Igud Hamelamdim:
Children today are fortunate to have access to a plethora of programs and contests that encourage and incentivize their learning and conduct. As a result, they achieve astounding success in many areas, such as in learning baal peh, mivtzoim, chassidishe practices, and so on.
Given the power of extra-curricular programs, the Igud Hamelamdim teachers’ association started a program to tackle a crucial, elementary area: Students’ mastery of the texts studied in school.
Before launching the project, Igud Hamelamdim consulted with leading mechanchim and Gemara experts who all pointed to a steep decline these days in students’ ability to read and decipher texts from Mishnayos or Gemara. Even some students who excel in comprehension and score well on tests fare poorly
when it comes to reading the Gemara learned in class.
“In order to master the material, never mind to retain it over time, a student must invest time and effort to review it from the page,” a veteran rebbi shared. “Even a student who can repeat content from memory won’t be able to learn in yeshiva if he cannot access the original text.”
With this goal in mind, Igud Hamelamdim launched Mivtza Torah – Gemara Bifnim, an innovative program which motivates students to work on mastering the skill of learning “bifnim” – inside the text.
“While being able to read the Gemara inside is assumed to be a basic skill in learning Gemara,” explains Rabbi Avrohom Bluming, director of the organization, “the reality is that it is becoming a growing challenge. Children nowadays are finding it ever more challenging to focus on words on a page and it really hits them hard when they enter yeshiva. We came up with a revolutionary way to give the children these fundamental skills in an exciting manner.”
In an enthusiastic response, schools across the United States and Canada enrolled in the program’s pilot course, which ran during the 5778 (2017-2018) school-year. After hearing of the astounding success this program has generated, more schools signed up for this year’s course.
To assess their knowledge of the text, students take a bi-weekly quiz using open Gemaras. The quiz also trains their minds in how to decipher and read the text.
Besides for the prizes that students receive at a year-end program, raffles are held after each test as an extra incentive. Participating classes from around the world tune in to a live global broadcast for extra encouragement and the raffle.
Building off last year’s success, several new features were added to this year’s program, including a special phone system that allows students to record themselves reading and explaining the Gemara they learned in class. The system is so successful that some are even asking for more opportunities to record.
Another hit is the Shabbos-review program that rewards those who review the Gemara with their father (or any adult) at home over Shabbos. Fathers have welcomed this opportunity to bond with their sons over a blatt Gemara.
With chinuch being one of our highest priorities and the foundation of our future, we can all hope that this program will continue to aid teachers in educating children with the skills and knowledge they need to lead a life filled with a true love for Torah study.
To learn more about the program or to sign up, contact Igud Hamelamdim at: [email protected]
My son comes home every day and runs to the telephone with excitement!, to record 5 minutes of himself. He tells me, he’s doing Back Chazoroh, explaining that its a system of reviewing all the Gemara they’ve learned this year, on a steady basis! while i don’t know the details of it, it is amazing to watch how beautifully he reads & translates Gemara he learned few months ago, and does it with such Geshmak! Thak you so much to the organizers of this program for all the passion and energy you put into it!!
I’m a guy in my sixties and frum from birth but never really mastered any gemorrah in a complete Mesecta where I can open any page and really be familiar. Here is a secret way I am about to finish mesectas Taanis. There is a system called Haarev nah. They have yeshiva boys repeat pages of gemorrah several times each day. But I have discovered a fool proof similar system. Here is how it works. You study three to twelve lines on a Sunday. Depending on how difficult or your capabilities are. Now every day repeat those few lines Three… Read more »
The Bright Beginnings gemara workbook by Rabbi Aaron Spivak. There are 2 volumes for the 4th perek of Brachos and 1 for eilu metzius as well. I went through the entire first volume…you do need to download a pdf of vocabulary flashcards from their website or just look up the key words from a dictionary
Many times we go surfing around the world for help and help is found next door.
There are many wonderful extra curriculum programs out there, but we definitely need to assure that the foundations of learning are strong.
PLEASE MAKE A SIMILAR PROGRAM FOR MESIVTA AND ZAL BUCHRIM, THERE ARE MANY EXTRA CURRICULAR PROGRAMS FOR THEM BUT NOT ENOUGH OF BASIC OLD FASHIONED LIMUD HAGEMARA, WHERE THAY ACTUALLY GO AWAY KNOWING THE GEMARA PROPERLY.
As Yidden and Chassidim this is all that our children and us should be involved in. Learning Torah, Davening, and doing Mitzvos and bringing all of this to more Yidden.
Yasher Koach!
We can also use a program like this for adults or even older bochurim . The biggest prize would be being able to learn without having to get an artscroll
Some great teachers said when the “new” innovative ways of learning were sweeping thru our school system: the flashy smart boards and new teaching technic will take away from learning inside.
They were mocked as old fashioned and holding back the success of so many students.
Thank God they didn’t bow to the pressure
COntests and prizes certainly incentivizes a students efforts, but perhaps we can focus on how this is being TAUGHT. Or is it being taught? There’s a difference between teaching a page of gemara text, and teaching the skill of how to read from gemara. One is an accumulation of lines the other is a skill,
I observed this issue years ago. We’re simply not producing children who can easily learn from the original. And when it’s hard for them, they naturally don’t want to.
In my opinion, the newfangled technological tools are good for some kids, but detrimental to others. There are simply no shortcuts. For the boy without specific learning challenges, we need to just pump mishnayos and Gemara from the original.