Want to share this special moment with you…

The mezuza presentation was given in Russian in Moscow by Sara Katz AND in Hebrew by Shmuel Rind to elementary school boys – both on the same day!

 Sara Katz sent me the following note via Skype:

I’m amused and somewhat embarrassed at the sheer number of doughnuts that disappeared yesterday at the first ever Torah Live staff get-together. Below are some photos you might want to check out….

But first, with 50,899 views so far and counting, view Torah Live’s “Against All Odds” video which will help you experience Chanukah in a new light. (There are seven more when you finish watching that one!)

Wishing you a beautiful and meaningful Chanukah, Rabbi Dan Roth.

View the rest of our Chanukah series here.

 

 

Rabbi Reuven Epstein delivered the Ultimate Shelter lecture at Congregation Shaarei Simcha in Staten Island, New York. Rabbi Epstein writes us that

Class was a tremendous success! They loved the presentation and were asking for more. The Halacha aspects of the video, combined with the entertaining segments, presented the community with an inside look at the market of the Daled Minim, from the harvest through the selection process. It made my job as a presenter easy while educating the crowd from beginners to the more advance. Thank you Rabbi Dan Roth for the wonderful work you do. Wishing you much Hatzlacha in your future endeavors educating Klal Yisroel!”

Rabbi Nate Segal, rav of the shul, joined the audience for the entire presentation despite his famously frantic schedule, for which we are very grateful. He was very impressed and told me Rabbi Epstein that he would like to see an ongoing series of Torah Live presentations. He said he would definitely recommend this to other communities around America.

Comments from the audience:

Very educational… very clear explanation of the Halachos… great visual effects
-Elliot Strusman

I should’ve bought my Esrog after I saw this great video
-Yoshi Bender

The video was extremely informative, I learned a lot from it and now know what to look for. I look forward to seeing more presentations from Torah Live.
-Scott Pere

In the words of one of the attendees of Rabbi Burnham’s Torah Live lecture in Detroit, “The Torah Live material is well researched, compelling, and speaks to today’s generation in a relevant and meaningful way.” Enjoy these photos from the event, and get in touch to bring Torah Live to your community.

 

Rabbi Yakov Vann, Rav of the Calabasas Shul just outside of L.A., presented the Mezuzah DVD to his community this summer. “People were awed by the fact that Torah can be presented in such a state of the art, sophisticated manner,” he said. “It is incredible to be able to teach such a complex area of halacha in a way that both beginners and advanced students grasp something on their level. It’s really bringing the greatness of Torah to the community.” Buy your copy of the Mezuzah DVD today, here.

An exciting series of Torah Live lectures is being offered in Detroit entitled The Jewish Success System. The multimedia presentations designed by Dan Roth and his team, are Anger, Living the American Dream, and Crossing the Finish Line.. For more info, call (248) JUDASIM (583-2476) or send an email to Rabbi Burnham - leiby101@yahoo.com.

Rabbi Leiby Burnham recently joined the Torah Live team. He works with the Theodore and Jean Weiss Partners in Torah Program of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and runs Jewish educational programs at the Wayne State, and Oakland University.  He h received his rabbinical training at the Sh’or Yoshuv Institute and his Masters in Social Work at Wurzweiller.

Other than studying and teaching, Rabbi Burnham loves snowboarding, talking “the market,” and playing basketball. He lives in Detroit with his wife (an ICU nurse) and their three daughters, Orah, Shifra, and Rachel.

Torah Live’s second Yom Iyun, held at Yeshivat Mevaseret Zion, was a smashing success. (First Yom Iyun post here.) Boys spent the morning studying many inspirational ideas related to charity and then enjoyed an in-depth multimedia presentation on the topic. The event made a lasting impression on the students, many of whom took upon themselves to give ten percent to charity. To book the Torah Live Yom Iyun experience for your school, write to yomiyun@torahlive.co.il

Comments from the students:

“It was just 100%! Never realized how intricate the topic was.”

“Loved the audio visual.”

“Entertaining and informative.”

A big thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Calvert for opening their home and hosting the mezuza presentation to a small group of friends in the their home in Netanya. Graham has supported Torah Live from the very beginning, offering sage advice and opening all kinds of doors and it was therefore a real pleasure to be able to speak in his home. He remembers growing up near my grandparents in Edgware (London) and recalls how my uncle David Schreiber was his madrich in Sinai-Hebron.

Here’s what Mrs. Calvert had to say about the evening: “The shiur was incredible and the graphics were truly amazing. It was a privilege to host the shiur and if we lived in Israel we would want the whole series!”

“Fancy-shmancy presentation!”
“Eye-opening. Amazing!”

It was a true privilege to give the charity presentation today to such a distinguished group of people as the avreichim in the Mir. One of the beauties of the presentation is the ease with which it can be tweaked to suit each audiences needs, and today’s event was no exception. Yet another version was created – the 11th version to date!

Several people have already e mailed us asking for the excel maaser file – click the link to download it. [ MAASER Spreadsheet 10a ] If you want a tzedaka app for your iPhone, you can get one here.

“The speaker and graphics were phenomenal!”

“Great Shiur! Worth a trip from anywhere. Very captivating. How can it be improved? More time! – Zevi Rothschild

Rabbi Roth had the privilege of giving the charity presentation to SEED UK who are here this week on an Israel trip. Rabbi Malcolm Herman, SEED’s Programmes Director, said: “Your very enlightening event inspired our group to think more seriously about their charity obligations and whet our appetites for more. Excellently presented.”

Rabbi Roth was invited back to H. M. Treasury once again. [view post from first visit here] This time he gave the Mezuza Presentation…

“An engaging & enjoyable treatment of Mezuzah from the basics to the very detailed.  A polished multimedia presentation with the more in-depth sections giving rise to so much discussion (especially on who to buy kosher mezuzot from!)” – Mark Shackman

“Although I have lots of big Mezuzot all round my house, I learned a lot from the presentation. I especially liked the “traditional” ideas/ Hashkafah anecdotes. More generally, I liked the “camera work” and how you film the text from the Torah in a modern dynamic way, making the text spring to life, so to speak.” – Jonathan Gershlick

The Torah Live presentation at Machon Yakov was a smashing hit, and another lecture has been booked for December 29th.

Feedback from students:

“Terrific. I like the way that there was smooth integrated use of the powerpoint with your insights. I didnt feel the visuals were overbearing. well done.”

“Perfect”

“Very Informative, great graphics, beautiful visuals.”

“Amazing! I would love to know what else you have to offer.”

“Beautiful graphics. Wonderful speaking. How can it be improved? If it were longer.”

“I really learned a lot and retained more since it was visual.”

“Loved the shiur + topic + Rabbi Roth. Loved the presentation. Nice to have an analysis of mitzvos that we dont usually discuss.”

Here are some images from another of the exciting stops on Rabbi Roth’s recent whirlwind New York tour – an Aish Hatorah event at Aish Kodesh in Woodmere.

Rabbi Roth presented “Chasing the American Dream” at a Melaveh Malka in the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates in Queens, New York. Rabbi Shlomo Hochberg, Rabbi of the shul, commented,”Thank you so much for spending Motzei Shabbos with us and taking the time to inspire us with your knowledge and insights”.

“Speaker was very dynamic. The pictures enhanced the points he brought out. I loved the multimedia presentation” – Fran Kozlin

While in New York last week, Rabbi Dan Roth presented the Torah Live lecture on mezuza to a crowd of 150.  Ira Rabinowitz commented “Too short. I would have loved a 2 hour class!” If you attended the shiur, please chime in below in the comments!

Earlier this week, Rabbi Roth presented on Mezuza at EYAHT.  The students had the following comments:

“The video presentation was amazing. Best I’ve ever seen. ” – Tziporah Winston

“Very clear. Easy to follow. Good speaker. Great job!” – Aviva Lurie

“Terrific! Amazing graphics.”  - Ale Harari.

Many yeshivas and seminaries in Israel have hosted Torah Live presentations over the course of the school year as part of an enriched curriculum.  A popular arrangement has been to offer Torah Live lectures as a special Rosh Chodesh event.  With 8 presentations currently available and more coming soon, there’s enough for a different one each month of the school year.  Click here for a sample schedule (pdf).  Here’s the list of yeshivas and seminaries in Israel that have benefited from  Torah Live presentations:

Afikei Torah
Be’er Miriam
Chochmas Lev
Darchei Bina
EYAHT
JEWEL
Michlala
Midreshet Lindenbaum
Midreshet Rachel
Neve Yerushalayim
Ohr Penina
Peninim
Sharfman’s
Sha’alvim for Women
Tomer Devorah
Young Judaea / FZY

 

“So far I have used Torah Live [Presentations] to teach the laws of Yichud to high school girls. Its state of the art, upbeat and humorous presentation has revolutionized teaching this complex and sensitive topic. I hear that the students rave about the classes to their friends who can’t wait to have the class themselves! We look forward with great hope to more Torah Live Presentations, which will continue to inspire the new generation with an appreciation, respect and love for Halacha” – Rabbi Dovid Tugendhaft

Rabbi Dan Roth in action, teaching his morning halacha class at Aderes Hatorah.

Rabbi Roth will be visiting USA from Nov 7 – 17. To book a Torah Live lecture in your community or to find out how to license the material for use in your organization, write to d.roth@torahlive.co.il. He is scheduled to appear on Nov 11 in Rabbi Yisrael Reisman’s shul in Flatbush for the Hakhel Yarchei Kalla, and at a Melava Malka event on Nov 13 in the Young Israel of Jamaica Estates.