Iyun

Iyun is a project of Assembly, an organization that trains Jewish communal professionals in relational community building, which combines deep community-organizing practice with Jewish wisdom and text. Iyun helps rabbis, federation and JCC professionals, and individuals teaching in their own living rooms build and lead multi-week Torah learning circles. It grew out of the Jewish Learning Fellowship, whose college programs have graduated an estimated 25,000–30,000 students.

Small Group Vision: The Akiva Fellowship

Iyun has spent years supporting hundreds of facilitators, most of them professionals at partner organizations. The Akiva Fellowship is its first deliberately recruited and trained cohort of lay leaders. The goal is 8–15 circles of 8–20 participants each, meeting weekly to monthly depending on what works for each community. Most meet in person, and some meet on Zoom, such as parents of young children who prefer an evening session from home.

Fellows recruit from their own networks. Many are Jewish Learning Fellowship alumni gathering friends and peers, while others are community connectors leading existing affinity groups, such as PJ Library parents. Participation is free, and fellows receive a full toolkit: recruitment templates and timelines, a leads list, and a complete, editable facilitator’s guide.

Iyun believes Torah offers commentary on our lives, just as our lives offer commentary on the Torah

Accessible Jewish Wisdom

Iyun believes Torah offers commentary on our lives, just as our lives offer commentary on the Torah. Its circles pair classical biblical and rabbinic texts with essential questions about how people live. Fellows choose from a library of about 14 curricula organized by life stage, such as couples, parents, and people in their 20s and 30s, or by topic, such as the Jewish calendar, resilience, and relationships.

Each 90-minute session follows a consistent “spine.” It opens with a bridge to the last session and an opening trigger such as a text, song, or pop-culture moment. Scaffolded discussion questions move from clarifying to personal, often with chavruta in pairs. The session closes with personal reflection, the facilitator’s own prepared reflection, and a round of takeaways. Many sessions include a meal. For participants who often lack a strong Jewish educational background, the goal is simple: friends, community, a mentor, and a love of Torah study.

Peer Leadership Model

Most circles have one leader, and some have co-facilitators who share the work evenly. Leaders handle the whole experience: recruiting, hosting, teaching, and following up with participants between sessions. A four-part virtual training covers relational recruitment, facilitation and pedagogy (including the craft of asking good questions), and hosting or finding one’s own voice. Iyun times each training close to when leaders begin, so the skills stick.

Throughout the year, fellows gather as a community of practice to share how their circles are going and work through challenges together. They also get real-time coaching by call and text and a dedicated team member for one-on-one support. Fellows may also be invited to Assembly’s conference in Chicago in late October.