Below, you’ll find ideas for teaching about the upcoming holidays and making the most of the Sefaria platform. I hope they’re useful for you during this busy time of year!

Who? Shalhevet Cahana, Judaics teacher at the Jewish Leadership Academy in Miami.

How? I often begin researching a topic by wading through the treasure trove of Sheets on Sefaria. It is a gift that hundreds of educators around the world have generously shared with us their thoughtfully created source sheets.

When students are creating online projects on platforms like Pixet, Canva, or Padlet, students go to Sefaria to copy and paste the Hebrew text directly rather than typing it. This is for efficiency and accuracy.

Tip from Shalhevet: At the beginning of the year, during orientation, I play a game to show mastery over navigating the Sefaria library: I split the class into four teams. Then, two students at a time face off against each other to see who can find a source faster. For younger students it can be limited to finding the chapter and verse within one book; for older students it can encompass all of Tanakh or all of Talmud.

At Back-to-School Night I introduce parents to Sefaria so they can support their children with homework and studying for tests. This is especially important for families who do not have a physical library and rely on Sefaria's electronic resources.

Meet the New Help Center
Ever found yourself wondering how to take notes on a text or open two resources in side-by-side panels? Maybe you want to show your students how to look up the root of a Hebrew or Aramaic word, or how to choose a specific translation of a halakhic work. Sefaria’s library and tools are vast, and we know our users have questions about how to use them, so we built a brand-new Help Center! With step-by-step instructions for how to use Sefaria and a wealth of information about the interface itself, you have all the information you need for a smooth, productive teaching experience. Plus, all articles are available in both English and Hebrew.

Looking for a fresh perspective as you get ready to teach about Jonah in the weeks before Yom Kippur? We’ve got a great resource for you to explore!

Depths of Yonah, written by Rabbi Chaim and Binyamin Jachter in the mid-2010s, uses a question-and-explanation format to explore major themes of the book of Jonah in a manner reminiscent of a traditional classroom setting. Through the course of four in-depth sections (one for each chapter of the biblical text), the authors combine modern thought with classical commentary.

Have you ever seen a sukkah on a camel or a sukkah on top of another sukkah? Our sheet collection Not Your Grandmother's Sukkah: Sukkot from Neot Kedumim offers lesson materials based on the Sukkot exhibit at Neot Kedumim, the Biblical Landscape Reserve in Israel where visitors can explore daily life as it was lived during biblical times. Alongside images of their recreations of the many varieties of sukkah that are discussed in the Mishnah, you’ll find activities and discussion questions to use with your students.

SEFARIA FOR GOOGLE DOCS
Add any source from the library to a Google Doc with a couple of clicks. Now including verse numbers!


SHEET EDITOR
Mix and match sources from Sefaria’s library of Jewish texts, and add your comments, images and videos.
Useful LinksThe Sefaria Classroom | Teach with Sefaria | Webinar: Sefaria + Google Docs | About Sefaria