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News & Developments

See our blog for the latest news and developments occurring at Yeshivah Gedolah.

Torah and Technology

 Ipads@YG

The Rabbinical College of Australia & New Zealand is internationally renowned among mainstream Lubavitch Yeshivos for streaming Shiurim according to learning ability, and not according to age. This model has proven to be incredibly successful, with four levels currently provided separately for Nigleh and Chassidus.

Learning Gemoro requires fluency in a number of different areas, such as reading each Aramaic word with the correct Nekudos, translating the Gemoro’s words precisely and understanding the nuanced meanings of its cryptic phrases, punctuating the Gemoro correctly, grasping the intent and the flow of the Sugya, and exploring its deeper layers of interpretation. Focussing on all of these tasks at once is a challenge.

Recently, the Rabbinical College embarked on a new initiative to encourage and assist its Bochurim to further develop each of these skills, through the integration of iPads into the existing learning routine observed in Tomchei-Temimim Yeshivos. The iPads were configured within an internal network in a manner that obviates security and content-access concerns, while incorporating Google Apps for Education and other solutions.

The iPads, which belong to the Yeshivah, are kept by the Hanholo and made available to the students of Shiur Beis, for note-taking. The notes are automatically copied in real-time to a central server location, where they are accessed by the Maggid Shiur for assessment and correction. The notes are also automatically shared with any parent who opts in.

The students are also given the iPads for one hour during the afternoon revision of Shiur. During that time, the Bochurim make a daily audio recording of the Gemoro they learned, for assessment by the Maggid Shiur. These audio files are also automatically copied to the server, where they are accessible to the parents. 

Technology integration into the learning environment is a relatively novel idea within the Lubavitch Yeshivah-Gedolah system. The opportunity to employ it has produced tangibly good results, and enhanced parent involvement. The iPads augment quality individual interaction between Maggid Shiur and the Bochurim, at a level which was previously inconceivable. The Bochurim are very enthusiastic about the merger of millennia-old Gemoro study with the power of modern mobile technology. 

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

 Ipads@YG

Tishrei Preparations

 

One of the basics tenets of Chassidus is that an inspiring “Yom-Tov” (Jewish Holiday) is a product of diligent preparation. This is especially so with the advent of the month of Tishrei, and the special days of Rosh-Hashana, Yom-Kippur, Sukkos and Simchas-Torah.

An important cornerstone of these preparations is the study of Shulchan-Aruch, and the students devoted themselves to learning the Halachos (laws) of these festive days.

Additionally, a special “Seder Sichos” curriculum was arranged, delving into the inner dimension of these festivals.

A special highlight this year was a series of innovative and inspiring Skype videoconferences, led by internationally renowned rabbis and speakers. They addressed the students about the significance of the High-Holidays, and shared some personal reflections dating back from the times when they celebrated these special days with the Rebbe. They also shared some of their experiences as emissaries of the Rebbe at their respective locations around the globe.

Special thanks to Rabbi Yosef Kantor (Bangkok, Thailand) who addressed the students about Rosh-Hashana, Rabbi Shmuel Lew (London, England) who spoke about Yom-Kippur, Rabbi Michoel Danow (Leeds, England) who focussed on Sukkos, and Rabbi Shaul Wilhelm (Oslo, Norway) who spoke about Simchas Torah.

Global Impact

LChaimWeekly 

The “L’Chaim Weekly” is a weekly newsletter published in the USA by the Lubavitch Youth Organization of Brooklyn, New York. It has a readership base numbering in the tens of thousands, and is possibly the most-read Chabad weekly publication world-wide. The success of “L’Chaim Weekly” spawned the proliferation of other similar publications internationally, including Australia’s own “Lamplighter Weekly”, published by the Chabad House of Caulfield in conjunction with the Rabbinical College of Australia & New Zealand.

Recently, “L’Chaim Weekly” picked up on several articles published in “The YG Connection”, and reprinted them (with permission) in several issues (1209, 1215, 1216). We are grateful for this opportunity to have a positive global impact, and we look forward to more of the same in the future.

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