivotal developmental phase, PJL operated as a Momentum Unlimited subsidiary. We express profound gratitude to Ben Pery and Lori Palatnik and the Momentum board of directors for their unwavering belief in our vision and their substantial financial investment. Their support and commitment to fostering Jewish unity form the bedrock of our journey.

The next chapter

The next chapter saw the appointment of Rabbi Josh Broide as the director, who relocated our headquarters to Boca Raton. Under his leadership, a new professional team and board of directors were meticulously curated. The successful scaling of our program was made possible through collaborative efforts with the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and Boca Raton Synagogue, both instrumental partners in our expansion.

Today, we take pride in our partnership with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, as we work diligently to translate the profound teachings of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z’l into a dynamic peer-to-peer learning program. This collaborative effort underscores our commitment to enriching the lives of individuals through meaningful Jewish education.

As we reflect on our journey, we are deeply grateful to all who have played a role in shaping the trajectory of PJL. Your support and contributions have been instrumental, and we remain steadfast in our mission to build bridges of knowledge, unity, and community across the global Jewish diaspora.

Board of Directors

Bari Azman

Shira Englander

Chaim Haas

Gila Stern

Robert Teichman

Quotes from Rabbi Sacks

“So long as the Jewish people never stop learning, the Jewish heart will never stop beating. Never has a people loved a book more. Never has a book sustained a people longer or lifted it higher.”

“Torah – God’s law and teaching – was not a code written by a distant king, to be imposed by force. Nor was it an esoteric mystery understood by only a scholarly elite. It was to be available to, and intelligible by, everyone. God was to become a teacher, Israel His pupils, and the Torah the text that bound them to one another.”

“I believe that the challenge for our time is to open a series of windows so that the world can illuminate our understanding of Torah, and so that the Torah may guide us as we seek to make our way through the world.”

“The word Torah means “teaching”. God reveals Himself to humankind not in the storm, the wind, the sun, the rain, but in the voice that teaches, the words that instruct.”

“The Torah is God’s song, and we collectively are its singers.”

“The unity of the Jews, like that of Torah, is the counterpart, as it were, of the unity of God. To destroy one is to compromise the others.”

“The miracle of creation is that unity in heaven produces diversity on earth. Torah is the rain that feeds this diversity, allowing each of us to become what only we can be.”

“Torah – not simply ‘that which is taught’ but the process of learning and teaching, the ongoing conversation between parents and children, teachers and disciples – is the oxygen which Judaism breathes.”

“For Judaism, God lives here, on earth, in human lives, interactions, and associations. The Torah is terrestrial because God seeks to dwell on earth. Thus the Jewish task is to create a society with the Divine Presence in its midst.”

“The Torah is no mere document, but the marriage contract between heaven and a people, the terms of their relationship, their bond of trust.”

“To be a Jew is to be summoned to become a living Sefer Torah. People learn how to behave not only from the books they study but also – perhaps more so – from the people they meet. Jewish educators speak of “text-people” as well as “text-books,” meaning that we need living role models as well as formal instruction.”

Our Story

Partners in Jewish Life, also known as PJL or simply Partners, was created to unite Jewish communities worldwide through the power of our shared Jewish values and heritage.

Our History

The next chapter

Board of Directors

Quotes from Rabbi Sacks

Uniting Jewish communities One pair at a time

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Contact:

(561) 702-3864