By COLlive reporter
Ask any Yeshiva bochur if he has ever sat through a shiur and felt lost because the teaching was either higher or lower than his level. Chances are the answer will be affirmative.
To tackle this widespread challenge, the Yeshiva Gedola Lubavitch in London ran an experimental program this past school year to adjust each bochur to the class of his abilities.
“We have long discussed creating a system in which every bochur, from the beginner to the most advanced, can make his Yeshiva experience a success,” a source in the hanhala told COLlive.com.
The proposal put forward by the Hanhala utilized its respected Maggidei-Shiur to offer a series of different levels of shiurim from which each bochur can choose the level that suits him best.
The ‘Shiur klali’ was presented by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yitzchok Meir Hertz, the high level ‘Iyun-Shiur’ by Rabbi Yosef Schtroks, ‘Bekius-Shiur’ by Rabbi Gedalya Lieberman and the ‘Blat-Shiur’ by Rabbi Leibish Heller.
The program has been in place for several weeks now and many of the bochurim report that this has been the best period of their yeshiva experience, a staff member reported.
As uncommon as the new system might be, the bochurim are apparently adapting very well to it. “It’s an amazing system,” commented Yaacov Elyaschewits. “It gives every person much greater ability than before, to reach their potential.”
Another bochur, Aharon Mishulovin, said: “This new program expresses the care and concern this Yeshiva has for the academic and ultimately spiritual growth of every bochur. I am already seeing results.”
One parent called it “a very welcome move,” noting that his son is now given the opportunity “to progress at his pace and allowing him the choice of which shiur is best suited for him.”
COLlive was told that the program will be followed and tweaked in the run-up to next year’s start of the new Masechta.
Was there many years ago. He couldn’t learn gemmara and asked to learn Chumish instead. He was told, no! Imagine, a boy asking to learn what he wants to learn and being told that if he does that, other boys will also want to do that …. so he went through the whole yeshiva system, never happy, never learned anything, never getting questions answered and I leave it to your imagination where he’s holding in Yiddishkiet now. Every parent should reach out to the yeshivas and make sure that the hanhala cares, really cares about their big, not about the… Read more »
As a mother of bochurim, I cannot praise this idea enough! Thank you for allowing my son to feel confident in his yeshiva, rather than feel like he’ll never make it. You don’t know what you’ve done for him
always setting a great example for others, leading and lighting up the way like true tomim.
Lubavitch Senior Girls School has a similar system for chumash and it is great!!
my son goes to Kingsley way and has said that this change has really been great and he now has an even greater cheishek for learning!!
for a small yeshiva like london but not necessarily ideal for the bigger mainstream yeshiva .
Kol hakavod, London! This is a very reasonable and sensible way to do it. Yeshivah Gedolah in Melbourne has been doing this for many, many years with resounding success.
This is a wonderful idea that should be used at many levels, including in elementary school. Using the teachers the school already has, students can be divided into levels more catered to their abilities, allowing each to achieve their best!
Its to late for most of my own kids, unfortunately. How I wish this was done many years ago–in all Yeshivos! And perhaps girls schools can adapt this idea too. Does every girl have ferociously write notes all day long–regardless of the subjects imposed–as the teacher *whizzes* over one’s heads of several in the class? לעולם, לעולם, לעולם לעולם ילמד אדם במקום שלבו חפץ Our sage assert this timeless imperative: “Forever a person should study the area his heart desires!” Hanolos, there is a very simple equation here, and this equation address a PART OF (but surely not more than… Read more »
i was there a couple years ago and they had this system
Has been doing this forever. It’s amazing, ask the alumni and parents. Its wonderful that London is doing this too. If other Yeshiva’s want to know how this works and how successful it is you just have to look at the stellar example out there, it literally changes lives.
That’s why its an amazing Yeshiva. #commenwealth:)
I hope many more yeshivas take on this new system! It makes so much more sense and will only help out the bochurim!
When i was in Yeshiva Manchester in the Early 90’s they had this system. not regarded of age Etc. You would choose together with the rosh yeshiva which shiur you would attend. Could have stayed in the same Magid Shiur for more than a year. Or go stright to the higher class, though you were young.
Excellent low-cost or no-cost solution. Congratulations to London and to every institution that strives to increase student success, no matter where they are starting from. Let’s keep the good news coming. — A Yeshiva Parent
I wish they had such a system when I was a Bochur. Not to say that I didn’t learn anything during my 3 years in Yeshiva, but a lot of time was wasted and I would have probably learnt and enjoyed a lot more during those years, had such a system been put in place.
All Yeshivas should have such a system in place.
The idea that you go to a certain level class due to your age, just does not make sense.
They do this in Morristown? And have for years?
YG has this system and its actually the most amazing yeshiva out there because of this amazing system they do. If only all yeshiva would follow along the path of YG Melbourne and now London, bochrim would actually learn rather than fall asleep or be lost during shiur, honestly love this idea!! Go London!!
mayanot has been doing this for years
I think if when I was in yeshiva thay would have done this it would have been a tremendous ”toeles” as I always felt the magid shiur was trying to cater for everyone and as a result catered for nobody