Get to know SHIUR

We are a multidisciplinary community, with members from all over the world, from all walks of life, who are eager to critically engage with content, space, and discourse, both digitally and in real life.

What is SHIUR?

SHIUR brings the ancient Jewish practice of text based discourse integrated with space, ritual, and practice to the world of art, diplomacy, culture and more.

Our story

We started off in livingrooms in Berlin, London, and Brooklyn exploring texts, reexamining rituals and traditions, combined with cultural performances. We found there were others curious to engage in discourse that took itself seriously and was not debased by dogmatic or commercial agendas.

Our Mission

We seek to transform the world and ourselves through multidisciplinary discourse. This means “uplifting the sparks” concealed in forgotten traditions, marginalized artists and writers, and creating a community of critical thinkers and creators.

Our Vision

By drawing on SHIUR’s unique way of engaging with the content and discovering new sources of inspiration and change, participants and members of the SHIUR community will create measurable impact within their respective disciplines, generating meaningful positive change in society and the world.

SHIUR in the press

COMING SOON

“a series…of both Jewish and general interest, conducted on an extraordinarily high intellectual level…Weinberg is…a highly creative mind and an out-of-the-box thinker…”

Rabbi Professor Arthur Green
I value so much how SHIUR brings people from all the world’s cultures together for serious study. Too often Jewish learning is parochial but Micki Weinberg is an original and open-minded thinker so deeply rooted in Jewish texts and traditions he knows how to share them with a global audience. I so admire his brilliance, his great generosity of spirit and his terrific energy.tem

Professor Rodger Kamenetz, Poet, Author of Jew in the Lotus
“The Midsummer Retreat allowed me to disconnect from the thoughts and motions of my daily life and step into an ‘alterity’ of Shabbat in which we explored interesting, challenging texts and ideas with a group of curious minds. The experience challenged my idea of what it means to ‘retreat’ and how the concept exists in western cultures today…Our venue in the Dutch countryside, the yoga and ecstatic movement sessions, the wonderful food, and the spontaneous moments of music and dance made the experience all the more special…already looking forward to the next rendition!”

Alex Swerdlow, Consultant
"The retreat really was an eye-opening experience for me. The texts and Micki's way of introducing them to us gave me a deeper understanding of the meaning of Shabbat and how I, even as a non-Jewish person, can incorporate it into my life and benefit from it. Everything from logistics to food and the program was very well planned and executed. Micki and his team made everyone feel welcome and included. I loved the stimulation of not only the mind, but also the body by different, seemingly unrelated practices like yoga, breathwork and dancing - yet they contemplated each other perfectly and I was able to take something valuable from each workshop. The diversity of the group and the different perspectives from everyone widened my horizon and the calmness and beauty of Netherlands countryside supported my journey of contemplation and transformation. I will definitely come back and would highly recommend visiting a SHIUR retreat!"

Vera Strathmann, Photographer
"Attending SHIUR has been a pleasure and an inspiration. I’ve learned about new poets and photographers, and enjoyed the discussions and the newfound connections between Talmudic texts, contemporary theories, and art. Hearing presentations from disciplines such as architecture or psychology has been a rich experience, and I’ve enjoyed the online community that emerged from these shared explorations."

Dr. Dana Schmalz, Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg/Berlin
"SHIUR by Micki Weinberg plays an important role in the Jewish ecosystem in Berlin. As Micki is active in various Jewish circles, he draws a diverse crowd of young people who are curious about Jewish philosophy and learning. By combining deeply religious topics with modern philosophy, culture in his lectures, he impressively proves the actuality of Judaism in our times. Everyone who I know left his lectures not only more knowledgeable, but also inspired to learn more about the topic. It’s the first time I see Jewish lectures becoming popular among young people."

Fillip Piatov, Journalist, Berlin
"Thank you so much for the great Shabbat experience! It’s really important that you keep on doing this as this is a unique format in Berlin. I enjoyed your Shiur as it combined rabbinical voices and modern Jewish voices at the same time. The people that you have gathered…came from all sorts of different Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds which made the discussion even more interesting. You created a really warm atmosphere…which made it easy to connect and mingle. There was a feeling of community as everyone was able to contribute to the Shabbat by participating in the Shiur…SHIUR is a great initiative that represents modern Jewish life; it’s traditional but leaves space for everyone’s own relationship to Judaism. Looking forward for the next SHIUR!"

Dana Alper, Lawyer, Berlin
"As a non religious Jew who lives her Judaism and Jewish identity through reflection and discussion, SHIUR is a wonderful place to…discuss, debate, build bridges between ideas, concepts and texts. Texts originating from the Talmud, the fields of sociology, philosophy and psychology. Brought to life by being cross-referenced and discussed by individuals gathered to share knowledge and thoughts. Questions are raised, minds are open. I look forward to more such events."

Elizabeth Yardeni, Performing Arts Producer, Paris

our partners

We’re partnered with a diverse set of organizations, companies, and sponsors.

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original videos

Visit shiur youtube channel

visit shiur instagram reels

About our founder

Micki Weinberg is a film maker and writer based in Berlin. Born in Los Angeles, he graduated with a Bachelors degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004. He left the states for graduate studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he focused on intertextuality in ancient Jewish literature. He also studied Talmud at the Mir Yeshiva. Weinberg worked at Goldman Sachs from 2007-2010 in London and Switzerland. Since quitting in 2010, Weinberg has dedicated himself to work in art film, theater, and critical essay writing. Micki has been leading text based study groups in Berlin and other cities since 2011. In 2018 Micki founded SHIUR in Berlin.