Speaker: Carly Kastner, Director of Education, Temple Kol Ami, Scottsdale AZ
Could you describe a time that Online Jewish Learning helped you?
Carly Kastner: A few years ago, we were at a crossroads where students really were not coming to our midweek Hebrew school classes, be it they had sports or they just were busy and overwhelmed with homework. As a solution to this problem, we were fortunate enough to come across Rabbi Dani's Online Jewish Learning program, where she helped us connect students with tutors to have one on one learning experiences. This has helped us reimagine the way that we engage our students in Hebrew learning and our community really really appreciates the flexibility of being able to schedule Hebrew at their own time.
How would you describe Online Jewish Learning in three words?
Carly Kastner: First and foremost, our families find their online experience is to be convenient. It's really nice that they can schedule sessions on their own time. Our students do feel engaged. We've heard students talk about how much they love going online and working with their tutors. We also feel modern. We feel like we're in the 21st century, we are utilizing technology to its fullest potential to help students learn Hebrew.
What is something about Online Jewish Learning that makes it unique?
Carly Kastner: We know our students come to us with a range of experiences and knowledge in Hebrew and that some students just learn language is a little bit quicker than others. What has made Online Jewish Learning so unique and valuable is that students are met where they're at. So in a group class you might have to teach the average of the class, but when they have online tutoring, they really get to focus on exactly where they're at in their Hebrew learning. And we've noticed that our students have built more confidence and are more excited to learn Hebrew because of it.
