Third Year Cheder Camp from Online Cheder Makes Torah Fun

Online Cheder for boys and its corresponding girls school work all year to give talmidim and talmidos a real Chinuch, Al Taharas HaKodesh, that is meaningful to each student.  Working with each taldim or talmida, encouraging and leading them to find their interests within Torah, is the mission of Online Cheder (TorahChinuch.com).  This can be done easier, with more fun and even more effectively, during the summer.

Torah is a living Torah and each student has their own interests within Torah.  Indeed, every Yid is shiach to a different part of Torah and developing a love for Torah comes through the parts that are of most interest to the student.  This is discussed in Chassidus and is key to developing Ahavas Hashem and Ahavas HaTorah.  This is also true on a very simple level.  If Torah is “chayeinu veoreich yomainu,” our very way of life, as we say every night in Maariv, then Torah needs to be enjoyable and developed.  This is something that the Rabbeim put toil into and bringing back the geshmak in Torah needs to be our priority and the way of life of a mechanech.

There is not and there never was a one size fits all answer to Chinuch.  A parent once cried out in Yechidus, saying that they have four children and three are doing fine, yet one had struggles.  “Rebbe, we raised them all the same,” they said, trying to make sense of it.  The Rebbe pointed out that each child is different and each needs a different way of being reached.

A class is a team and there needs to be common learning and common skill building.  Yet it is a teacher’s job, shlichus and achreius to make sure that each student is being reached and that their interests, within Torah, are being developed within the class.  The Frierdiker Rebbe points, as a klal godol in Klalei HaChinuch VHaHadrocha, that a talmid needs to feel cared about.  Part of this is to make sure that they feel good and invited in class, even while holding them to certain standards.  Another way that this is done, is by bringing their interests into the class.

Here are some of the ways that this is done:

Some children love Midrashim, Sippurim, Aggadeta and Halacha, when discussed and gone over well.  Many love learning new areas that speak to them.  Knowing the interest of each child is key to building them in all other areas of learning.  This can be done much more easily during the summer.

Even essential learning can be made exciting, especially during the summer.  Pirush HaMilos allows a child to build a relationship with Hashem while remembering words and meanings better than any other way.  After all, we are dealing with words that are said every day.  When a child learns their true meaning, the davening comes alive and the words stick.  Concentrating in davening is compared in Chasidus to a personal techiyah of one’s neshomo and for good reason.  Key to Avodas HaTeffilah is knowing the meaning of and discussing the beauty of the words.  This is done in a fun and exciting way with memory games and light contests, while then stressing the seriousness and importance of one’s connection with Hashem.

Just a teacher taking the time to know the interests of each talmid or talmida is important.  There is no reason not to and this is key to motivating and growing our children.

Fun and exciting methods are also used to bring home the message of the Gemara during the year.  Breaking down each shitah of the different Tannaim and Amoraim makes classes exciting and key concepts memorable.  Based on the Frierdiker Rebbe’s Zichronos, this is how learning was always done.  Often, it’s the only way to make the lessons stick and for students to want more.

Online learning needs to involve plenty of discussion in which talmidim or talmidos are asked to think.  It’s the only way to gain their attention and interest and to give children the tools and motivation to want to learn and to grow in all the ways that we so much want them to.

In the Gemara on Matan Torah (Shabbos 88b), Rava tells us that Torah is a sama dchayei, a potion of life when learned in depth. In a Chanukah Maamar of 5701, the Frierdiker Rebbe states that not delving into the meaning of Torah is klipas yovon, R”L. We see every day how interest is built with discussion and by teaching talmidim to think and analyze and to be comfortable doing so, all in a way that stresses the greatness and importance of the proper way of life.

The summer allows us to do this in a fun and meaningful way.  We hope that your children will be part of it.

For the boys’ ChederCamp, the girls’ summer program or any of the full year classes, please call (917) 830-3364 or email [email protected].  Please visit www.TorahChinuch.com.  Our mission is Torah for every child in a way that reaches them and we’d like to work with you to meet these goals.