About 2 years ago, an exciting new website was launched to help students with their Gemara studies in Yeshiva, www.gemaraacademy.com.
Since then Gemara Academy has made over 300 videos which received over 9,000 plays. At the start of this past school year Gemara Academy had 1 complete curriculum in PowerPoint format and 7 Yeshivos have been using it.
Since then Gemara Academy has developed materials on an additional 7 Perakim. The completed Perakim are:
פרק תפלת השחר
פרק אלו מציאות
פרק המפקיד
פרק הכונס
פרק החובל
פרק השוכר את האומנים
פרק המניח
פרק כיצד העדים
The Gemara Academy videos are designed to be a personal Chavrusa for a student to use to learn at his own pace. The classes can be paused, rewound, or played over again. It can be used to prepare for the next day’s class or for chazarah of the previous day’s class.
The Gemara Academy PowerPoint classes are designed to be used by teachers, resource rooms, tutors, students, and any individual who wants to learn Gemara.
The creator of Gemara Academy is Rabbi Chananya Hoffinger who taught at Hamesivta of Ocean Parkway for 7 years and experienced firsthand the difficulties that come up when learning and teaching Gemara.
“One of the most common difficulties is the vast expansiveness of the Gemara that makes it so hard to stay focused and see the structure of the Gemara,” he says. “Another challenge is the feeling of not knowing what approach and method the Gemara will use in the current Sugya.”
To deal with this, Rabbi Hoffinger created a system of teaching using PowerPoint presentations that use flowcharts to mirror the Gemara text. Instead of using visuals that move away from the text and then make it difficult for the student to connect them to the text, Gemara Academy presents the visual representation of the text itself. This way the visual strengthens the understanding of the text and the text strengthens the understanding of the visual.
Therefore each class also has the Gemara text using the Tzuras Hadaf so that the student can become familiar and comfortable with the text.
Because Gemara is a study of the Mishna it therefore uses the same tools over and over again; since in the process of analyzing a teaching the same tools are always used. As a result after a very short time the student begins to become more familiar with these tools that the Gemara uses, as he sees them used over and over again within the visual context of the flowchart.
Gemara Academy has also begun using many visuals and animations to further help students in understanding and seeing the Gemara.
So Gemara Academy seeks to accomplish a number of things:
1) Show the map of the Gemara so that the student can see the bigger picture and not become lost in the details
2) To become familiar with the style and tools that the Gemara uses
3) To see through the flowchart how the ideas in the Gemara are developed
4) To exactly mirror the text so the student comes to appreciate and become comfortable with the text
All of this will help students become more independent in their learning. As they master the style and tools the Gemara uses, they will feel more empowered and able to approach a new piece of Gemara and learn it on their own.
Over the past year Gemara Academy set up a booth at 2 Torah Umesorah convention and the NAJDSC where the response was extremely positive. Chananya Hoffinger also presented a workshop on the Gemara Academy approach at the Chinuch Conference and at the Torah Unsesorah convention, here too the response was extremely positive.
Gemara Academy Presentation from Chananya Hoffinger on Vimeo.
Thank you
The licensing price for a student, tutor, and teacher are different.
An individual license for a student or tutor includes access to 3 פרקים, and when the user is done they can exchange 1 פרק for another.
Regarding Bava Basra. So far 3 schools committed to licensing Gemara Academy on Bava Basra. Therefore it is almost certain that Gemara Academy will have classes on Bava Basra by next year.
although my son is only in preschool, I’m so grateful to know that as he grows, individuals like Rabbi Hoffinger, in our Chabad community have put huge amounts of time and effort in to ensure that our children are able to learn Jewish studies using the modern learning tools and styles that have been proven successful in the world at large (Much like Khan Academy). Thank you to Chanina and his wife, Henny, for putting themselves on the line to make this happen!!! many many many of us in this community, I’m sure, are grateful for your contribution to the… Read more »
I’m teaching Baba Basra next year. Do you plan to do that Gemara, or it’s just what you’ve done so far?
I saw this website a while ago and looks like it got a dramatic upgrade. Much more intuitive and user friendly.
Do all classes include animations? It seems like some have more than others? How do I know if the one I’m ordering will have the animations?
What about tutors? Like if I need it for a few students, Is there a reduced price?
If I want this just for one child, is the cost the same as soneone huying it for a while class?
The videos are currently free. Access to the PowerPoint presentations can be licensed and the user will receive a member’s login.
If you have any questions you can send an email to [email protected]
Is there a cost? I’m confused about what’s free on the website and what I need to pay for
Keep up the amazing work.
I love the animations
If Only this was around when I was in Yeshiva! I am heavily impressed!
I think this system and double the amount talmidim learn during the yeshiva years. The question is how to get the melamdim on board.
All teachers should use it!
R’ Chananya is an extremely talented teacher and has shown tremendous dedication and persistence toward developing such a project. Chananya, you knew that there was such a need for this product in the field of Chinuch. You tried and faced multiple challenges. Yet you keep trudging and success is beginning to show exponential gains, Boruch Hashem.
Is also pleasant to work with he has patience and is ready to hear u out (he is also a social worker)
A great listener
He way students have benefitted from this technique of teaching, has opened up their hearts to learning and appreciating our Torah. Yashar koach! !
I have big dreams for you!
Amazing program!! Thank you
I really enjoy using it!!
This program is amazing! I wish I had this when I was in yeshiva. I watch all the online videos and it really helped my gemarrah skills.
This has helped so many bochurim
Great job! I with we had this when I was a student.
Amazing job! Rabbi Hoffinger has an amazing way of communicating even the most profound and complex ideas in a very simple way. Yasher koach!
A true visionary
Chananya, keep up the great work!
We are so proud of what Gemara Academy is going to accomplish for students and teachers. Chananya, your dream has become a reality, and you did it with tremendous effort, positivity and a strong motivation!
Love your family
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Rabbi Hoffinger for his idealism and persistence in making this vision a reality.
I can tell you first hand how powerful a tool Gemara Academy is! It literally will blow you out of the water with Gemara learning.. Try it.
Thanks Rabbi Hoffinger!
Yossel Rabinowitz