Rabbi Sacks Teacher Training and Curriculum Project Launched
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The Rabbi Sacks Legacy is launching an innovative project, titled “Torah V’Chochmah,” a premier teacher training and curriculum project bringing the inspiring wisdom of Rabbi Sacks into school curriculums.
Administrators and educators from 18 Jewish day schools from across the United States, Canada and Mexico are taking part in the pilot. The curriculum development initiative seeks to advance Jewish learning globally by incorporating Rabbi Sacks’ comprehensive philosophical teachings into mainstream education. The name “Torah V’Chochmah” is derived from Rabbi Sacks’ belief that Jewish leaders should study both Torah (sacred texts) and Chochmah (worldly wisdom).
The goal of this program is to convene an outstanding cohort of educators to develop curricula based on the thought and values of Rabbi Sacks that will bring his Torah into the global classroom and community. The educators will be given access to high-quality content and practical teaching approaches, and trained to gain the necessary skills to create unique Judaic studies curricula focusing on Chumash, Jewish philosophy, and weekly Torah readings.
The workshop sessions are led by a team of experienced educators and curriculum designers, including Rabbi Udi Dvorkin, Dr. Yoel Finkelman, Rabbi Dr. Zvi Grumet, Yolande Pieters, and Rabbi David Stein. The sessions cover various topics, such as “Introduction to Curriculum Design” and “Crafting Essential Questions.” The launch will be followed by 10 online sessions throughout the year, built on three distinct pillars: Torah, curriculum, and application, enabling teachers to use the material to build curricula that will be applied in their own schools and classrooms.
Participating schools include Irvine Hebrew Day School, Jean and Jerry Friedman Shalhevet High School, Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Katz Yeshiva High School, Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, SAR, Barkai Yeshiva High School, The Frisch School, Fuchs Mizrachi School, Bornblum Jewish Community School, Robert M. Beren Academy, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Bnei Akiva Schools of Toronto, Hebrew Academy Montreal, Netivot HaTorah Day School, Colegio Hebreo Maguen David, and Yeshivat Emuna.
Joanna Benarroch, Chief Executive of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, said, “Rabbi Sacks made profound contributions to Jewish learning and education. By infusing the Jewish day school curricula with his wisdom, his legacy will continue to inspire students of today and of future generations. Educators are afforded a truly exceptional opportunity to combine their teaching practices with Rabbi Sacks’ inspirational wisdom and enrich the educational experiences of their students.”
Rabbi Jeremy Bruce, Program Director, added, “Torah V’Chochmah offers a platform for day school educators to gather for a yearlong curriculum development program that brings Rabbi Sacks’ inspirational teachings into the Judaic curricula of Jewish day schools. This initiative will allow each school to personalize its curriculum to suit the needs and approach of their school community.”
Torah V’Chochmah is run by The Rabbi Sacks Legacy in partnership with Herzog Global, LaHaV Learning, and the Lookstein Center at Bar-Ilan University.
