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Pedagogy Chaburah

Bring the magic of SVARA to your teaching

SVARA’s Pedagogy Chaburah is a rigorous seven-month learning opportunity for queer and trans rabbis and educators working in Jewish communities. This space nurtures those who are seeking to expand their pedagogical toolkits to include SVARA’s empowering (and traditionally radical) approach to teaching Talmud.

Want to learn more? Schedule some time to chat with Bronwen!
~Check back here in Spring/Summer 2025/5785 for Cohort 4 Applications~

SVARA’s Pedagogy Chaburah is a rigorous learning opportunity for queer and trans rabbis and educators working in Jewish communities. This space nurtures those who are seeking to expand their pedagogical toolkits to include SVARA’s empowering (and traditionally radical) approach to teaching Talmud. 

The program will include learning in SVARA’s method, sessions on pedagogy and practical skill-building, and a practicum for participants to practice-teach their own experimental course utilizing elements of SVARA’s methodology. 

The Pedagogy Chaburah will run from November 6th, 2024 through June 4th, 2025 and includes a weekly commitment of approximately three hours of learning (synchronous shiur, readings, independently scheduled chevruta, and practice teaching). 

November 4 – December 16, 2024

Participants will be enrolled in a weekly bet midrash with SVARA’s learning community, and additionally will participate in reflection sessions as a cohort every other week: 

  • Learning in the bet midrash (2-3 hrs / week), likely Monday or Tuesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 PM EST
  • Bi-weekly learning as a cohort (2 hrs every other week), likely Thursday daytime from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST

January 15 – February 12, 2025

Participants will engage in weekly sessions focused on pedagogy, grounding in SVARA’s methodology, and scaffolding to support the implementation of practice-teaching

  • Weekly sessions as a cohort (2 hrs /week), likely Wednesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 PM EST

March – May 2025

Implement & teach a self-directed practicum with observation and mentorship (no synchronous shiurim) 

May 14 – June 4, 2025

Participants will engage in weekly reflection sessions, exploring the impact of practice-teaching and the means to integrate the experience into an ongoing teaching practice

  • Weekly sessions as a cohort (2 hrs /week),likely Thursday daytime from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST

This learning space is for folks who:

  • have previously learned Talmud with SVARA
  • have experience learning rabbinic texts in the original(studies texts in SVARA’s method in chevruta without the use of Hint Sheets, recognizes and identifies binyanim, has the ability to decode Rashi script)
  • are experienced educators/facilitators (have 3+ experience as teachers/facilitators – not necessarily in teaching Talmud)
  • lead with self-awareness, groundedness, humility, and mentschiness
  • are committed to acknowledging and interrogating mechanisms of power and inequality in the world and the bet midrash
  • are currently serving in a regular teaching role (in professional and/or community settings) where they will have the opportunity to explore incorporating elements of SVARA’s pedagogy & practice into their learning spaces