About 3 months ago, in time for the current school year, an exciting new website was launched to help students with their Gemara studies in Yeshiva.
In this short amount of time, GemaraAcademy.com already has over 195 videos, 2,900 plays, and 34,000 hits.
There has also been feedback from various Yeshivos. A menahel of a Mesivta shared in an email that his bochurim are using the videos for their Chazarah and they love it.
Another menahel of a zal asked to bring the program into his Yeshiva to help the bochurim, and we are currently in the process of implementing it in their Yeshiva. Additionally, a number of Rebbes in our Yeshivos have begun using the program in their classrooms with amazing results.
The website features lessons on tractate Shabbos which is currently being learned in Yeshivos. It keeps getting updates with short video classes on Gemara, Rashi, and Tosfos.
Gemara Academy is designed to be a personal chavrusa that a student can 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 teacher is Rabbi Chananya Hoffinger who has been teaching 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 that show exactly which tools the Gemara uses in each Sugya and the larger map of the Gemara.
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.
One of the important goals of Gemara Academy is that the student come to appreciate the text, and not that the text be replaced with a visual based class. As a result each flowchart is exactly parallel and mirrors the Gemara that it’s teaching. In addition each PowerPoint presentation of the Gemara also has the Gemara text with the Tzuras Hadaf so that the student can become familiar and comfortable with the text.
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.
This system of learning was used this past year in Hamesivta and it had tremendous success. At the end of the year banquet in Hamesivta, student after student got up and spoke about how much they grew in their learning over the year.
Gemara Academy depends on funding from its users. In order to support the building of this project and continue to expand on what has already been done in Mesechta Shabbos and create the same platform on other Mesechtas, Gemara Academy needs users and those who believe in its goal and vision to help out with their donations. This will also help Gemara Academy build a beautiful and user friendly website which is currently in the making and needs funding in order to be completed.
Donations can be made online at gemaraacademy.com. For information on dedicating individual classes please email [email protected].
Gemara Academy Presentation from Chananya Hoffinger on Vimeo.
Beautiful
Rabbi Chananya Hoffinger has made this unbelievable tool for anyone to tap into at any time for FREE! Concepts in Gemara which are difficult to understand are explained and taught in a super easy flow chart way. It is amazing to see how much work was put into this and we are so lucky to have this out there! May Hashem bless you with continued success in spreading light and knowledge!
What a great innovation! Not only a fantastic tool for students but as a father whose gemara skills are not so strong, it gives me a better understanding of what my son is learning so I know at least as much as him!! Wonder why no one ever thought of this. Maybe because it requires such a tremendous amount of time and effort to produce. Please accept my token contribution as Hishtatfus in your unbelievable work. Hatzlacha Rabba!
Wow, what a wonderful concept in theory and practicality. Chanania, I eagerly await to see this project grow from strength to strength!!
Impressive and much needed work.
Hatzlacha Rabba
YS
Great job Chananya. You’re a real inspiration. Hatzlacha Rabbah in all your great work!
The old way of learning is not every one. I feel a big portion of a classroom does not really get what was taught.
I wish that this was available when I was a bochur. I enjoyed Gemara yet found the structure overwhelming. I still enjoy Gemara and hope to find time to make use of these videos and enjoy discussing the sugyos with my kids.
I believe that the ability to present something complex in a simple form is a tremendous gift. Thank you Rabbi Hoffinger.
As a parent of two boys and a teacher for many years, looking through these videos, I find them to be a fabulous tool for review of the day’s Gemara and a head start for preparing for the next lesson. The flow charts are so clear and easy to follow! Talk about painless learning! My boys just love it! It’s like having a private tutor at your fingertips! Wow!Wish I had known about this earlier. Seems to be the best kept secret in Crown Hts, or am I just the only one who didn’t know about it? Wish the Yeshiva… Read more »
I find it to be a great resource not only for yeshivah bachurim but for anybody intreated in learning Gemara seriously. You can’t get this type of shiur, for any price online or in person, not to mention for free.
Rabbi Hoffinger is someone that everyone should and could learn from. In all my years in yeshiva, Rabbi Hoffinger is the only Rebbi who dearly cared for the success of his students. Every day was something special being in his class. He is fully devoted to making this world a better place to be and we need more of these people desperately.
Keep up the good work.
What Rabbi Hoffinger is doing is unparalleled. As someone who works with Buchurim everyday, I can tell you he is helping countless young men feel accomplished and successful in their learning. Rabbi Hoffinger,may you have much hatzlocha and continue to help Klal Yisroel.
As a haschalas gemorah rebbe, I must say Rabbi Hoffinger’s site is amazing. The gemorah’s structure is unveiled so a novice can learn and master gemorah learning. Additionally, this is a crucial tool for those boys that have difficulty paying attention.
Klal Yisroel will benefit from this project.
Vayafutzu Maayanoisecha chutza!
This is amazing!! It’s what I have been dreaming of -incorporating graphic organizers into Torah learning! Rabbi Hoffinger’s program not only teaches bochurim the information, but helps them understand the thought process involved in their learning! That’s a true teacher.
“Give a man a fish and you have fed him for one meal. Teach him to fish and you have fed him for life!”
It’s high time our children are taught skills!!!
Telech mechayil el choyil!
Thank you R’ Chananya for introducing Gemorah Academy to the Torah world. You provide a key with which the beginner as well as the scholar can appreciate the excitement and brilliance of studying our Talmud. Hatzlacha!
This is incredible ! Over the years so many of our children have gone away from yiddishkeit because they felt so lost in the classroom. This will give children who want to learn an opportunity to understand what they are taught in the classroom and help them feel encouraged to continue to learn and grow. Hashem should give you all the brochos you need to continue this project.
Thanks Chananya, I think this is the next big idea!
Dear #4 Don’t be afraid to use your name. Did you know ‘Rambam’ couldn’t learn ‘Torah’ when he was young? Read the fascinating story.
All the others—No one is going to bite you if you include your name. The posts are weaker without a name. Anytime you post any comment on any article include your name.
This is a most fascinating presentation, and so novel!
Continue to do the great job you are doing!
‘Hatzlacha Raabah!’
We both are very proud of our son ‘Chananya Yisroel’ שי”ח
WOW! THIS IS SHLICHUS AT ITS BEST!! yes, helping to better educate our children is a great shlichus and tafkid that sadly is not looked upon with glory. Kol hakovod to you for making Torah so sweet for our children
Chananya you are very very talented! Keep up the great work!
Fitz
Really clear and incredible
I know a lot of work goes into this and you make it as if it is nothing. You do it lovingly and with passion that is admirable! Not only are you doing it, but you can do it.
i teach in a yeshivah, and i will definitely use some of your excellent ideas!
thank you rabbi hoffinger!
This is truly a very innovative way to teach. It is so easy to plow through a Gemara and get lost on a side issue. In addition, this presentation has visuals which I find assists me tremendously.
Thank you.
Wow, this program is so great, what an accomplishment!
Excellent online resource which deserves all the support it can get!
kol hakavod dear brother!
you are an inspiration for all the educators out there, on just one way to use the wonderful medium of technology as a learning tool. You are keeping many students motivated and excited to learn. That is HUGE!
hatzlacha raba!
this has been an amazing tool! i’ve gained so much on the derech of the gemara and the clarity that you offer on the gemara! keep it up and great work
Great Work Rabbi Hoffinger!!
My son goes to Yeshiva and was not doing very well last year. This year he comes home every night after supper and reviews what he learned online with Rabbi Hoffinger. He goes back the next day, having reviewed what he had learned the day before. Anything he didn’t fully understand is clarified. He doing doing incredible this year and the best part is that last week he said :”I love GEMARA!!!” Thanks you Rabbi Hoffinger!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha Masifta is one of the most under rated yeshivos in Lubavatch, people don’t know how good Ocean Pky. has become!
hamesivta staff is the best.
Rabbis Lieblich, Stroh, hoffinger, Pelow…..
This is Awesome!
Rabbi Hoffinger is knocking it out there :).