Family Beit Midrash-This week's drasha topic

As a Rabbi, Torah study and how to create opportunities for community partners to access Torah is a topic dear to my heart. Below are some thoughts related to a program that we would like to begin after Pesach. I will speak about this topic this Shabbat morning.   Family Beit Midrash- A proposal for a new model of study that draws on classical precedents   Torah study in most Congregations:   Many congregations have extensive adult education programs. When one considers the huge percentage of a typical Synagogues budget expended on Torah study, and the relatively small percentage of members who participate regularly in Torah study, one is lead to the conclusion that we need to find new models of engagement that will bring in a higher percentage of our membership to study Torah. There are many reasons that individuals do not dedicate more time to Torah study. Some include: -limited time to spend with family. -Unwillingness to give up some of that precious time to study Torah. (This is why empty nesters tend to have the highest rate of participation in torah classes. Some of them often have more time available) -Lack of interest in subject matter. -Classes are boring in comparison to the competition. (ie multi-media)   The family beit midrash is an attempt to engage large numbers of individuals in serious torah study on Shabbat afternoon in ways that deal with many of the above challenges.   The concept:   Learning takes place in a one on one chavruta style method, but each chavrutra is part of a larger chavura. Each chavura is led by a madrich who is familiar with the content being studied and falls in the same category of study as the rest of the group. Groups would be established based on ability to find a coach for that respective group. For example, I learn mishna with my son who is in third grade. I would lead the father and son learning group for third through fifth grade. Once a month, I would sit with the fathers in my group and we would go over a perek of mishna- covering both content and pedagogy. The other three weeks the fathers would have the opportunity to learn with their sons in a one on one chavruta model. When questions come up among a chavruta, their madrich is at the next table and easily accessible. Other groups would include other parent child learning. (examples could be parents learning alefh bet with younger children, mothers learning tanach with daughters, spouses studying with each other, a college age group, etc). Groupings can be flexible to allow for various family structures, so that a young girl without a mother can learn with an aunt, a big sister or a close friend, as well as having a parent study with two children etc. Old fashioned gemara shiur could be incorporated into the program easily to allow for those who want a more typical shabbos afternoon shiur. Study would begin on Shabbat afternoon one hour before mincha. Ideally study will all take place in one room in order to create a beit midrash atmosphere. Since we are presently housed in a Jewish day school, we have the ability to move groups into classrooms if needs arise.   Advantages of this method:   This model allows us to take advantage of the fact that our communities today have numerous individuals who are well educated. By serving as madrichim they can now play a leadership role in Talmud torah. This model also supports our attempts to create a community of empowered partners taking leadership roles.   For many this is an opportunity to spend quality time with a loved one in a holy environment.   Chavruta study is a far more engaging method of study than frontal teaching. It allows participants to teach themselves in an active way, rather than sitting back and listening, in a passive way. This is a more engaging style of study.   This model has a lot of flexibility and can easily be tailored to the needs and desires of any specific group.   While this program will initially be focused on our current constituency, and we will develop chavurot from within our community, if successful this model can be a great way to integrate new people into the community by providing them with what we do best (Torah study) in a small intimate setting that is still part of the wider community.   Disadvantages and challenges of this method: Keeping track of all the different groups could be chaotic.   What to do with those who don’t fall into any of the specific categories created.   Can we convince people to be madrichim?   Need to consider how to start this program. Poll individuals for their preferences of grouping? What to do with parents who have multiple children? How important is it for all the study to be in one room to create environment. How often to do this program? How to excite kids- prizes? Weekly, bi-weekly? How to do child care? Make it some type of program? Food?   These are some initial thoughts. I would welcome your feedback, ideas and suggestions as we implement this new program. Daniel Alter