CHARLOTTE, North Carolina โ When Mark Greenberg began wearing a kippah in public roughly one year after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, the decision was not sudden. It followed months of private conversations and weekly Torah study sessions with Avi Polinsky, an Orthodox Jewish art dealer from New Jersey whom he had never met in person.
Their relationship began in 2024 through Partners in Torah, an educational organization that connects Jews for one-on-one learning. What started as a structured study arrangement developed into a sustained friendship that helped Greenberg navigate questions of Jewish identity, visibility, and commitment during a period of heightened antisemitism in the United States.
Greenberg, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, said the post-October 7 climate led many American Jews to reassess how publicly Jewish they felt comfortable being. For him, the process was gradual and grounded in learning.
โIn the post-October-7 era, there are a lot of questions,โ Greenberg said. โAbout safety. About faith. About what it means to show up as a Jew. Having someone to talk to every week made a difference.โ
Greenberg grew up in a center-right Conservative Jewish household in Atlanta. He attended Solomon Schechter Day School, went to synagogue regularly on Shabbat, and read from the Torah. While active in Jewish life, he said, unanswered questions accumulated over time.
โI found myself asking questions during services and then forgetting them later,โ he said. โI wanted someone I could really learn with.โ
After relocating to Charlotte, Greenberg found fewer learning opportunities. He contacted Rabbi Yisrael Motzen of Baltimore, whom he knew from Mesorah classes in Washington, DC. Rabbi Motzen suggested Partners in Torah and helped facilitate a connection.
That connection led to Polinsky.
Polinsky was born and raised in Brooklyn. His father worked for the New York State Kosher Law Enforcement Bureau. Polinsky learned in several yeshivas, including Yeshiva Ner Israel in Baltimore, before entering the art world. He now represents Israeli artists and designs artwork for commercial and healthcare spaces. He lives in Far Rockaway, New York, with his wife and family.
Polinsky said he was familiar with Partners in Torah from a young age through Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, one of the organizationโs founders.
โI always held it very dear to me,โ Polinsky said. โI wanted to do something beyond my regular learning routine. I thought maybe I could connect with someone and, with G-dโs help, bring inspiration.โ
Initially, Polinsky assumed his learning partner would have minimal Jewish background. He was quickly proven wrong.
โMark really loves to learn,โ Polinsky said. โHe asks thoughtful questions. He enjoys the process.โ
The pair studies the weekly Torah portion for 30 minutes to an hour. They often use different editions of the Chumash, which leads to discussions sparked by varying translations and commentaries. Over time, the sessions have become more collaborative.
โAt first I prepared divrei Torah,โ Polinsky said. โNow Mark brings his own sources. He keeps buying new sefarim.โ
Rabbi Eli Gewirtz, Founder and International Director of Partners in Torah, now a division of Aish, said the partnership reflects the organizationโs broader mission.
โA weekly call can become an anchor,โ Gewirtz said. โEspecially in a time when Jews are asking what it means to be visible and committed.โ
Greenberg is currently completing a remote MBA program through Boston University. He said the flexibility of the partnership has been essential and hopes to continue learning with Polinsky long-term. He also expressed interest in introducing similar programs to his daughters, who attend Jewish day school.
โIโd tell anyone, at any level, to try it,โ Greenberg said. โIt doesnโt matter where you are. People grow when they learn together.โ
For Polinsky, the motivation remains straightforward.
โIf I can bring a little more light into the world,โ he said, โthat is what matters.โ
About Partners in Torah:
Partners in Torah recently merged with Aish and has connected more than 60,000 pairs of study partners worldwide. Through its partnership with Aish, the organization aims to significantly expand access to one-on-one Jewish learning.
