Talmud Study in Yeshiva High Schools

Talmud study in yeshiva high schools creates many difficulties and challenges. We are honored to present to the community of educators this engaging debate about how to ameliorate those challenges. Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein and Rabbi Yehuda Brandes, among today s leading teachers of Gemara in Israel and the world, present two very different approaches to the most effective ways to teach Gemara under contemporary circumstances. As his been the case with other topics ATID has taken on in this series, we do not imagine that either of these two differing policy recommendations will magically solve the very real struggles teachers face, nor do we assume that either side of this debate will be appropriate for all schools. We do believe that these suggestions can serve as a springboard for rigorous deliberation and pedagogical planning in high schools. Each school can develop specific and implementable strategies which will improve the Torah study of the students and teachers.