For this program to succeed, you need men willing to drink and study Torah simultaneously and have a Rabbi or assistant Rabbi who enjoys your company and is willing to teach a large group of men who will be drinking. Due to the pandemic we needed a safe spot to hold the event. Olam Tikvah is in northern Virginia and can be quite pleasant in November so we decided to have Spirits and Study outdoors in our parking lot with fire pits and adequate social distancing while masked except to drink or eat.
At the time of the event, groups were limited to 25 people outdoors. The event was sold out and there were many men who were excluded due to the limited numbers allowed to gather. For ten months, men were not socializing. This event really lifted the spirits of all who attended.
The Torah and the spirits were both great, but the star of the event was being able to just see and be with your friends again.
We were seated in a large circle with 3-4 fire pits providing some warmth and ambiance.
The program consisted of our Rabbi choosing something currently topical with a compatible Torah portion discussion for 15-20 minutes then a tasting. Olam Tikvah just happens to have a member who has worked in the import and distribution of alcohol and loves to select spirits, usually based on a theme. The theme could be a region, type of beverage, kosher, etc. Our expert provides a handout with information on the beverage and will talk about each bottle as well.
The Rabbi will typically have 4 Torah portions to discuss, which means 4 tastings.
We charge $18 payable at the door to reimburse the cost of the alcohol, any profit would go to a synagogue fund.