Derech students engaging with their shiur Rabbi. Derech has a very high Rabbi to Student ratio, enabling smaller class sizes and more personalized attention.
Welcome to Derech, where no two students are alike, and where a young man with limited Jewish background learns with a student who grew up in a yeshivishe family, or with a modern orthodox yeshiva day school graduate. The common denominator is that each individual wants to be a mensch, to grow in his Yiddishkheit, and to become closer to Hashem.
Derech’s approach is based on the verse, “Chanoch l'naar al pi darko” (Mishlei 22:6, “Educate a child according to his unique qualities”). Every student is treated as an individual, and no singular educational approach works best with every individual. There are many legitimate ways to serve Hashem. Some of our graduates continue learning in kollel while others join the Israeli army. Most return to their North America, Europe, or South Africa for university or vocational school. We work with students to help them identify their strengths and talents, nurture these in the course of their studies, and try to give them skills to implement them in the future so that they can become leaders and productive members of their Jewish communities.
Learning to Learn
Torah is what sustains Jews, and those who learn can grow throughout their lives. Many students have not yet tasted the sweetness of Gemara study. We show them how Gemara can be enjoyable, personally relevant, and morally compelling. We teach them to understand a daf, and to think deeply about its contents. Many do, and thanks to these skills they've developed, continue learning regularly throughout their lives.
The Ability to Ask Anything
Torah is true, and has something to say about all subjects. Good Torah teachers can field any and all difficult questions. Students in Derech are encouraged to ask whatever is on their minds. Nothing is off-limits as long as the discussion remains respectful. For those who grew up perceiving Judaism as a series of rituals, or who were told they couldn’t ask certain questions, it can be a revelation to find warm and receptive teachers with thoughtful, often unexpected responses. Students come away at the end of the year having touched on most of the basic issues confronting modern Jews, and can discuss them intelligently and often in depth.
Acquire a Rav
Derech has a world class staff of personable, multi-talented, and engaging personalities. They are also utterly dedicated to their students, and remain accessible to students who want to form a lasting, meaningful relationship with a rav and this, too, often lasts years after students leave Derech.
Connect to Eretz Yisrael
In addition to learning about the holiness of the land, Derech students spend part of the year exploring this diverse, exciting country. A number of students eventually make aliyah as well, and others develop a profound, personal connection to the land.
Make Tefilla Meaningful
We offer classes and special seminars that help students understand the content of prayers, and how they relate directly to what’s going on in their lives and in the world. Through tefilla, a student can form a thoughtful relationship with Hashem that becomes the foundation of his ever growing emuna.
Derech’s approach is based on the verse, “Chanoch l'naar al pi darko” (Mishlei 22:6, “Educate a child according to his unique qualities”). Every student is treated as an individual, and no singular educational approach works best with every individual. There are many legitimate ways to serve Hashem. Some of our graduates continue learning in kollel while others join the Israeli army. Most return to their North America, Europe, or South Africa for university or vocational school. We work with students to help them identify their strengths and talents, nurture these in the course of their studies, and try to give them skills to implement them in the future so that they can become leaders and productive members of their Jewish communities.
Learning to Learn
Torah is what sustains Jews, and those who learn can grow throughout their lives. Many students have not yet tasted the sweetness of Gemara study. We show them how Gemara can be enjoyable, personally relevant, and morally compelling. We teach them to understand a daf, and to think deeply about its contents. Many do, and thanks to these skills they've developed, continue learning regularly throughout their lives.
The Ability to Ask Anything
Torah is true, and has something to say about all subjects. Good Torah teachers can field any and all difficult questions. Students in Derech are encouraged to ask whatever is on their minds. Nothing is off-limits as long as the discussion remains respectful. For those who grew up perceiving Judaism as a series of rituals, or who were told they couldn’t ask certain questions, it can be a revelation to find warm and receptive teachers with thoughtful, often unexpected responses. Students come away at the end of the year having touched on most of the basic issues confronting modern Jews, and can discuss them intelligently and often in depth.
Acquire a Rav
Derech has a world class staff of personable, multi-talented, and engaging personalities. They are also utterly dedicated to their students, and remain accessible to students who want to form a lasting, meaningful relationship with a rav and this, too, often lasts years after students leave Derech.
Connect to Eretz Yisrael
In addition to learning about the holiness of the land, Derech students spend part of the year exploring this diverse, exciting country. A number of students eventually make aliyah as well, and others develop a profound, personal connection to the land.
Make Tefilla Meaningful
We offer classes and special seminars that help students understand the content of prayers, and how they relate directly to what’s going on in their lives and in the world. Through tefilla, a student can form a thoughtful relationship with Hashem that becomes the foundation of his ever growing emuna.
