(כא) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים לַמִּקְרָא, בֶּן עֶשֶׂר לַמִּשְׁנָה...
(21) He used to say: At five years of age the study of Scripture; At ten the study of Mishnah...
Elementary School
As students learn to read and become more and more tech-savvy, Sefaria can support them as they develop the skills to navigate Jewish books, delve into Biblical verses, and understand some of the ways that the texts of our tradition are intertwined. As digital natives, even second and third-grade students can learn their way around Sefaria’s library of texts!
(כ) אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן אֲבוּיָה אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד יֶלֶד לְמַה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְתוּבָה עַל נְיָר חָדָשׁ.
(20) Elisha ben Abuyah said: He who learns when a child, to what is he compared? To ink written upon a new writing sheet.
Middle School
אביי ורבא הוו יתבי קמיה דרבה אמר להו רבה למי מברכין אמרי ליה לרחמנא ורחמנא היכא יתיב רבא אחוי לשמי טללא אביי נפק לברא אחוי כלפי שמיא אמר להו רבה תרוייכו רבנן הויתו היינו דאמרי אינשי בוצין בוצין מקטפיה ידיע:
The Gemara relates that Abaye and Rava, when they were children, were seated before Rabba. Rabba said to them: To whom does one recite blessings? They said to him: To God, the All-Merciful. Rabba asked them: And where does the All-Merciful reside? Rava pointed to the ceiling. Abaye went outside and pointed toward the heaven. Rabba said to them: You will both become Sages. It is as the popular saying goes: A cucumber can be recognized from its blossoming stage. Similarly, a great person can be recognized even from a young age.
For fifth-graders and beyond, Sefaria becomes an interactive place for seeking answers to questions, completing assignments, and adding their voices to the Torah conversations that are taking place in their schools and communities. These students are ready to take an active role in these discussions of Torah!
- Find answers to questions: Students who are comfortable with Sefaria’s interface will easily understand that they can research questions by clicking through to connected sources, and any child who is comfortable with Google will be able to use Sefaria’s search bar to find new ideas, texts, and sheets on a given topic.
- Complete assignments: Middle school students can use Sefaria’s sheets to answer questions, add texts in response to prompts and even experiment with creating their own sheets with thoughts or questions.
- Add their own voices to Torah conversations: Create a public collection to showcase student work, encourage students to make videos or artwork to complement a text, or ask students to reflect on a text or a ritual experience. Older middle school students can master these skills and even teach their peers!
High School
Researching questions, working closely with texts, and creating their own learning and teaching materials are all part of what high school students achieve on Sefaria. These students - and their teachers - are beginning to think about how Jewish texts might be a part of their lives after their formal Jewish schooling is over. Being a confident user of Sefaria helps ensure that the Jewish library will accompany them wherever they go!
- Research Issues: Building on the skills they learned in earlier grades, high school students can do more advanced research on Sefaria. Just as their general studies classes might teach them how to build an argument from primary sources, students can use Sefaria to construct arguments or find support for their positions.
- Analyze texts: Using Sefaria’s sheets, students can break down texts, color-code them, take them apart, analyze them, and then comment on what they have learned.
- Create their own materials: One of the most powerful ways for students to understand the significance of Torah study is to teach what they have learned to others. Both high school students and alumni of Sefaria-based classes create and share their work on Sefaria, honing their skills and experiencing the ways in which Torah sources speak to their own lives.