Monthly Archives: May 2014

Summer-Fall 2014 Course Listings

The High Holidays, Succot and Simchat Torah
A four-week mini-course on the halacha and hashkafa of our holidays for boys and girls ages 9 and 10
Once a week, starting in mid-August

Fifth Grade Girls Mishna and Navi with Sarah Rudolph
Our popular ten-week course that runs in four cycles, year-round Wednesday afternoons at 5:30 pm Pacific/7:30 pm Central/8:30 Eastern time
This group has been learning together for over a year and welcomes additional students!

Boys’ Mishna
Our popular ten-week course that runs in four cycles, year-round For 9-10 year olds
Students will be studying a Moed-related masechet during each of the four courses

Parshat Hashavua
Learn the narratives and mitzvot in the weekly Torah Portion in a fun and engaging style; our session will help kids prepare a Dvar Torah for the Shabbat table as well as supporting them in independent research on the coming Parsha
Two levels – every Thursday for boys and girls
Group A: ages 8-10
Group B: ages 11-12

Nuts and Bolts of Gemara with Rabbi Meyers
A 10-week course for boys ages 14-17, running in 4 cycles, year-round
With 25 years of teaching experience, including seven years online with Webyeshiva and TorahTutors, Rabbi Meyers fosters the development of independent learning skills using methods that he learned as a student of Rabbi Brovender and a rebbe at Yeshivat Darche Noam
Mondays-Thursdays 4:30 Pacific/6:30 Central/7:30 Eastern

Chumash and Rashi
A 10-week course, running in 4 cycles, year-round For boys and girls ages 9-12
In this course, we’ll focus on basic text-reading skills and translation, and ask the question, “What’s Bothering Rashi?”
The goal will be to show how each of Rashi’s comments on Chumash come to answer a fundamental “problem” in the logic or language of the Chumash text

Bar and Bat Mitzvah Preparation
For 11-year old girls and 12 year-old boys, separate classes – A six-month weekly class focusing on the Fundamentals of being Jewish, covering topics such as
What does it mean to become a Bar/Bat Mitzvah?
– The origins and meaning of Tefilah in our tradition; structure and meaning of the Shemone Esrei

– The Yoke of Heaven: The Structure and Meaning of the Shema

– The authority of Torah She Bechtav and Torah She Be’al Peh

– Laws of Berachot

– The Centrality of the land of Israel in Jewish belief

– Honoring Parents: Sources and Practical Applications

– V’ahavta Le’re’acha Kamocha: The Mitzvah to Love your Fellow Jew

What our Parents are saying…

We live in a community in which the Torah education is insufficient we discovered TorahTutors for my twin 10 year old daughters 2 years ago. The quality of learning has exceeded all expectations, and my daughters are engaged and stimulated throughout their classes. They have also bonded with their teacher who lives halfway across the country, and we will be having an online siyum in a few weeks! It is a great bonus that we can do this at home rather than racing to after school classes, and the interactive teaching modality is very motivating for the children. It is because of Torah tutors that we can remain in this community and our children can still become the talmidot of limudei kodesh that we all hoped they would be.

Karin H, California

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TorahTutors has saved my sanity!  My kids enjoy their classes and participate–no whining or arguing.  The teachers are patient, enthusiastic, and resourceful, and they ask lots of questions to keep the kids engaged.  The children have learned things even I didn’t know, and they make connections with their learning.  Long after class is over, they will recognize a Hebrew word or an important concept from the lesson.  It’s wonderful to see their progress.

Here’s an example:  as we were getting ready for shul on Rosh Hashanah, I said something about Daddy blowing the shofar.  My six-year-old pointed out, “But Mommy, the mitzvah is to hear the shofar, not to blow it.”   She was remembering what Rabbi Meyers had said and applying it to the situation.  For parents, these moments bring great joy.

There’s no Jewish school where we live, so our kids attend public school.  Like most families, we are busy, and we don’t always find the time to do our Jewish learning.  With our Torah Tutors class and private session, I know that at least twice a week, the kids will have a class that delivers both fun and solid Jewish content.  I know that even when our home life gets chaotic, the kids are getting that foundation.  It’s a huge relief.

Eva Ginsburg, Urbana, Illinois

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TorahTutors is a wonderful option for families looking to enrich a child’s religious education in any way.  We are thrilled with the level of instruction and the personal connection our son has made with his teacher/Rebbe in Israel and the diligence our son has shown toward his learning.  We are grateful to Rabbi Meyers for launching and leading the important initiative for Torah learning in the modern world.

Dr. Adam S. Cohen, Toronto Canada