Bringing Chinuch First Curriculum to Yeshiva Toras Simcha Baltimore
BJH: Please tell us a little about yourself and your connection to Toras Simcha.
Rabbi Richard Altabe: I recently completed my 37th year as Principal in Yeshivos throughout New York including Yeshiva Darchei Torah where I served as Dean of General studies and most recently the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach where I was Principal of both limudei kodesh and chol in grades 1-5. I have a strong background in curriculum development and assessments and I have been serving as a consultant to the Yeshiva of Greater Monsey ( Cheder d’Monsey) under the direction of Rav Naftali Eisgrau for over a decade helping to guide the development of the Limudei Kodesh curriculum there and working with their curriculum menahel, Rabbi Shain.
My connection to Toras Simcha began through Rabbi Hillel Shepard, who had sent his son to the Cheder in Monsey and witnessed firsthand how it built strong Torah learning skills for his child. After arriving in Baltimore, Rabbi Shepard reached out to explore how Toras Simcha might be able to implement our model.
I visited Yeshiva Toras Simcha last spring to introduce the Chinuch First model developed at Cheder d’Monsey which places an emphasis on curriculum assessments and professional development. In my meetings I found a team of mechanchim eager to dive into the work of curriculum development and implementation. With guidance over the past summer and comprehensive training, we successfully onboarded the model for grades 1-4 this year.
A key feature of the Chinuch First model extends beyond curriculum alone. We believe that rebbeim need dedicated time to plan lessons and exams around the curriculum under the guidance of a curriculum menahel. Rabbi Motzen leads the rebbe prep time and guides the rebbeim, and we maintain constant communication to resolve questions that arise.
BJH: Tell us about the new curriculum that you have brought to Toras Simcha. What is the ultimate goal of the program? What was the motivation behind this new curriculum?
RRA: Chinuch First offers a standards-based Limudei Kodesh curriculum for grades 1-8 focused on Chumash, Mishna, and Gemara. Instead of simply measuring growth through coverage of parshios in Chumash and perakim of Gemara, the focus is on the underlying skills needed to unlock the meaning of a pasuk in Chumash or a daf of Gemara.
By putting Chinuch First, we aim to ensure that each child reaches their full potential in learning Torah. This is accomplished by providing each child with a rebbe who is fully invested full-time in the task of teaching without distraction.
We create metrics and standards for each grade in the Limudei Kodesh curriculum and provide guidance to rebbeim to help them meet those goals. Teaching to a standard rather than simply covering material transforms the classroom dynamic and raises the level of learning for all students.
BJH: What did you find special about Toras Simcha?
RRA: There is a unique student-centered environment at Toras Simcha, blended with a sincere desire to foster growth at all levels of the building. I noticed a building of children with stellar middos who happily attended their classes. The staff—both kodesh and chol—are dedicated to the goals outlined by Rabbi Shepard and his team, and they work diligently to reach every talmid. This intense commitment to growth will undoubtedly yield remarkable results.
BJH: How are you working with the rebbeim to facilitate this transition?
RRA: We have conducted several training sessions with the rebbeim to help prepare them to teach to the standards we have created. They have received guidance from Rabbi Shain, who developed the curriculum for Cheder d’Monsey, and one of our rebbeim also conducted a session before the year began. I provided professional development training for the staff during teacher orientation on the topic of assessments, ensuring rebbeim understand our goals in evaluating student progress.
BJH: Share with us a great success story related to the curriculum.
RRA: Here’s a wonderful example: Recently, I was looking for something in the office at Cheder d’Monsey and was told it was in a certain location. Some students were present, and when I couldn’t find the item, I remarked that not finding it was a ‘kashya.’ A fifth grader immediately corrected me, explaining that it was actually a ‘shailah.’ This student demonstrated that the concepts taught in the classroom had truly become part of him—even though the year had just begun.
BJH: How does this Chumash curriculum impact other learning such as Gemara and Mishnayos?
RRA: We have found that by providing students in younger grades with a strong foundation in Chumash skills, we effectively prepare them for learning Gemara. By fifth grade, students understand that the structure of a mishna involves grasping the background and often includes key components of the case and the final din..
When students begin Eilu Metzios in fifth grade, we start by teaching them the memras of the cases discussed in the famous sugya of Yeush Shelo Midaas. By teaching the memras first, the children gain sufficient background to delve deeper into the Gemara later on. This scaffolded approach ensures students are well-prepared for increasingly complex learning.
