These are two institutions that are very close to my heart.

Darche Noam Institutions www.darchenoam.org

I had the tremendous zchut of teaching at Yeshivat Darche Noam/Shapells and its sister school, Midreshet Rachel V’Chaya, for a total of 8 1/2 years, stretching from 1995 until we came to the U.S. in 2007.   With Rabbis Karlinsky and Hirshfeld at the yeshiva, and Mrs. Lynn Finson and Rabbi Yitzchak Shurin at Midreshet Rachel, I was groomed as an adult educator. For this, I owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Many years ago, the founders of Darche Noam understood the need for new methodologies of introducing classic Jewish texts to the uninitiated.  Through a systematic encounter with our sacred texts, our connection to Hashem and His Torah develops organically, cultivating a balanced, rooted Jewish personality that appreciates what it means to be a Jew.

Webyeshiva   www.webyeshiva.org

Webyeshiva is the innovative new online learning Center, headed by Rabbi Chaim Brovender.  My year at Yeshivat Hamivtar (“Brovender’s”) in 1983-84 was the unquestionable turning point in my personal journey as a Jew.  For three years, I had the pleasure of delivering regular Halacha and Gemara shiurim on Webyeshiva, implementing the techniques that Rabbi Brovender and his staff introduced to me and which I subsequently developed in my years at Shapells. My experience with Webyeshiva inspired a spin-off program entitled www.TorahTutors.org, using the same format with small group or one-on-one learning.