Herzog College is excited to partner with The Rabbi Sacks Legacy in their innovative “Torah V’Chochmah” project – a teacher training and curriculum project bringing the inspiring wisdom of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks into Jewish school curriculums in North America.
This curriculum development initiative seeks to advance Jewish learning globally by incorporating the comprehensive philosophical teachings of the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l 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).
Rabbi Sacks’ renowned ability to distill and communicate complex biblical texts and Jewish philosophical concepts has positioned him as one of the greatest Jewish educators of recent generations. The goal of this program is to provide educators with the insights and skills necessary to create unique Judaic studies curricula, focusing on Chumash, Jewish philosophy, and weekly Torah readings. Unlike other teacher training courses, this initiative offers access to high-quality content and practical teaching approaches.
Torah V’Chochmah is run by The Rabbi Sacks Legacy in partnership with Herzog Global, LaHaV Learning, and the Lookstein Center of Bar-Ilan University. Head of the Herzog College Jewish Thought department, Professor Daniel Reiser has been involved as a consultant to the program. The workshop sessions are led by a team of experienced educators and curriculum designers, including Rabbi Udi Dvorkin from Herzog College, 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.”
Administrators and educators from 18 Jewish day schools from across the United States, Canada and Mexico are taking part in the pilot program. They 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 year-long 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.”
To learn more about Torah V’Chochmah, visit www.rabbisacks.org/tvc
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