How does Torah Live REALLY work in the classroom?

In honor of Chanukah, we’re featuring some shining examples of how Torah Live has been successfully used in the classroom:

Yeshiva Toras Chaim Beis Binyamin at South Shore

Torah Live provides a tremendous resource to many of the Rabbeim at Yeshiva Toras Chaim Beis Binyamin at South Shore in Hewlett, New York. The meaningful and engaging videos that Torah Live produces are unmatched in their creativity and they truly captivate our talmidim. Additionally, they provide an excellent foundation upon which the Rabbeim can lead discussions about the presented materials.

Torah Live has a real knack for conveying critical hashkafa concepts in a clear, concise and engaging manner. We all love their series on Emunah and Tefillah, starring Josh and the talking siddur.

They also enable our students to “visit” various educational places from the comfort of the classroom. The Tzitizis presentation takes us underwater to look for the techeiles, as well as to Mishkan Hatecheiles to see how tzitizs are made.

We are very grateful to Torah Live for all that they do to help further the chinuch of our talmidim.

Rabbi Menachem Gewirtz

Rebbe, Yeshiva Toras Chaim Beis Binyamin at South Shore

Gindi Maimonides Academy, LA

Gindi Maimonides had been using Torah Live halacha films – toveling, tefillat haderech, shatnez, etc. – for several years. Every two years the students revisited a topic on their new level of understanding.

Then two years ago my husband (who’s head of the school) and I met Rabbi Dan Roth here at a Shabbat meal. That connection led to the marvelous Emunah and Tefillah film, sponsored by the Kest family, parents from our school. Since then we’ve gotten really involved in Torah Live, and we now use its extensive programming regularly for students from third to eighth grade, almost 300 of our 560 students.

We start and end the year with hashkafic films. Before they leave for camp, some of which are outside the traditional Torah environment, our kids watch Kiddush Hashem to reinforce the values they should hold in their hearts, even when they’re not in school.

Mrs. Raizy Wilk

Hebrew Academy of Montreal

I have recently started using Torah Live in my classroom. I started with the laws of tefillin, since I am a sofer. I taught my students the tefillin-related vocabulary which appears in the video and gave them a small quiz on it. Then we watched the video in class and did the exercises in the workbook. 

The students watch Torah Live videos on their computers and write down their questions, what they didn’t understand and what they have learned. Then we do the workbook together. The students love this method of learning because it gives them a feeling of independence and maturity.

Rabbi Achiya Delouya/Judaics Teacher/Hebrew Academy High School of Montreal

Tiferes Beis Yaakov of Toronto

We concluded our Introduction to Tefillah unit and are about to begin learning the Shemoneh Esrei. I’m using the Emuna and Tefillah series on Torah Live to help solidify the messages we learned and to make the transition between units more meaningful. The visual component combined with passive learning allows the students to integrate the information in a relaxed and entertaining manner. 

I find the students more engaged and interested when given audio visuals to support their learning.

What better way to teach such valuable concepts than through such well-designed and entertaining short clips.