The following curriculum which we are presenting to our Staff is an approximation of what we expect should be covered in each of our grades from first through ninth. This particular curriculum covers only the Bible-History portion. Following our policy of de-emphasizing the great stress here, to fore laid on narrative history and the Holiday trappings in favor of the practical working concepts and practices of every day life of the Jew, we ask that this curriculum serve as a minimum guide rather than as an absolute prerequisite. In many cases we are using texts which definitely are not the best, either because we already have a large number of them in stock or because there are none available that are much superior. Our main objections to these texts are their treatment of major portions of Biblical History. Parts that may sound miraculous are not readily explicable by natural means such as the Crossing of the Red Sea are presented as "legend" or "poetry" or as usual natural occurences with all the miracle-aspects stripped. Our objection is two-fold:first, on religious grounds we accept the Bible as such and not the diluted version many of these children’s texts offer. And second: it is the previlege of a child to be given the story in its full beauty without having its esthetic value impaired by the bias of some rationalist author. Bven more serious is the occasional reference by some of the tests to "cus- toms" that״were once practiced by our ancestors", customs which Orthodox Jews still do practice and preach. I want to stress as much as possible that our aim in teaching Bible History is not merely to give them factual information as much as to make the Bible and Judaism relevant and real to them. "Our ancestors" are terribly distant from any child-as from any adult. But when we are hospitable just as is Abraham, or when Moses asks them to be fair or eat xiatzoh, the entire cast of Biblical personalities is so much closer to them. The amount of material suggeste…

I heard this today in Jerusalem: One of the students of Rabbi Schach שליט״א became head of a women's seminary, and was asked to give a שעור to the students. He knew it was required of him, but was deeply troubled because he believed that teaching Torah to women was a violation of the Halakha. He therefore approached Rav Schach and told him of his dilemma and how reluctant he was to undertake this assignment. Rav Schach's answer was that he should do the teaching, and זה יבטיח לך מקום בעוה״ב בעזרת הנשים. The poor chap was beside himself with grief, seeing his posthumous eternity in the women's gallery instead of the men's section...With trepidation, he told his Rebbe that he certainly would resign his position and immediately desist. Whereupon Rav Schach explained what he meant:כוונתי הייתה שבעזרת הנשים (שילמדו תורה ממך), תזכה לחלק בעוה״ב

Proposals for meeting on May, 17, 2004 26 Iyar 5764. 1) Fifteen basic concepts in Masechet Shabbat be selected to be covered in all shiurim, with the method used left to the discretion of each Rosh Yeshiva. 2) A skill be selected that will be worked on during the year. Possibility, the development of halakha from the gemara to the shulchan aruch including use of Rambam, Rosh, Tur and Beis Yosef. 3) Reintroduction of levels reflecting student’s knowledge background and textual skills.

The first of these two documents comes from the Emanuel Rackman collection of the Rav’s meetings 1963-1970, from our archives. The second, unsigned letter to Dr. Belkin, has all the marks of the Rav’s style and thinking. From internal evidence, the letter was written before the end of the 1950s. To anyone concerned with the preservation and development of Judaism, the current state of general Halachic knowledge must constitute a disturbing anomaly. Halacha has, historically, served as the central vehicle of Jewish life and thought. It has not merely represented, as creed and code, a set of precepts guiding belief and practice. Rather, Halacha has been the channel of a total religious life, stimulating thought, energising feeling, focusing action. It has always been a world-view and a world-experienc Moreover, it was not only an elite scholarly coterie which Halacha addressed in this capacity. Judaism has insisted that intellectual involvement must constitute an essential element of individual religious experience. Hence, the principles and insights of Halacha have never been considered the private preserve of some but the inviolable property of each and every Jew, addressing him personally and involving him directly.Unfortunately, the contemporary scene presents a somewhat different prospect. Despite Judaism's traditionally exoteric approach, a number of factors have combined to impede widespread study of Halacha so that its sound knowledge has become Increasingly confined to a relatively small and quasi-academic circle. The language barrier, changed educational patterns, a weakening in religious observance and commitment, a breakdown in com- munication between rabbinic scholars and intelligent layment, the competition offered by a host of modern distractions - all have contributed to making Halacha a literally closed book for the average Jew. Moreover, even those who do know some Halacha, often have only acquired scattered bits of knowledge - a precept here and an…